History of MYNA - Part 5 Early years

The Early Years and the actual New Dawn

1986 - Gutbi ElMehdi still president of ISNA. Iqbal J. Unus is Secretary General. Ghulam Nabi Fai is acting president for the MSA.

(1) Sameer Bade is the first chairman of MYNA. [The son of the ISNA lawyer, Abdullah Bade, Sameer will go on to become ISNA’s prodigal son, working his way up the structure to become an editor on Islamic Horizons magazine, the head of the Convention Department and trainer of current Convention-head superstar, Tipu Ahmed, and is now a successful doctor in California. This is also the birth of the MYNA “dynasties” as Sameer has siblings who will also go on to positions of power in the MYNA structure, a common occurrence over the next 20 years, but to be fair, it was already a common feature of MSA activities and is still a feature of Islamic work in America today, as it is families with interest and their children that prove willing to take on the bulk of the voluntary efforts.] By Nov. 1986 Nadifa Abdi from Plainfield, IN, is the Central Zone Advisor, Baha Ahmed, from Glenridge, NJ, is the Eastern Zone Advisor, Sureyya Husain, from Laramie, WY, is the Western Zone advisor, Youssef Berrada, from Quebec, is the Canadian Zone advisor and Umar Hasan, from Indianapolis is the 86 Winter Conference Chairman in December.

Jan./Feb. 1986 - Youth Conference is Islamic Horizons’ cover story, entitled “A New Dawn for Muslim Youth; ISNA YOUTH CONFERENCE.” Inside, the “ISNA Conference Facility” is advertised (the houses in the back of ISNA, lake, woods, etc.) Murtada El-Khalifa writes a story on the youth conference, saying “It was a dream come true for Muslim youth in North America. Finally, they had a chance to be the architects of a process targeted to the needs of youth.” Other articles in the “Young Muslim” section include one by Uzma Unus, Nadifa Zwink on the various in-conference and post-conference evaluations saying “the conference was successful,” Amabara Abdi Zwink, a letter from Umar Hassan entitled “A New Dawn; An Open Letter” and a poem by Asma Siddiqi.

Jan 1986 – The ISNA Executive Council meets and approves MYNA, but asks for some changes to the constitution. “The Executive Council of ISNA has recommended the formation of the Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA) as a constituent organization of ISNA. This action follows the deliberations of the National Youth Conference attended by youth from across the United States and Canada last December. The Council has asked for some changes in the draft constitution proposed by the ISNA Youth Committee and authorized the Committee to begin a membership drive…The Executive Council will hold a brief session prior to the meeting of the Majlis ash Shura scheduled for May 3 and 4, 1986.”

Feb. 1, 1986 – The MYNA Central Zone Regional fundraising dinner is held at ISNA headquarters in Plainfield, IN. “the youth fundraising efforts in North America have remained steady since they officially began in January of 1986. Alhamdulillah, there have been bake sales, chocolate sales, and other similar activities which have been very helpful in raising money for youth./p/Beyond collecting the spare change brought from candy sales and baked goods though, one group of youths decided to attempt the challenge of sponsoring an entire family dinner. To achieve this, the Central Zone Regional Representatives, including myself and Brother Ali Ibn Khabeer, laid the groundwork and began planning the special evening./p/this evening dinner was held at ISNA Headquarters in Plainfield, IN, on Saturday, Feb. 1, 1986./p/From the feedback and opinions expressed by the community, as well as good ticket sales, we feel that our efforts were extremely successful. Alhamdulillah!/p/there was a lot of work involved in the pre-dinner planning, including advertising, production of flyers and programs, and decorations. I would like to sincerely thank all who provided assistance. Special thanks are due to those sisters who donated food, and the following sisters who helped in the lively decorations: Engi Abu-Karam, Iman Zenhom, Shara Nadir, Amal Abu-Karam, and Uzma Unus./p/the highlight of the evening was an open forum type discussion between the audience and a three member panel composed of Br. Steve A. Johnson, Sr. Nuri Alim, and Sr. Nadifa Zwink. The moderator for the discussion was Br. Umar Hasan, a youth activist and former Youth Chairman. The topic for this heated discussion was Muslim children in non-Muslim schools. One comment by a concerned parent was the opinion held by some parents on this issue. He said that Muslim parents are thinking idealistically and not realistically if they believe that Muslim children can keep their Islam in non-Muslim schools. One youth refuted that opinion by stating that going to non-Muslims schools had helped him to further strengthen his religious beliefs./p/The parents as well as the youth had a lot to talk about concerning this issue. And it was very interesting to hear them expressing their views so freely./p/Another highlight of the evening was an exciting game of Family Feud, which featured a mildly competitive hour with youth-vs.-adults. Some of the results of this game were: the youth sisters, and the youth brothers defeated the adult brothers. To determine which of the two winning teams were better at Family Feud, there was a final match which the youth sisters eventually won. To conclude the evening, a prize of a wall hanging was presented to each member of the winning team, other certificates were awarded to individuals and closing remarks and thanks were relayed to the assembly. After this, the delightful evening came to a close with a successful income of over $600.00 Alhamdulillah!/p/If there are any youth who are interested in having a dinner to raise money for MYNA and their region, feel free to write to me for a copy of our flyer and program, and some additional information on how to make your efforts close to one hundred percent profitable. –Ambara Abdi/Central Zone Regional Representative/Plainfield IN (her address is provided).”

March 1986 – In the March issue of Horizons there is a one-page photo-spread entitled Youth in Action; View of the ISNA Youth Conference. Its caption reads: “Youth today, leaders tomorrow. What better way to prepare for the future than to participate in a conference that is as much fun as it is a learning experience. Youth drawn from a panorama of backgrounds and domiciles engaged in a spectrum of activities – serving snacks, listening to lectures, doing the Karate chop, just getting together, throwing snowballs, and becoming too tired from it all to resist the temptation of an afternoon slumber.”

April, 1986 – The April issue of Islamic Horizons features the Young Muslim section with an article by Ambara Abdi entitled “A Youthful Dinner” on a Central Zone fund raising dinner, and also, on the contents page there is an update on the executive council entitled “ISNA Executive Council Meets; Recommends Youth Organization, Speakers’ Bureau” which talks about the meeting earlier in the year in which MYNA is approved but the constitution is sent back for some small revisions, it says. The meeting must have taken place in either January, Feb., or March.

May/June 1986 – Islamic Horizons’ May/June issue features a particularly noteworthy update regarding MYNA in another ISNA update on the contents page, this time regarding the May 3-4 Majlis Alshura meeting and their ratification of the MYNA Constitution.

-The issue also features an extract from the introduction to the approved annual action plan for 1986 which mentions youth work. “In the area of human resources, the focus is on identifying and training Islamic workers for the leadership of ISNA, identifying and mobilizing academic and professional talent for service to Islam, and providing for the Islamic growth and development of Muslim youth. The departments of training and conferences, executive committees of the professional associations, and the ISNA youth committee will implement the plan.” [This issue must have been released in June, because the meeting has already happened]. [Still some confusion between the “Youth Committee”—which by all indications does not exist anymore and is now MYNA—and “MYNA” on the part of ISNA.

-The issue features a “Young Muslim” section article by Maseer Bade entitled “Unity Among Youth” where he says the disunity among Muslim Youth is serious problem and offers MYNA as an answer to it and lists some of the early aspirations of the group: “Now that the problem has been exposed, I’d like to suggest a solution: Muslim youth should become actively involved in the Muslim Youth of North America (MYNA). I am not trying to throw a membership pitch at you, rather I feel that this organization can provide a stepping stone for unity. Last year in December, we had our first national Youth conference and Masha’allah, there was quite a large turnout. However, it was a difficult task to get people interested and to hold the first national conference ever. But now that the task has been completed, don’t allow the enthusiasm to diminish. If we as Muslim youth participate in national youth activities, unity shall develop. It will take some time, but have patience and insha’Allah, with the help of Allah Subhana wa Tala, we Muslim youth shall unite, maintain Islam as a sole way of life, and finally, make Islam a dominant figure in America.”

-The section also features many different youth-oriented articles and items, though they don’t all mention MYNA by name, such as crossword puzzles, feature stories and Muslim pen pals.

-In the “Young Muslim” section there is an ad for upcoming First Annual Regional Camp of MYNA to be held June 24-28 at the ISNA camping facility at Headquarters in Plainfield, IN. It’s a $30 participation fee and the contact people are Ambara Abdi and Ali Ibn Khabir, of Plainfield and Indianapolis, so it’s a Central Zone Conference.

May 3-4, 1986 - The ISNA Majlis Alshura holds their first meeting of the year and “ratifies the decision of the Executive council to approve the formation of the Muslim youth of North America (MYNA) as a member of the ISNA family of organizations. Referring to an earlier decision of the Executive Council that each MCA affiliate should be asked to form a youth division to encourage, support and oversee local youth activities, the Majlis asked that all local organizations be advised of this decision. They also approve the 1986 ISNA Action Plan, which mentions youth and the youth committee and an extract of which is published in Islamic Horizons May/June issue.

June 24-28, 1986 – The First Annual MYNA Central Zone Regional Camp is held at the ISNA camping facility at Headquarters in Plainfield, IN. It’s a $30 participation fee and the contact people are Ambara Abdi and Ali Ibn Khabir, of Plainfield and Indianapolis.

July/Aug. 1986 - The New Dawn, Vol. 1 Number 1, the premier issue of the actual magazine is printed.

Aug.-Sept. 1986 – Islamic Horizons Aug.-Sept. issue features pre-conference reports on the Aug. 17-28 Youth Leadership Training program at the headquarters in some wonderful writing/reporting by Anwar Beg in the story “Youth’s “Balloons of Hope” Will Raise Funds for World’s Needy” and “Convention Fever” by Mahmood Cheema. Both are among the co-editors of Horizons during this period. Some great quotes in there.

Aug. 17-28, 1986 - The First Annual MYNA Summer Training Camp takes place at ISNA Headquarters in Plainfield, IN, also known as the “National Youth Training Program,” or YTP. The 11-day program at ISNA headquarters draws 78 participants and basically takes over ISNA Headquarters in the key days before the 1986 convention, creating some fun pandemonium. Umar Hasan stars for the first time in “Late Night with Umar Hasan!” during the camp, basically the first fully elaborate Entertainment session in ISNA/MYNA history—though there was some rap at the Dec. conference, this is more elaborate. It’s a different format from the intense youth-group congress-making Dec. 85 camp and has workshops and sessions on basic leadership issues as opposed to purely MYNA-formation activities. The camp was planned and directed by “adult MYNA fathers” Hisham al-Talib and Sayyid Muhammad Syeed. 34 youth from the central zone, six from the western zone, and eight from the Canadian zone. It’s more the regular style training camps that MYNA will do, a mix of entertaining/recreation with inspirational and instructional stuff. The conference is described in full in the Oct. 1986 Islamic Horizons piece “MYNA Sizzles in Action.” This is the second MYNA conference and different from the youth/Zwink-organized December event [probably because of the difference in styles and outlook between Zwink an AlTalib/Syeed]. There are also two stories covering the event in the Aug/Sept. 1986 issue of Horizons from which comes the following riveting report by editor Anwar Beg: “Overheard in the ISNA mosque lobby: “I never knew there could be so many Muslims of my age in one place in America,” the young Muhammad Ashif Jahan says in earnest conversation to another boy, reports Islamic Horizons in the Aug.-Sept. issue. Muhammad had come to participate in the ten-day Youth Training Program (YTP) sponsored by the Islamic Society of North America, it says. Sameer Bade is also described/profiled in the article, as “something of a veteran in youth movements. His parents always encouraged him to work for Islam. He felt that the Muslim youth movement had still a long way to go before being effective. Speaking on the current training program at ISNA headquarters, he said the workshops interested him most. He seemed to be quite enthusiastic about the workshop in which each participant criticizes himself first. He said most of the lectures were helpful, but he had a clear preference for workshops. Br. Sameer said there was enough sports, interesting video tape and other evening entertainment. He enjoyed, he said, the “late Night Show” with Br. Umar Hasan with satirical skits conceived by members of the group. He would like to see a workshop on public speaking added to the training program. He added, somewhat wistfully, “A swimming pool, if possible, would be a welcome addition.” In another report in the same issue by co-editor Mahmood Cheema, it says “With ISNA’s youth training program in progress, the secretariat was vibrant with youth activities. It often spilled into the late hours of the night. When, on one night, a youth voice on the intercom yelled: “Death to the flies in Salaam House!” I never found out how many fliers were massacred in the onslaught.” From the first report again, after its discussion of Sameer: “I kept moving on, observing the young people in the program. I stopped one of the girl participants. “Do you like this whole program?” I asked. “On the whole, yes.” “why, on the whole?” did you dislike any part of it?” “I wouldn’t say ‘dislike’ exactly. But I thought it wasn’t the best thing for people to form small groups and then stick to the group all the time. I thought there should be greater interaction among most of the participants.” This, ladies and gentleman, is the writing of the enigmatic Steve Johnson.

[side note Al-Ittihad from this month/year has the annual report in it].

Aug. 30, 1986 – The ISNA Convention happens at the Indianapolis Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN. A 75-member group of Muslim boys and girls release 1200 “Balloons of hope” in six colors to raise funds for needy and struggling people. The program is the MYNA’s input into the Convention program. Colors represent different funds, and the money from the respective sales go to designated funds. Thus, cash sales of red balloons go to the Afghan Fund, blue to Palestinians, orange to the Ismail al-Faruqi memorial Fund, black to South African blacks fighting apartheid, white to ISNA, and green to MYNA itself. The MYNA youth participated in ISNA’s first 10-day National Youth Training Program (NYTP). The program was highly disciplined. Participants had to wake up at dawn for the Fajr prayer, listen to morning lectures, participate in workshops, go on excursions in Indianapolis, and volunteer for a number of services for themselves and other activities till late night. Some of them plan to attend the current ISNA Annual Convention.

Aug./Sept., 1986 – Amer Haleem does a single-issue stint as editor of a “special Aug.-Sept. issue of Horizons. [Haleem goes on to become editor of Islamic Horizons and ISNA Acting Secretary General for a number of years, and also a MYNA newsletter production workshop at the Dec. MYNA conference.]

Sept. 19-21, 1986 – The ISNA West Coast Zonal Conference takes place in Los Angeles, CA, at the USC campus, themed “the Life of Muslims in North America; Opportunities and Challenges.” About 600 people attend. Riad M. Ahmed is the conference chairman. Speakers include Muzammil Siddiqi, Riad Ahmed, Maher Hathout, Jamal Badawi, Dawood Zwink [“of ISNA Headquarters”], Yusuf Islam [“(who absolutely does not want to be referred to as Cat Stevens, and I think his wish should be respected!)” says Elizabeth Alani (aka Um Dawood) in her coverage of the conference in Islamic Horizons Nov. 1986 issue], Imtiaz Ahmed, Bassam Osman [“on Islamic Economics in America”], and others. MYNA also has a program at the conference. Yusuf Islam who spoke on the “Message of Islam for the World today” for the ISNA Conference and also spent time talking to the MYNA group as part of their program. During an ISNA session on Islamic Schools and Education Programs, Sr. Surayya Husain represents the Muslim youth, talking about Muslim youth—their plans, their hopes and their planned national youth camp due to be held at ISNA Headquarters beginning on 24th Dec., 1986. “We should be very proud of our youth and encourage them in every way. After all, they are our next leaders!” Um Dawood says in her article.

Sept.-Oct. 1986 - The New Dawn, Vol. 1 Number 2, is printed.

Oct. 1986 – The Oct. issue of Islamic Horizons features a mention of MYNA on the cover, which also focuses on the 86 Convention. The cover blurb reads “MYNA Moves Ahead.” Inside the story connected to the cover story is “MYNA Sizzles in Action” [which is actually shared content from the coinciding issue of New Dawn] by Ambara Abdi. It goes over the successes and failures of the Aug. 17-28 MYNA summer training camp and mentions how it was different from the Dec. 1985 conference.

Oct. 10-12, 1986 - MYNA holds a two-day planning meeting for its Dec. 24-31 Winter Conference. The meeting is held during the Columbus Day weekend. The MYNA National Committee and the MYNA Constitutional Task Force were also present. MYNA decided on goals, budget, program, fundraising, advertisement, and responsibilities for the conference. It established the following priorities for the conference: organizational skills, Islamic training, and promoting brotherhood and sisterhood among the youth.

Nov. 1986 - The Islamic Horizons Nov. issue mentions MYNA in a number of articles. The Oct. MYNA planning meeting at ISNA HQ is mentioned in the “From the ISNA Bulletin” section. The MYNA program at the West Coast Zonal Conference in L.A. is mentioned in the conference report entitled “Warmth and Unity a Thrill! Notes on West Coast Zonal Conference” by Elizabeth Alani aka Um Dawood.

-In the “Youth” section features the first part of the Hoda Badr [who will go on to become, or is already, the editor of New Dawn] piece “Overcoming the Generation Gap Islamically,” a youth opinion poll which asks a number of youth the question “What have been the greatest obstacles you’ve confronted being raised as a Muslim in North America”? [to which most of the answers are pretty moderate, though one 16-year-old boy from Chicago answers “that is “having to live with these god-forsaken kafirs.” Wow.], and a report entitled “Are Young Muslims Being Discriminated in High Schools?” which quotes MYNA Central Zone Representative Ambara Abdi, a high school student and resident of Plainfield, Indiana. It discusses the topic, sighting anecdotal examples of discrimination and Muslims being afraid of being termed “oddballs” or “weirdos,” etc. It also mentions Abdi’s father, Dawood Zwink, who is this time referred to as the “ISNA Director of Relief Work” and mentions his scouting experience.

-There is an ad for the upcoming MYNA 2nd Annual National Winter Conference to take place in Dec on the back cover of the issue. It mentions the various zonal advisors as contact people, but mentions Abdi as a zonal advisor, when the article in the issue calls her rep.

Nov./Dec. 1986 - The New Dawn, Vol. 1, Number 3, is published. Suhaib Al-Barzinji (301-552-9186 and Zeynab Ahmed, of Glenridge NJ, are the editors. Hayat Alvi is a contributing Editor. Suhaib does production and design and Zeynab handles subscriptions and ads. Subscriptions are $7.00 a year. The address given is a PO Box in Glenridge and the number is 201-748-8153 (Zeynab’s number). The cover has a stylized drawn “Muslim Youth” logo. The issue includes a letters to the editor from youth on previous articles. There is an advertisement for “MYNA Designer Clothing” sweats, t-shirts and jerseys featuring stylized MYNA logos by Suhaib. They say they still have positions open on the New Dawn staff and to call the editors. It features coverage of the Dec. 86 conferences (the same story by Sameer which was printed in Islamic Horizons), a profile of the MYNA Pittsburgh Chapter (MPC), a thorough new New Dawn Youth Survey to be sent to the Glenridge PO Box, a listing of the MYNA executive officers and a membership card/form. Some Quranic ayats and hadiths, pictures and calligraphy and writing by Shahid Athar, Steve Johnson, Hayat Alvi, Suhaib J. al-Barzinji and [future editor] Hoda Badr.

-MYNA and the ISNA Department of Education advertise a joint Essay Competition for Muslim youth, for an essay on the topic “Muslim: A Model Human Being.” The dealine is January 15, 1987. Prizes include for ages 15-18, $1,00, 500, 300. For ages 12-15 years $500, 300, 200 and free travel expenses for three award recipients to present their essays in the Youth Program of the ISNA Annual Convention. There are articles by Hoda Fahmy on media, Shahid Athar on drugs, Steve Johnson on anti-Muslim toys, Quranic ayats and hadiths, Karima Omar on Christmas, Muhammad Iqbal on Islam and Imperialism in Asia, Membership form, writing on Afghanistan by Hayat Alvi and a poem by Suhaib J. Al-Barzinji, plus some ads.


Dec. 1986 – The Islamic Horizons Dec. issue features the cover blurb “Youth View of the Generation Gap” and has articles that mention MYNA inside, includes three solid articles on youth-related issues by MYNA youth, Badr, Unus, and Altalib.

-In the “Youth” section, the article “Youth Involvement is Essential to the Success of an Organization” by Hoda Badr [who becomes the editor of the New Dawn] and Uzma Unus [a MYNA conference program chair at times] encourages youth to support and not criticize MYNA and offers some hopes/fears and the need for involvement in the new organization. It mentions creating the organization to help further Islam in the non-Muslim world, to give Muslims a sense of belonging in an unfamiliar environment. “We have established an organization for every known profession, interest, or hobby. However, along with many organizations come many problems.” It says people with interest in Islamic work are important. “There is now a new group which has begun to show some interest in Islamic work in North America. This group is the Muslim youth./p/We admit that it would not benefit either side if the youth came in and controlled all of the Islamic institutions. This is not what we want. After all, we already have our own institutions, such as MYNA (Muslim Youth of North America), affiliated with ISNA. The issue is that now that we have an institution to work in, what can we do, as individuals and as groups, to make it better? What can we do to make it succeed and serve as an example for other organizations?/p/It is not sufficient only to work hard to achieve a goal, (in this case, the MYNA organization), and then leave it for others to manage without given it a second thought. This is a waste of time. For example: you work hard all of the first semester in school to receive good grades. Then, after reaching your goal, you face another problem: you have to keep your grades up during the next semester. In fact, you work even harder than before. You don’t just forget about school for the next 18 weeks and then wonder why you failed. Well, the same applies to forming organizations: establishing them is only one percent of the problem, it is trying to make them work that takes the most effort./p/It is imperative that the youth themselves, not only those who run the organization, become involved and give their suggestions and criticisms. Unless you participate, you cannot expect your ideas to be applied. After all, how will people ever know what you think if you don’t’ let them know?/p/Most Muslim youth can be categorized into three groups: “the complainers,” “the do-nothings,” and “the doers.” The only sad thing is that the “doers” are so few, and the “complainers” are so many. All many youth do is complain about the organization, the organizers, their “lack of importance,” and many other things. Nobody is perfect, and most things do not turn out the way we always want them to; that I the way life is./p/However, complaining is not the way to solve problems. If you see something that you do not approve of, go out and do something about it! Where do you think the Muslim people would be today if the Prophet (pbuh) and his companions just stood around in Makkah complaining that here they had this great religion, Islam, and no one wanted to accept it?/p/We know that the North American youth are intelligent young adults with m any creative ideas and the will power to accomplish their goals. If you can accomplish what you want in your daily lives, then you can definitely contribute to the success of an organization that was established by people just like you for you./p/During Prophet Muhammad’s (pubh) lifetime, and even before, the youth played a very important role in society./p/for example, Aisha, the prophet’s wife, was only a young girl, but during her teenage years she was a noted daiyah, and a very knowledgeable person in the field of Islamic knowledge. Also, Ali, a companion of the Prophet, was a very man during his youth. With his courage, the Prophet was able to make hijrah to Madina unharmed. Prophet Yusuf is another example. From his early childhood, he was a very wise and learned person. And even though he was a young man, the king of Egypt instilled in him great trust and power. All of these examples show that the Muslim youth, throughout history, were important to the success of Islam. Therefore, it stands to reason that we, the Muslim youth of today, have the insight and ability to make this organization succeed. History has shown that no organization can be as productive, or as powerful as it could be, without youth participation./p/However, when we say that you should go out and participate, we do not mean that you should go out and yell everybody’s head off just because you do not agree with the organization’s current policies and ideas. No. We mean that you should try to show interest, enthusiasm and concern for your fellow Muslim youth. If you are annoyed with a particular person, or action, it should be because you yourselves want to see some action taken to correct the situation—not because someone else does not approve of something. Make sure that when you do not submit your complaint you talk to the person in charge, directly. Don’t have someone speak on your behalf. And finally, always be ready and will in to volunteer to help correct the situation, if needed./p/Remember, not all participation is criticizing and pointing out the bad things. Participation also consists of support and recognition of all the good things that occur. Participation is enthusiasm, active involvement, cooperation, and communication as well./p/If you participate in an organization, it will not only be for that organization’s benefit, it will be for yours as well. Not only will you meet new people, but you will also learn many skills that you may not have acquired. You will learn more about Islam, and will become a part of the Muslim voice in North America. The Qur’an states:/p/“We relate to thee their story in truth: they were youths who believe in their Lord, and we advanced them in guidance.” (18:13)/p/Muslim youth have innovative minds. Through the passing of generations, we have seen all the things they can do if they give themselves a chance. Unless the youth participate in an organization, their organization will fail. Without the youth’s input, productivity will slow down. Many of those people who could have benefited the organization will be lost. Enthusiasm will die, and with that loss will go an organization that many have worked so hard to establish./p/We are sure that if you go in with the right attitude, people will be willing to listen. Changes may not occur overnight, but remember, changes will not occur at all if you don’t do anything whatsoever.

-In the “Youth” section article: “Parents Have a Delicate role in Islamic youth Work,” Omar Altalib encourages parental supervision and parents to take an active role in Islamic youth work.

-In the article “Youth” section cover-story entitled “Overcoming the Generation Gap Islamically,” Hoda Badr continues the second in a two-part series on the issue. She covers such issue as Temptations, Pressures, and Frustrations, Absence of an Islamic Model, Youth Anger, What Youth Can do, and What adults can do to overcome the generation gap.