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Our window is open now
Remember that learning about human beings is only done by experience. Not on TV or social media but by meeting the walking, talking, breathing, warm body called _______ fill in the blank. Do that respectfully, sensitively, in a spirit of enquiry. For that, learn something about their culture, taboos, preferences, and beliefs, non-judgmentally. Judging builds…
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Building bridges through understanding
How do you build bridges? By consciously doing two things. One, focus on the commonalities. Two, see difference as a joyful discovery. Alright! Not joyful, then at least interesting. We must make the shift mentally that difference between people is precisely and only that – different. It is not good or bad, nice or nasty,…
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Madrassa education – Crying need for change
The present syllabus is totally inadequate both theologically and in a worldly sense. Add to that the fact that graduates come out with the title of A’alim, and an inflated sense of their own importance combined with an inferiority complex. Sounds crazy but it’s their reality. This happens when their Madrassa-inflated egos meet the real…
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Selecting Members for Masjid Boards
The Masjid is perhaps the most important component of any Muslim community and how it is run has a big impact on the ability of the community to remain cohesive, active, and productive. In America this is particularly complex because there is so much cultural and ethnic diversity. However, when you look at Masjid Board…
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Living in a Revolution
We are living in a revolution. What we choose to do or not to do will leave a legacy that will be uniquely ours. Let us choose for the future of generations, not our own present, so that it will be a legacy of honor.
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Advice to a friend going off to university
Last but not least, be kind. Especially to those who have no power to benefit you. They are the most important because the one who has nobody, has Allah and his voice reaches the Throne of Allah even if he doesn’t worship Him. Fear the dua (prayer) of the oppressed for there is no barrier…
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Controlling our future
Our challenge, as educators, parents, leaders, and concerned citizens is to make this happen not for one person but on a scale that will show a difference in a short time. The longer we take to create a core group of independent people who can think, solve problems, take risk, own responsibility, and stand up…
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Active Listening – How to do it
Active listening can and should be used in every significant communication, especially in potentially conflictful, stressful, controversial, adversarial, and sensitive situations. These may include but are not restricted to, management-union negotiations, conflict resolution, arbitration, reconciliation, communication between spouses, parents and children, manager-subordinate, especially while giving critical feedback, physician-patient, especially when giving news about critical, even…
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Gun-rights, gun-wrongs
There were 693 mass shootings (where 4 or more people died) in the US in 2021. I checked and found that the days in 2021 were still 365. Do the math. I wonder if any of those holding the signs, also held the body of their little child, dead from a bullet in the heart…
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Stand for justice to stand for peace
Wars happen because wars make profit. What we see is the destruction of the lives of innocent people. What we don’t hear is the ringing of cash registers for the sale of weapons of mass destruction. Millions of lives are devastated so that the top 1% of 1% can get wealthier. Wars happen because we…