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There are many big issues in our communities. We have some problems that are in the way of these issues being solved. The issue is that imams doesn`t always address the problems we are facing in these communities. If we want a change, we have to be bold and address the problem to the leaders of the mosques, who again address it to the muslim in their gatherings and friday prayers. There can be many reasons for this. I will try to highlight those I can see.

Troubles Of The Community

For years I`ve thought that the issue about the masajid is that they don`t know about the issues, because the imams are brought here from back home. But that is not the only reason. The imams can`t always decide what issue to bring up. And they need to be backed by the rest of the staff in the mosque. If there arises any kind of tension between the imam and the staff, the mosque can easily remove the imam from his position. The second reason is that, many times the imams that come from back home, doesn`t know enough about the troubles in the communities in the west, and how to approach the people about it. When they so fail to talk about many important matters, the communities suffers, because people become worse and worse.

If Treatment Is Delayed

If we look abroad, to the United states, many of their imams are either born there or brought up there and later in life, sought education and come back to the US. These people know the culture, how to say something. And what need to be said. And to whom. They can easily talk to the media, and clear any misconceptions in the society about Islam. They have become role-models / opinion leaders for muslims in their community. Even non-muslims listen to what they have to say. We can use the example of the person whom takes a patient from one place in the hospital to another place in the hospital. If he doesn`t know how to get to the other rom within the given time, the patient might not get proper treatment within the time he/she needs it. And the health of the patient could get worse, or he /she could die. “Portøren” know the roads within the hospital inside out. And the health of the patient, depends on it.

How To Address The Community?

The imam is the spiritual advisor, Who has both the right education and the right practice. How tough it must be for someone with such a position who sees something wrong and can`t address it, because of the pressure from the community. It`s always been like this. When someone says something bad about others, it`s like “way to go, great”. If someone says something bad about ourself, we`re like “I`m never going back there again”. That`s why knowing the subject to talk about is not enough, how to address it to the people, so that they accept it and want to make the change, how they willingly can internalize the good conduct in their life. The imams would need to know how to break down the info to the people in the way, that they will not entirely reject it, but slowly feel motivated to change themselves.

Don`t Turn A Blind Eye To The Issues

Think about the consequences for the society we are living in. It`s like a leader for all doctors of the city, whom can`t adress the plague everyone is affected of, because he /she is afraid, the mob will kill him / her, or make it difficult to live in the same town. This doctor duty is to protect the whole community and wants them to keep themselves clean to not only prevent the plague from spreading but also to cure those already infected. An imam sort of has the same responsibility, on the more spiritual ground. He need to help the spiritual sick muslims from their sicknesses. To tell them their sick to their faces, might prevent them from coming in the mosque. He needs to break it down in a way he can reach out to their hearts, and help them change. The imam has to be diplomatic and know the culture inside out, about how to say something. The language does also play a role in this. Eventually our knowledge of our mother tongue is decreasing. A few more, generations and the children might not know how to talk it anymore. These issues are crucial for the communities well-being. If we will turn a blind eye to them, the spiritual sicknesses is already harming the people. We need to prevent that. We need to protect the children also and the following generations. The spiritual sickness has become normalized, that we don`t know that we are sick. Don`t kill the people sending the right messages. Instead try to find out, from the right sources, if there is any truth to what they are speaking about. Ya Allah, grant every ummati to win the struggle of supporting good matters and forbidding evil matters. Aamen. Ya Allah, help us solve the problems addressed here, as soon as possible, to help the community from further sufferings. Aamen.

Picture courtesy via “the muslim show”.