Board of Advisors meeting agenda
salam boys and girls, here it is, my "agenda". i will go over it and explain it in the conference call. My "agenda" is final, so don't bother printing it out and having it with you during the call! just kidding. peace and love.
-asad
MYNA BOARD OF ADVISORS MEETING "AGENDA"-first draft
12:30 Friday, May 9th arrive
1-3pm prayer and lunch / "get to know me"
5pm start first official meeting of new MYNA BOA
FRIDAY AFTERNOON
Pre-meeting: Introducing ourselves - "know me"
Each question is related to something that will be discussed during the course of the weekend. By knowing each other we will reduce communication problems. We will know "where you're coming from"
Everyone answers the following:
Whats your background?
family, activism, religious, school of thought, etc.
there should be nothing that sneaks up on us later
Your youth experience growing up Muslim in America.
How did you get involved in muslim community work?
What have you benefited from most in islam?
What makes you most frustrated about islam/muslims?
What are your thoughts on ISNA?
FRIDAY EVENING
ITEM 1: Past Work
1.1 review the history of MYNA's creation
and past reform (the "who-when-where-how")
1.2 review the original structure (the "what")
1.2.1 changes over time
1.2.2 the relationship with ISNA
1.2.2.1 what ISNA wants it to be
1.2.2.2 how we want it to be
1.2.2.3 further steps to take
1.3 review of the original goals (the "why")
1.3.1 discuss the relevance now
ITEM 2: Reform Effort
2.1 review the Proposal of 1999
2.1.1 its criticism at ISNA Conventions
2.1.2 review the Revised Proposal of 2000
we will not discuss any issues raised by the proposal,
that comes later in ITEM 4. we will just try to understand what it is recommending.
SATURDAY MORNING
Now that everyone is "on the same page"
regarding MYNA and each other, lets get dirty
ITEM 3: Directions to take
3.1 access if the context of youth work
(muslim communities) is the same as
it was in 1999/2000, since the proposals.
may require a pre-meeting survey sent to
leading individuals in the key cities of US/Canada
AND/OR at least a review of the situation in
each city represented on the Board:
Los Angeles: Hassan
Dallas: Monem/Iman
Cincinnati: Riyad
D.C.: Inayet
Charlotte/Chicago: Asim
Miami: Asad
3.1.1 what has changed since 9/11
3.1.2 discuss the priorities for muslim
youth work in this post 9/11 context
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
3.2 a vision for the future
ISNA says: "youth are a priority"
what does this mean? Yes or No
3.2.1 directions to go / resources to develop
based on asad's post 9/11 brain dump
regarding options available for doing youth work
(will be explained during the conference call)
3.2.1.1 individual growth
increase knowledge/character building
"Halaqa or not to Halaqa?"
my tarika or your tarika? abey tereki!
3.2.1.2 issue activism
topical events for priority issues for youth
"hey kid, you're head of the program committee
for the 4th Annual Region 7 East Zone Summer
'ISLAM is COOL' Conference??"
3.2.1.3 institution development
building a community's resources for youth
"Lets meet at the 5-pillar Center after school."
crank up the music and do the Y.M.C.A. dance!
3.2.1.4 all of the above/none of the above/other options
the means of execution of this will be the goal of
the strategic planning retreat, see below
SATURDAY EVENING
ITEM 4: Further Revision or New Proposal
4.1 review our recent actions and ideas
in terms of the proposal
4.2 discuss what we want to do with the proposal
4.2.1 what to keep
4.2.2 what to change
4.2.3 what to add
4.3 further actions
4.3.1 actions to take regarding our recent work
4.3.2 actions to take regarding the proposal
Our ideas from the two previous items will be formulated
into a final revision or new proposal. to be finalized
before the strategic planning retreat and put into action
following the retreat. the retreat being where we discuss
the "how to" of putting it into action.
SUNDAY
Finish any unfinished items from previous day
ITEM 5: What Now
5.1 Schedule further actions
with tasks to accomplish and deadlines to meet
5.1.1 organization committee
5.1.2 web development
5.1.3 strategic planning retreat
5.2 Actions for Directors to Take
5.3 What to Present at October ISNA Majlis Meeting
5pm Sunday, May 11th Close Meeting
after this meeting it will be do or die!!
no more discussion of "why" and "what"
only "who" and "how"
not until a new generation takes over,
or there is another fundamental shift in Islam in America.
our MYNAqidah will be final.
All heretics be burned at the stake.
and after the stretegic planning and finalizing the "how,"
the gates of MYNAjtihad will be closed!
and this board will be the gate keeper.
posted by Asad Siddiqui @ 2:20 PM
25 comments
25 Comments:
Salams everyone,
Asad, thanks for the email. I may not make the conference call tonight. I will try my best to be on. Here are my general comments.
My thoughts are that the strategic objectives for the upcoming year are 3:
- Situational Analysis
- Branding (vis a vis programming)
- Fundraising
As a result, I feel that the following issues should be discussed at the meeting:
- Mission and Vision
- Situation Analysis
- SWOT Analysis
- Target Markets and Segmentation
- Position and Branding Statements
- Objectives, Strategic and Tactics (This will go towards
identifying the Exhibit A for Iman and Inayet)
- Budgets
Asad, I believe that most of your points will be detail-level points in the Situation Analysis piece above. I will try to make the phone call tonight, and we can discuss it further then.
Salaamss,
I would like to have everyone answer these questions in detail before the meeting, and have our answers circulated. I think we'll be able to avoid a lot of needless discussion if we already know where people stand. That way we can focus on the areas that need discussion, not ones we all agree on, but spend 2 hours explaining.
Q: What is(are) the primary goals and objectives of MYNA? And why should they be those (ie. what imperative need is being fulfilled?)
Q: Is any other organization doing the same thing? If so who and to what extent?
Q: Based on above, to what extent should our cooperation/involvement/coordination/etc. be with those other organizations (MAS, YM, AMS, etc)?
Peace,
Situational Analysis
1. Briefly describe who you are, what is your mission. What are the products that you offer?
2. Who is your market? What do you know about your current market? (How far away is your reach?)
3. What are the demographics of my market? (Age, income, education)
4. Who do I think my competition is? Do I feel that I should work with them?
5. Trends. Review and be prepared to analyze historical trends for all “types” of consumers (in this case the youth market).
6. How are donations made? How do we gain income?
7. Macro-environment. How do the demographics of the population relate to your market? Have you segmented your market? What’s happening in the economy?
a. Core Segment: Highest Percentage of Penetration
b. Opportunity/Development Segment: Not well penetrated, but represents high potential (rural Muslim communities, young professionals with families, etc)
Assalamu Alaikum Everyone.
I spent a good part of this weekend thinking through some issues pertaining to this upcoming meeting. I put my thoughts out on my website. At your convenience, please go out there and take a look at it. If you can't get to it, please let me know.
Take care, Wasalam
MYNA Organizational Map
-http://www.3nftechnologies.com/MYNA%20Organizational%20Map/
MYNA Marketing Plan -
http://www.3nftechnologies.com/MYNA%20Marketing%20Plan/
Exhibit A - http://www.3nftechnologies.com/Exhibit%20A/
Challenges Facing Youth - http://www.3nftechnologies.com/challenges/
Assalamu Alaikum again.
I've completed a preliminary budget and an implementation timeline (for use of the Exhibit A).
I've attached the docs here in addition to post them on my webpage. Now you can get to them directly from the main page. Again, if anyone has any questions, let me know.
Salam, Okay, before we start answering questions, I have a concern with the questions themselves.
I understand the need for business-type organizational model, but in the end, we are human beings and we will be dealing with human beings. Thus that model needs to stop at a certain level... basically when you start dealing with people. Language is important, and when you refer to a persons qualities/gifts/talents/traits as products, it dehumanizes it. It is my basic contention with the market economy and what it has done to this world and its people, and I really think it does harm to our outlook on youth work.
I understand that it is where you are coming from Asim, but it throws me off and frankly the language restricts the answers to "cross-sectional data analysis" type stuff :-) I don;t mean to be offensive, but i am going to have to reword the questions for myself.
Salam
Assalamu alaikum Inayet, I believe we have a misunderstanding here. Although the Situational Analysis contains question that may be in the ‘first person’ tense, it really referred to the organization (i.e. MYNA). There is nothing personal about the set of questions, and I purposely like to keep them high level in order to get a broader consensus on the issues. I’ve reworded the Situational Analysis doc, and posted it on my website. If you have any questions on how to answer the questions, let me know.
Assalamu alaykum, Please read this as if I am smiling and being nice the whole time. Email’s limitations on emotions can result in misunderstandings.
While that clarified one issue, ie the questions make more sense now, I am still confused. How exactly are they higher level? When I think higher level, it is in the realm of ontology and epistemology. These just seem to be worded in a business format.
And just on a side note, science and business both wrongfully believe that they are void of the personal because of the distancing stance they take, however they both are heavily value-laden and the personal always comes through.
And it should. I believe it should be celebrated. It doesn’t not mean telling stories necessarily, but it does mean acknowledging, these are my experiences, these are the people I talked to and this is how I make sense of it all. Rewording questions in the business style does not take away the personal by putting it at a neutral tone. Rather, at least for me, it is more limiting and forces me to think in a business-mind set which I do not enjoy and I do not believe is beneficial for this purpose. Plus, what I took away from the meeting and what Riyad was saying is that we should talk at a very personal level so we know where each other is coming from. Riyad, can I see your questions, that might help me in answering.
And lastly, I am sure everyone is like why is Inayet making such a big deal of this. Well if these questions are going to structure our meeting, and this meeting is going to structure how MYNA is set up, I have a huge problem with it. I have been educated to be critical and I completely see its necessity when establishing foundations; you have to evaluate the foundations you already have so that you are not building on faulty grounding. So I reiterate once again, we need to discuss the philosophies and everything else that is influencing how we are talking about these issues…it is a fact they exist and they affect what we are doing. It is not time consuming to analyze, briefly, it just has to be done. You can’t escape it, you can only become informed of it.
Assim, I don’t mean to harp on you or your questions. It is my limitations that I am not able to see beyond the apparent disconnect.
Salam
Here's my answers (remember to do your own first before you read them). I still need to put my answers into the reformed questions. Monem, please forward to your wife too, I don't seem to have her address.
Peace,
Riyad
Q: What is(are) the primary goals and objectives of MYNA? And why should they be those (ie. what imperative need is being fulfilled?)
A: Developing a strong Muslim identity along with beneficial worker/organizational/leadership skills.
* Given the increasing pressures to blend and conform to ever decreasing moral values, strong self image is critical. In music and movies, these negative "ideals" continue to be emphasized. We find, fairly often, among non-Muslims, that music becomes their 'quran', where they seek advice, council and solace. Specifically, many "anger" groups (we're angry at the world because no one understands us) encourage rebellion, disrespect, irreverence and many other destructive and non-beneficial solutions. The fact that youth know more music lyrics than Qur'an, the details of the lives of sports figures and music stars more than sahabah or even the prophet, is indicative of lack of interest and/or pride in being Muslim.
Furthermore, even in a number of Islamic schools, many youth don't gain a sense of pride about being Muslim nor a positive Muslim identity. Rather, learn a negative identity where Islam is harsh, strict and dull.
As to strong organizational skills, any youth benefits from this and can carry and use these skills in every aspect of their lives from professional, to social, from civic to religious. Being successful is also a key factor in pride of who you are. Although some organizations are now doing this, this is something that MYNA is particularly good at since it has always been an organization of the youth, for the youth and by the youth. Hence, the most effective means of training is the action of doing it live experience, and MYNA is prime to continue to fulfill this role.
Q: Is any other organization doing the same thing? If so who and to what extent?
A: Almost every other organization that has a youth department or focus, has been focusing on more of a tarbiyya, or Islamic education role. Also, every other organization comes from a very foreign mindset, as opposed to the 'raised in America' mindset which is able to deal with the realities of the youth living here every day.
Q: Based on above, to what extent should our cooperation/involvement/coordination/etc. be with those other organizations (MAS, YM, AMS, etc)?
A: I think we should have strategic partnerships or open agreements with other organizations that do well in there areas. For example, since a strong halaqa based system isn't in place or easily put in place, let's use MAS for that and encourage the youth to participate in those areas so their learning and growth isn't stifled. We don't have to recommend any particular group, but simply encourage some sort of additional religious learning. Same goes for higher orders of political involvement, etc.
Assalamu Alaykum,
InshaAllah all is well. I have a couple of questions and comments.
1. Asim, did you have chance to mail that list of responsibilities?
2. We need a slogan before we make the logo. Like (just off the top of my head):
"Cultivating knowledge of self"
"Working for Muslim Youth"
" Working for You"
"Working for Allah"
"Youth Programs R Us"
This will help define and also be a part of our logo. Please send suggestions asap. i want to have a couple of ideas before i go to people.
3. I have talked to some of the Ezoners not in region 7 about giving to MYNA. They have some concerns.
when they asked about who was running MYNA, i explained the board structure and who you guys are, and while they have no issue with any of you (ie they don;t want to remove any of you :-) ) they have some other concerns:
a. no active woman representative
b. No expert in in youth related occupation/studies
c. No scholars
d. CZ seems to be over represented. and Asim does not count as EZ :-)
There are reasons for each, but i did not want to burdan you with them...i am sure you can figure them out. Just wanted to give you the heads up.
Salam
Assalamu Alaikum,
Here are my answers:
1) As for slogans, I think we should use our vision: "Exemplary Youth"
2) As for no active woman reps, I consider you and Iman 2 women, as for too much CZ, I asked people in every zone, as well as women, as well as every other kind of minority, and no one stepped up. So I had a choice, leave MYNA stagnate cause we don't have a broad enough cross section, or, revive it with whatever we've got......I chose the latter!!!! As for scholars, they make good advisors, not workers, and right now, we are all workers.
Take Care. Allah Hafiz
Monem, Assim, Riyad, and Asad:
I have done some research on the notebooks and I would like your feedback before I proceed. Once we choose a model, I can then proceed and send you the final quotation with all the items including printer/scanner, projector, etc.
I’ll be waiting for your responses today.
Salam, Inayet here. I like the Exemplary YOuth concept...but how to use it. Cultivating Exemplary Youth...that just doesn't sound right alone. Any suggestions?
as for number two...it was a reminder more so than a criticism, that there needs to be those other "types" of board members. Iman and I do give our input, but we are not board members. InshaAllah it is something we can work on. And in doing work, we need to be informed. Scholars are needed now to help structure the foundations properly. And I am using scholars broadly. Even if not Executive board members, there should be an advisory board. Don't most Muslim organizations have this?
Salam
Salam, This website has tons of resources we should explore. I will be going through them to see what we can benefit from...but i thought it would be good if everyone could browse them.
http://www.youthwork.com/
http://www.youthworkcentral.org/youth_development.html
Youth Development
Youth development can be defined as "a process by which youth develop the personal, social, academic, and citizenship competencies necessary for adolescence and adult life based on their capacities, strengths, and formative needs."
– From the Advancing Youth Development curriculum, Academy for Educational Development/Center for Youth Development and Policy Research
Youth development is both a philosophy and an approach. As a philosophy, it emphasizes the importance of young people's personal development and their contributions to their communities. The youth development approach is an effective method for supporting young people and achieving desired outcomes.
Youth development differs from traditional youth service programs because it is an approach that:
• Engages youth as resources, not simply as recipients of services
• Focuses on strengthening youth, not attempting to "fix" them
• Recognizes that preventing problems does not by itself promote development
• Ensures that youth are included as a part of planning and decision-making processes
As a youth-centered approach, youth development emphasizes the importance of positive youth outcomes that focus on young people as individuals, as well as program outcomes. Positive youth outcomes are the knowledge areas, skills, and attributes young people need to be healthy, caring, and responsible adolescents and young adults. There are three types of positive youth outcomes:
• Developmental outcomes, such as becoming employable or building intellectual ability
• Achievement outcomes, such as graduating from high school or getting a job
• Problem-free (prevention) outcomes, such as being alcohol- and drug-free or not engaging in violent behavior
Program outcomes, by contrast, focus on the impact of a program on a larger population. Youth development aims to integrate program outcomes with positive youth outcomes, with a particular emphasis on developmental outcomes. For example, youth peer leaders can develop their own intellectual and social skills (developmental outcomes) while working to reduce youth tobacco use in their community (a program outcome).
Another key element of the youth development approach is youth participation, which is:
• A process in which youth actively participate in decision making
• The empowerment of youth to take responsibility for creating positive change in their lives and in their communities.
There are many ways of involving youth in decision making and program planning, such as creating opportunities for them to manage field trips, budgets, or program implementation.
Youth development supports the power of young people.
may13 2003
Assalamu Alaykum,
InshaAllah all is well. I have a couple of questions and comments.
1. Asim, did you have chance to mail that list of responsibilities?
2. We need a slogan before we make the logo. Like (just off the top of my head):
"Cultivating knowledge of self"
"Working for Muslim Youth"
"Working for You"
"Working for Allah"
"Youth Programs R Us"
This will help define and also be a part of our logo. Please send suggestions asap. i want to have a couple of ideas before i go to people.
3. I have talked to some of the Ezoners not in region 7 about giving to MYNA. They have some concerns.
when they asked about who was running MYNA, i explained the board structure and who you guys are, and while they have no issue with any of you (ie they don;t want to remove any of you :-) ) they have some other concerns:
a. no active woman representative
b. No expert in in youth related occupation/studies
c. No scholars
d. CZ seems to be over represented. and Asim does not count as EZ :-)
There are reasons for each, but i did not want to burdan you with them...i am sure you can figure them out. Just wanted to give you the heads up.
Salam
Assalamu Alaikum, Update for all –
1 – Before I send out a list of responsibilities, I am creating a simple piece of software that will allow me to track everyone’s time more appropriately. This requires me to create a project plan that will wrap into the timesheets that will wrap into a reporting mechanism. This will be done by end of week. Also, Exhibit A issues will be completed this week and will be signed off on as well. Iman and Inayet, after the board signs off, I’ll let you know when I drop it in the mail. Bear with me here, but I feel that the software I’m creating will help me keep much better track of time.
2. The slogans. I prefer to call them ‘branding statements’, and yes they are important. I don’t believe we need to come up with a decision on what the statement should be, however my position is that we should only have one, possibly three. Inayet, I disagree that the slogans we need to make before the logo. I would say that we leave it up to the artist to come up with that as well. But remember, let’s be careful on using Allah and Muslims since the long term benefit is for humanity.
3. Concerning number 3 below, I temper everyone not to get involved in these kind of discussions. Yes, we all agree that there is room for improvement. We are at the building phase of this organization. Let’s work on execution of our goals and establish some foundation, before we open the doors to criticism. Criticism will kill all the hard work we have put in before anything gets off the ground, and if we wait around for everything to be ‘ideal’ it will never happen. Most of the points raised below were agreed upon and acknowledged as issues and we will work to improve them as the organization grows.
Inayet, I agree that there is benefit from this website(youthwork.com), however there will come a time when that benefit will be valued. We are at the stage of building, not of programming. I also want to remind you that that the tasks ahead of you are the following:
Build Style Sheets
Logo
Business Stationary
Background Check System
I will expect a preliminary draft of this ready by the end of the week. I have no problem with additional research, in fact I prefer it, but you will be held accountable for the timelines set and therefore I want to set your expectations appropriately. Let me know also if you have any questions regarding how to attach the tasks above.
Salam, okay, now this is the third time that I have been reminded of my responsibilities. I would like to remind both of you that I have completed a masters and do have the capacity to both do my responsibilities as well as look beyond. I don;t like the undertone of this response nor Monem's comment at the end of our meeting. I am not a secretary and will give my input and share, whether it be philosopical or practical. If this is problem, let us discuss it now.
In reality, i was looking for logos and came across this website and I thought i would forward it to those who will be dealing with programing, since the ISNA conf and the winter conf are in the planning stages.
As for my responsibilities, I have already started working on them, however there are issues that i need to discuss...such as with the article, the logo, etc. So Assim, i need a phone number i can contact you at. Email is too slow of a medium to get things done in a timely manner.
Excuse the curtness of this email as i excuse your need for business-style control.
salam
Salaam alykum, I'm inclined to agree with Inayet's comment. By that I mean I think she has a right to be a little upset with the tone of the email. The tone was VERY reproachful and not an appropropriate response to her email. I understood her email regarding the youth site as something she came across, and as a result of our conversations during the meeting around the issue specifically of defining youth work for the position paper, it was extremely appropriate and good that she forwarded that info, especially since we are supposed to be working on the position paper now.
My advice for Asim would be to appologize for the tone and patronizing style of the letter. Neither is ever appropriate. IF she fails in completing tasks on time, THEN an analysis of her time or approach is in order, but even that done in an Islamically appropriate way. Don't micro manage and jump on every statement or comment. Give it time, but let the tasks speak for themselves. We don't want to convey a sense of dictatorship, in which our most valuable people are afraid to say anything or pass any information along because they might get critizised and assumed to be not working or what not.
As to Monem's comment, I'm not sure which one she is referring to, so I can't comment on that now.
Assalamu alaikum. I spoke with Inayet yesterday. We cleared up all misunderstandings. Riyad, your advice is taken to heart. If this is an issue of her and I working together I don’t see this as a long term impediment, because her and I can work things out. I encouraged Inayet to maintain an open relationship and if there were any problems, to pick up the phone and call. I also encouraged Inayet as well as everyone else to not send emails that may be understood to be emotionally sensitive. There were some concerns with some of Monem’s comments at the meeting. I asked Inayet to speak to him today on the phone to clear up everything.
Salaams, I wanted to throw this out for everyone to consider. Regarding having a "scholarly panel" that reviews or oversees what we do, if we select it properly, we can make ourselves accepted much more widely. For example if the review panel included Jamal Badawi, Abdullah Idris, Hamza Yousef and Wareth Deen, we could have instant in-roads to almost every organization. Mostly they are pretty busy, but we could forward them updates and if they had concerns they could let us know, otherwise we could accuratly say that we have their approval and be positioned to market ourselves throughout the country. What do you all think?
may 27 2003
Assalamu Alaikum.
Attached is a timesheet for everyone who is working on the MYNA revamping. Including the Board, I would like everyone to fill out timesheets. The tasks are based on the project plan. As the project plan becomes ratified, the timesheet will also reflect the changes. All of this information will go into a database that will help in better understanding how to properly task out assignments to volunteer/part time workers. This will help in future improvements to our methodologies and a consistent, predictable approach to tasks taken on by the organization.
At the end of the week, please submit your timesheets. If you fail to submit the timesheets, I will remind you.
Appreciate the help.
Situational Analysis
Briefly describe who you are, what is your mission.
Something in me, maybe due to my recent research on the anti-capitalist French Situationist revolutionaries, is causing weird vibes when I think of people as a market. I want to see them as more than just a means of gaining income, we should pick a better word. I am not against the idea of having a corporate based approach. In our case, it is better than a reactionary movement approach. We can be in the business of providing a product or a service to people, without the profit motive. I am glad to have Asim’s business based approach in this process. We are Americans, its how we do things. But we must also add a Muslim touch to it.
I know it will be hard, and maybe we cannot do it due to our limited exposure to life, but I hope we can find a backdrop to our work that isn’t about (please excuse my language if it seems harsh): movement brainwashing and recruiting youth into some islam vs. the west scenario; buying and selling goods to consumers; a missionary zeal to gain converts (from among muslims and non); and seeing myself as a guardian and protector of Islam. If taken to the extreme, the first two backdrops see people little more than pawns in some sort of personal effort to gain power or wealth. I have nothing against acquiring power or wealth. I’d love to have both. But I want to resist seeing “sucker” written on foreheads (regardless how many times I see folks become little more than “sheep” or “consumers”). In regards to missionary work, I pray that I lack the arrogance (and blind faith), to say that I have the only Truth and all others are deluded. In regards to the last, who am I to protect what Allah, has guaranteed the protection of; it’s not a matter I have to worry about (attacking heresy). I realize there are downsides to being an American, an infidel and a heretic, but I must admit- it’s never boring. Basically, I guess I want believe that there is more to life in America as a Muslim active in my community than the above three scenarios.
General Mission:
Allah tells me in the Quran to: 1-Believe 2-Do Good Deeds 3-Give Charity. I get them from Cleary’s translation of what were considered by the classical imam Ghazzali as the jewels and pearls of the Quran. These three commands are repeated so often that when I closed the book, even though there were many more commands, these three are all I remember clearly.
Specific Mission:
Become a Lover. Becoming a Lover will give me the power to do the above three. It will also make me one who emits Beauty in everything I do.
Mission regarding life as a minority in America:
1-helping each other to realize and maximize our potential Beauty. (to believe)
2-bring awareness to those who are ignorant and may harm me unknowingly, primarily through ones own actions individually or in a group (do good deeds/give charity)
3-developing institutions that can generate Beauty more powerfully and last longer than any individual or group of people.
What products do you offer?
See attachment for details about the 3 options
Option 1- tools for personal growth
Option 2- tools for bringing awareness and group action
Option 3- tools for creating institutions
Who is your market? What do you know about your current market? (your reach?)
I’m all for regionalism. What I offer can be seen as relevant or irrelevant, relevance being based on the level of sharing the context in which I work. The further I get, the more irrelevant my ideas are to others, unless there are things we have in common in terms of that particular idea. There are different levels; each requires an additional tool or a variation on an existing tool:
Muslim – global reach
Muslim as a Minority – india, china, parts of africa, australia, carribean, europe, americas
Muslim Minority in Western Culture – australia, americas, carribean, europe, south africa
Western Muslim Minority in North America – canada, united states, mexico
American Muslim in The South – texas to the atlantic, south of virginia
Miami Muslim
On a personal level, I work as a Miami Muslim, but a common experience, roads and communication have made it possible for me to efficiently serve other North American Muslims.
What are the demographics of my market? (Age, income, education)
People at the age of Identity Awareness; Willful Action; and recognition of duties
Regardless of income, or education.
Middle and High School regardless of age
Those not in school 11-13 to 17-19
Some may come to us to help resolve a problem of living as a minority, others, just to have something good to do in the company of other’s who share an identity. Not everyone has strong parents, self-knowledge, and confidence to stay true to Allah in the company of a majority that does not believe.
Who do I think my competition is? Do I feel that I should work with them?
A competitor being one who provides the same products or services in the same context. In regards to option 1: personal growth. There are various movements that organize local study circles. If the goal of another is to develop pawns in some scheme to gain power, I would not work with it. If its goal is sincere, personal growth and development as a muslim, than we can work together, most probably in areas or fields of knowledge that overlap. I would try work with it even if it doesn’t work with me, not viewing it as a competition. But if it becomes hostile towards me and sees me as a competitor, may Allah open our hearts to love.
In regards to option 2: group activism / doing good together, there are several local mosque and school affiliated youth groups. None of them being a competitor, all of them being part of the market. In serving them the other prominent organizations are Imam WD’s Ministry and MAS/ICNA. MAS and ICNA’s work for youth overlaps options 1 and 2 but is also in the business of recruitment. Some of the awareness/ issue oriented activism done in option 2 may cause difficult relations with MAS/ICNA. My emphasis is on bringing awareness to issues and doing good together, not unity for the sake of unity. Also..Various local Independent groups of activists have formed among young professionals. These are a resource as well as a potential market.
In regards to option 3: institution development. There are no competitors. There is an emerging need for these institutions. Some have formed, some have died. There are no services being provided for those who want to build youth service institutions. In fact the institution itself is a product/service that we can offer to the youth.
Trends. Review and be prepared to analyze historical trends for all “types” of consumers (in this case the youth market).
Adult issue oriented conference with sessions for youth
Youth run issue oriented conference for youth
Youth run Regional issue oriented conferences for youth
Youth groups organizing Regional issue oriented conferences for youth
Youth groups organizing study circles for education
Youth participating in educational programs
Youth becoming members of educational entities run by an adult
Youth organizing local community events for local youth and adults- soon
How are donations made? How do we gain income?
All activities can be self sufficient with fees and some outside sponsorship to reduce the costs to make it affordable to youth.
All institutions can have a means of income: rentable space/café/store
Periodic activities for fundraising-like other activities but increased fee to generate funds
Membership dues
Affiliation with existing institutions what already generate income
Macro-environment. How do the demographics of the population relate to your market?
There is a growing number of 2nd generation American Muslims having children who will need services within 5-10 years. The restrictions on immigration will mean more immigrants facing up to the issue of identity for their children. Increased satellite television among immigrants will make indigenization harder for youth in the next 5 years. There may be immigrant’s children who have little awareness of their own regional issues and more awareness of the latest movie or fad back home. It will increase the divide between the children of african american muslim and immigrant muslims. The arrival of islamic trends, other than the reformist pan-islam vision of MSA, in America means an increased sectarianism among American Muslims, with there being a tug of war for the hearts and minds of the youth. The founding generation of most mosques being replaced little by little with Indigenized American Muslims will most likely not happen. Continuous immigration and a 2nd generation taking on the ways of the founders is more probable. In the next 5-10 years Indigenized American Muslims will most likely be starting new institutions that may have a need that we can fulfill.
Have you segmented your market? What’s happening in the economy?
Core Segment: Highest Percentage of Penetration
Opportunity/Development Segment: Not well penetrated, but represents high potential (rural Muslim communities, young professionals with families, etc)
situation analysis
1. Briefly describe who you are (i.e. MYNA’s), what is your organizational mission. What are the products that you (i.e. MYNA’s) offer?
In order to answer this question, which in turn will lay the foundation for the other questions, I need to explain where I am coming from. Because if I just say, MYNA needs to be an organization that allows youth to discover their Islam in a personal and meaningful way, that means really nothing because the words could represent so many different viewpoints. So please excuse me if this is long. Additionally, the structure of the programs (products?) I feel need to be drastically different to fulfill the mission I am putting forth. I hope this will give an idea of what I am thinking about.
Muslims in America
The Muslim youth in America have been cut off from their rich history and the traditional understandings. The major unifying organizations and movements in America, including the establishment of Islamic schools have been based on Modern interpretations of Islam. These interpretations minimize the soul to an entity that will be dealt with in the after life and reduced the term heart simply to a pumping machine. Only recently, through the work of Hamza Yusef Hanson, Nuh Keller, Abdul Hakim Murad, and Zaid Shakir, who have studied the sciences of Islam from a traditional perspective, and those such as Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr who brought this understanding with him to America, has there been an answer to the problem of the outwardly based “neo-Islam.” MYNA in the past has also played a role in disseminating “American” Islam, which in reality is not neutral and is nothing but based on Ikhwan and Salafi doctrine. This is a whole different issue and I won’t go into it here. I will instead try to analyze the different factors affecting Muslim youth.
Modern Education
The first place I need to start is with modern education, which everyone is a product of. Seyyed Hossein Nasr (1994), professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University, notes in A Young Muslim’s Guide to the Modern World:
Very early in the development of modernism, however, educational institutions were for the most part, although not completely, captured by the forces of modernism and modern education became the most important means for furthering the value system of the modern world, for the spread of secularization and for the criticism of the religious worldview. Through educational institutions, not only the sciences but also ideas concerning the amassing of wealth, furthering economic ends and creating greater social mobility within society were disseminated, this being especially true in America and only more recently in Europe.
The renowned award-winning educator, John Taylor Gatto, and Hamza Yusef, provide evidence from history (based on government documents, and personal letters and memoirs) to show how the engineering of modern schools has led to the social, economical and philosophical problems addressed by curriculum scholars. Academia rejects the public school structure and curriculum, and has published hundreds of articles and books that provide critique of, and new approaches for education.
Gatto, in his book, The Underground History of American Education, proves that modern mass education was established by the new American industrialists of the 1900s, to serve the interests of corporations in dumbing down the masses, keeping them in a childish state beyond the years of childhood in elaborate and sophisticated daycares – public schools – which then prepare them for corporate life – a complete dependency on the corporation to sustain a lifestyle of consumerism. Dependency on corporations by the masses secures the lifestyles, power, and wealth of the elites who own the corporations. Gatto and Hamza Yusef both claim that this emphasis on the material and monetary “kills” the soul. For thirty years, Gatto was a teacher in the public school system, and in speech he gave on the occasion of being named “New York State Teacher of the Year” he summed up the lessons he gave:
1. The first lesson I teach is confusion. Everything I teach is out of context.
2. The second lesson I teach is class position. I teach that students must stay in the class where they belong.
3. The third lesson I teach is indifference. I teach children not to care too much about anything.
4. The fourth lesson I teach is emotional dependency. By stars and red checks, smiles and frowns, prizes, honors, and disgraces, I teach kids to surrender their will to the predestined chain of command.
5. The fifth lesson I teach is intellectual dependency. Good students wait for a teacher to tell them what to do. It is the most important lesson, that we must wait for other people, better trained than ourselves, to make the meanings of our lives.
6. The sixth lesson I teach is provisional self esteem…. I teach that a kid’s self-respect should depend on expert opinion.
7. The seventh lesson I teach is that one can’t hide. I teach students they are always watched, that each is under constant surveillance by myself and my colleagues (Gatto, 1991).
The final products of successful schooling are well-adjusted adults who have been taught, as Ivan Illich puts it:
…to confuse teaching with learning, grade advancement with education, a diploma with competence, and fluency with the ability to say something new. His imagination is “schooled” to accept service in place of value. Medical treatment is mistaken for health care, social work for the improvement of community life, police protection for safety, military poise for national security, the rate race for productive work. Health, learning, dignity, independence, and creative endeavor are defined as little more than the performance of the institutions which claim to serve these ends, and their improvement is made to depend on allocating more resources to the management of hospitals, schools, and other agencies in question.
Rather than reinforce these “lessons” in our programs, as we have unknowingly in the past, we should be part of the solution and provide the tools necessary for youth in these situations for critique and a way of working around the system.
Muslims and Muslim thought have been affected greatly by every intellectual movement in the West. Muslims became reactionary as they became subjects of colonial powers. This is ever-truer today when intellectual imperialism and globalization permeates every aspect of life of a Muslim, both here in America and abroad. The religion and way of life that is called Islam has suffered, becoming a soul numbing doctrine of negatives.
Far from its spiritually and socially revolutionary beginning with Muhammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Islam as a “modern” interpretation has further compounded the destructive forces associated with Modernism and Postmodernism instead of offering answers. Anas Coburn, Executive Director of Dar Al-Islam, a organization dedicated to cultivating the traditional understanding of Islam as espoused by 1000 years of scholarship, discusses in his essay Muslim Identity in Postmodern America the impact of these philosophies on the American Muslim identity:
Social conditions in postmodern America render the construction of coherent identity more problematic for everyone, not just the Muslims. One of the consequences of information overload is an intensification of desires as advertisers work hard to create needs within us. The process of social saturation extends our capacity to adopt different situational identities even while it makes choosing the most appropriate response to a given situation more difficult.
Coburn’s paper needs to be read by all who are involved in youth work. I have attached it to this email.
Solutions:
“The tragedy of fundamentalism in any context is its capacity to freeze life into a solid cube of meaning”. Fundamentalist forces in Islamic history have dismembered Islam and thrown away the soul. It is time for re-membering. Our rich heritage has the answers for us; in turning to the “middle way” defined by sophisticated classical consensus we can fulfill our responsibility of providing education that is intellectually as well as spiritually meaningful. Abdul Hakim Murad in his article, “Islamic Spirituality: The Forgotten Revolution”:
But it [middle way] can only be retrieved when we improve the state of our hearts, and fill them with the Islamic virtues of affection, respect, tolerance and reconciliation. This inner reform, which is the traditional competence of Sufism, is a precondition for the restoration of unity in the Islamic movement. The alternative is likely to be continued, and agonizing, failure.
Inner reform and re-membering unifies the self in the One. It leads to an understanding that everything exists through Allah and is a manifestation of the Divine names and attributes. Sheikha Aisha Bewley traveled to Islam through her study of Western philosophy and the Buddhist tradition. She is now a leading scholar of Islam and provides a critical perspective of the Modern construction of knowledge:
Schizophrenia – split identity – was the insanity of the industrial culture. Autism is the insanity of the current culture – that is, the human creature has been reduced to an automaton, to a totally conditioned machine. The autistic child echoes back to the parents their heartless abdication of their own humanity, the numbness of their feelings and the deadness of their own inwardness. The parents, who have become like the automatic process they live by and worship, find that their own offspring, their hidden secret, has from within its deep infantile awareness opted to behave like the machine the parents worship in one last desperate bid for recognition. For without recognition there is no making sense of the cognitive process itself on which life is founded.
As an answer to the “self” crisis, she calls for the unification of all knowledge through the divine knowledge revealed through the Qur'an:
The Qur'anic teaching calls to an enlightened view of cosmic and cognitive realities. A Qur'anic science would create a completely new framework and a new cognitive experience as it already has done in the past. There are much higher social and personal goals possible within the framework of the knowledge patternings of the Qur'an than in the primitive improvisational amoebic jelly of scientific 'laws'. The unified patterning theory of Islamic Science belongs to existence, not to a hastily improvised mathematical oratorio. It was from this direct cosmic material that Ibn Sina and Al-Jabir [renowned Muslim scientists] worked.
She calls for a study of these scholars and a redirection in the teaching of all knowledge, especially science, which has relegated the Source of all it studies, Allah, to a secondary role. Once we understand the Unity that exists in creation, and turn to the “parameters of knowledge laid down in the Qur'an, man may well embark on a completely new course of knowledge, action and discovery, for in this Qur'anic method, the discovery and the discoverer are not separate. They cannot be.”
Cultivating Critical Understandings
In addition to a wholistic understanding of Islam, we need to incorporate a curriculum for critique. Critique is a means to transformation; where and if it moves us depends on our listening and our “grounding.” If we truly are to understand the society in which we live and its affects on the soul, we need to develop a critical perspective within our discussions of education. Michael Apple, a leading curriculum theorist notes:
…one of the fundamental conditions of emancipation is the ability to “see” the actual functioning of institutions in all their positive and negative complexity, to assist others (and to let them assist us) in “remembering” the possibilities of spontaneity, choice and more equal models of control.
The idea of emancipation is important here. The zeitgeist, “the spirit of the times” is a compilation of the philosophies and ideologies that encompass the thought of an era. Heidegger’s concept of “thrown-ness” says that all of what is inherently part of the zeitgeist, including foundational epistemological and ontological concerns, affects our “grounding” whether we are aware of it or not. And it is not all good. Take for example Nihilism:
Nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. Nihilism’s impact on the culture and values of the 20th century has been pervasive, its apocalyptic tenor spawning a mood of gloom and a good deal of anxiety, anger, and terror. Friedrich Nietzsche argued that its corrosive effects would eventually destroy all moral, religious, and metaphysical convictions and precipitate the greatest crisis in human history. In the 20th century, nihilistic themes--epistemological failure, value destruction, and cosmic purposelessness--have preoccupied artists, social critics, and philosophers.
Nihilism has had its effects on Islamic thought in the past century as well. Muslim youth have not even been taught that it exists, let alone the means by which to counter its effects, which is triple fold at this point: society, school and American Islamic education. Dr. Nasr’s book, A Young Muslim’s Guide to the Modern World, is an attempt at providing the Islamic perspective to help Muslim youth understand what they are dealing with. He provides an overview of Islamic history, a brief summary of the major philosophers and their work, critiques the impact they have had on society, and provides guidance for youth through the educational terrain:
Today, western education is in a great crisis seeking successfully to achieve the distorted goals of the secularization of knowledge, material domination, cultivation of individualism and all of the other elements which the Islamic worldview rejects. This system is doubly dangerous for Muslims both because it is in a state of crisis within itself and also because even if it were not to be in conflict within itself, it would be in discord with the Islamic perspective and the values which Islam cherishes most dearly. It is therefore, very critical at a time when Muslims must learn various Western disciplines, including not only science and technology, but other disciplines as well, in order to be able to provide their own answers and master their own destinies in a world in which they are faced with vast challenges, that they become fully cognizant of the meaning, role and function of education and educational institutions, including especially the philosophies which underlie them. In this way, they may become able to learn to the extent possible what they wish to learn of Western disciplines without becoming excessively contaminated in an unconscious way by forces which could distort their religious perspective, uproot them spiritually and intellectually, alienate them from their own traditional background and simply add another potent element contributing to disorder and chaos within Islamic society itself.
Another ailment of the Modern era is commercialism. Commercialism surrounds us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It is on the products we buy, the movies and television we watch, in the malls we frequent, in schools and curriculum created to “educate” us. It is the heart to which commercialism is most detrimental. In the heart, the love for the Divine is nurtured; commercialism moves us to love the material, the ephemeral of this world. Allah warns us, “The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good things of this world) diverts you (from the more serious things)” (Qur’an, 102:1). With Nihilism and its focus on immediate, individual concerns, commercialism very comfortably spreads its message of consumption and materialism. When there is no End, when values such as responsibility are questioned, and the ego celebrated, how can we not indulge?
The Qur’an tells us “Exult not, for Allah loveth not those who exult (in riches)” (28:76) and warns that greed will lead to a path of misery (92:8-10). Further we are encouraged to provide for the needy, to care for the orphan and to purify our wealth through giving. Commercialism with its emphasis on consumption and materialism is a direct attack on the values of Islam, and thus we need to be wary of its presence in our lives. Emancipation, thus, is only possible through educating not only the mind through critical reflection, but the soul as well through Divine remembrance. Abdul Hakim Murad reminds us:
As we are initiated into the distractions of the world, however, it [heart] is covered over with the 'rust' (ran) of which the Qur’an speaks. This rust is made up of two things: sin and distraction. When, through the process of self-discipline, these are banished, so that the worshipper is preserved from sin and is focusing entirely on the immediate presence and reality of God, the rust is dissolved, and the ruh once again is free. The heart is sound; and salvation, and closeness to God, are achieved.
The Qur’an reminds us “Know ye (all), that the life of this world is but play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting and multiplying, (in rivalry) among yourselves, riches and children (57:20). It also reminds us of materialism, and the narcissism it can lead to: “Thinking that his wealth would make him last for ever” (104:3). To compound the problem further, Postman, professor of Communications at Columbia University and author of Amusing Ourselves to Death, comments on the willingness of society to accept a materialistic, self-indulgent lifestyle. He contrasts the view points of two well known novels, Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World in the forward to Amusing Ourselves to Death:
What Orwell feared were those who would ban books. What Huxley feared was that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance…in short Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us…spiritual devastation is more likely to come from an enemy with a smiling face than from one whose countenance exudes suspicion and hate…(Postman, 1985, pp. forward and p.155-6)
Postman’s critique calls us to question the nature of our existence and begs us to search further for understanding of the charges he has laid before us. For most youth, their intellectual grounding is fertile soil for the seeds of materialism, consumerism, nihilism and narcissism, and their souls are defenseless.
Critique as Education
What is needed is education of the forces of materialism, consumerism, Nihilism, narcissism and all the other “isms” contradictory to Islamic values and way of being. A book to help in this endeavor is Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr’s A Young Muslims Guide to the Modern World, available through Kazi Publications. It provides a brief overview of our rich history as well as a critic of philosophies informing the Modern and Postmodern era, and finally brings to light the plight of Muslim youth confronting these issues. However, one needs to be wary of the Postmodern dilemma of never-ending questions that result in confusion and despair. With Islam as the guide, critical questioning is necessary for the survival of the Muslim American identity.
Programming
Enough of that. What does this all mean in terms of programs? Here is a limited list out of order. Sorry, not quite as developed as the first part:
a. The science of purifying the heart must be an integral aspect of the curriculum to remove the rust of materialism, Nihilism, narcissism, etc. and help youth travel to the Divine.
b. Space and how it is constructed provides a stage for the play of life. It defines the story as much as the character do, and consequently influences the actions and emotions of the beings in the play. Creation of space is an expression of who we are, and subsequently expresses who we will become. So we need strive to have our programs in spiritually created places.
c. The outdoor space and a relationship with nature need to be integral components.
d. Play, specifically creative, imaginative play, fosters a strong spiritual foundation. Creativity through the theater in the older years is also important in exploring self. It allows you to learn from your character what you forgot about your self. When one enters the imagination through playfulness and improvisation, one opens the doors for seeing beyond the tangible. Imagination, residing in the unseen realm, is the source for poetry, calligraphy, architecture and art. These have traditionally been spiritual endeavors in Islamic history. And it is through imagining what we could become that we are compelled to spiritual traveling. There are specific programs designed for identity development through the arts.
e. Hamza Yusef has talked extensively on the Hadith stating that youth should learn three things: swimming, horseback riding and archery. At a recent conference on education, he went into the spiritual significance of each. I am unable to reproduce what he said, however it is on cd waiting to be copied. If you listen to it, you will see it is the answer to the youth crisis. It should really be the foundation of our programs…everything, including leadership, all the way up to physics if we want, and what youth could resist horseback riding, archery and swimming? There are the finances involved, however the first step is making an intention.
f. We have to have a “study course” for the youth, and I recommend that be encompassed within the philosophy of traditional Islam. There should be no question as to what “type” of Islam we should espouse. There has been a consensus for 1000 years that has recently been criticized by Wahabbi and Orientalist forces…but we should not fall prey to their rhetoric. And we should not feel guilty in stating that we support the not the Hamza Yusef Islam, but the Islam that has been defined by our great scholars.
g. The idea of leadership needs to move beyond the western definition and we need to embrace the meaning of “khalifa” to lead from behind. Also based on the Hadith of the Rasool, “the leader of a people is their servant.”
This is all I have time for right now. Each of these I can expound upon in a paper, however I do not have the time right now.
2. Who is your (i.e. MYNA’s) market? What do you know about your current market? (How far away is your reach?)
Most Muslim youth in America attend public elementary and high schools, and for those who attend Islamic schools, most Islamic schools follow the public school structure and curriculum. It is close, the “reach,” if we adopt the proper framework and methods.
3. What are the demographics of my (i.e. MYNA’s) market? (Age, income, education)
In the past we have catered to suburban youth because the leadership was from those areas. In the East Zone, we did successfully attract involvement from Baltimore, however this was because we had leaders from there. We need to identify certain youth who should attend out Servant Leadership Education Retreat (Training assumes a one dimensional relationship in the learning process…and if we want our youth to take an active role, we need to construct the program, and name, accordingly. So I say no more to FYLTP. It does not need to be the name above, but it needs to change to reflect an Islamic view of leadership).
4. Who do I think my (i.e. MYNA’s) competition is? Do I (i.e. MYNA’s) feel that I should work with them?
Who cares. We need to do what is best with the best of intentions and if Allah blesses our efforts, youth will flock our programs. If not, we know we are doing something wrong in conveying His Majestic Message. We are there to help youth, we are not in it for MYNA itself, so we should work with everyone.
5. Trends. Review and be prepared to analyze historical trends for all “types” of consumers (in this case the youth market).
Sorry…don’t get it.
6. How are donations made? How is income generated?
No idea.
7. Macro-environment. How do the demographics of the population relate to your (i.e. MYNA’s) market? Have you (i.e. MYNA’s) segmented your market? What’s happening in the economy?
a. Core Segment: Highest Percentage of Penetration
b. Opportunity/Development Segment: Not well penetrated, but represents high potential (rural Muslim communities, young professionals with families, etc.
As far as I know, MYNA is pretty much defunct all over except for the ISNA convention program.
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