What happens during the school years is very
important. Many parents and community leaders brush-off unfavourable and
unIslamic Muslim youth behaviour as being a short-term phenomena, a mix of
hormones and bad friends. Time, it is argued, will mature their thoughts and
bring them in line. This is rarely the case.
The school years form a critical part of the
mental, religious and social development of our Muslim youth. Factors such as
the school's curriculum, social pressures and make-up can solidly mould the
direction the Muslim youth will take. By far the most dangerous influence is
that of ' peer pressure ', whereby Muslims are pressured (mentally and
physically) to conform to some social 'norm' or group behaviour. This can set an
irreparable deviated path for the rest of their lives.
Pressures from the Education
system
In a country which boasts of heralding individual
and religious rights, Muslims are still on the lower rung of the ladder. Even
the school administration will exert pressures on Muslims to study and
participate in Islamically abhorred activities.
Compulsory participation in sports events brings
many brothers and sisters into a state of conflict, who if refuse to
participate, will be publicly rebuked and humiliated. Sisters have been known to
be harassed to participate in swimming carnivals, gymnastics and dancing, many
of which can involve male participation. Not attending formals, camps and discos
are actually punished, through increased study load, and also mentally through
public disgrace (letting the school know who isn't joining in).
Other reported cases of teacher discrimination in
Australia includes teachers snatching the hijab off sisters, neglecting cases of
abuse against Muslims (Muslims are supposed to have been used to being
singled-out by now), and police investigations into the activities of Muslims
purely on the basis of their religion.
Peer Pressure
Fellow students can have a devastating effect on
the moral and piety of a Muslim. These pressures should never be underestimated,
which can intimidate a Muslim into taking drugs, smoking, 'hanging out' with a
socialize friends; to nightclubs, and having illegal relationships man and women
, man and man or women and women .
Sisters feels compelled to waste money on
extravagant items, 'name-tags', such as Fiorelli and Benetton, for the sole
purpose of fitting-in. The preservation of her virginity is not a virtue, but
rather a disgrace, a symbol of her 'frigidity' . It sounds crazy, but whether we
ignore this or not, it is there and in a big way.
Brothers must act and smell and look like the
Kuffar to avoid persecution. Anything which will take them away from their
Islamic bonds. It's the right thing to abuse your parents, obeying them is
downright lack of personality.
Who are we?
The sad thing is that, we have the solution for all
of this, but we ignore it. Muslims don't have to feel that they're a group
without identity or meaning. Nor should we allow anyone to prevent us from
fulfilling our duties to Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala).
Legally, we have many options to take in practicing
Islam at school. We have a right to pray during the specified times. Many
schools now has Friday Prayers in a designated room. it took was the joint
effort of committed students, who themselves conduct the Khutbah. We also have
the right to celebrate our festivals, and wear our prescribed clothing without
harassment. Other religious groups are permitted by the Schools to refrain from
certain school activities. The Amish do not watch television class, the Sikhs
wear their turbans wherever they go, the Jehovah Witness do not participate in
the flag-raising or singing the national anthem. We also have our rights to
watch what we deem permissible, and refrain from unIslamic events. Many
precedents have been set in this regard. It requires the strength of our
brothers and sisters, a joint effort, and the knowledge that Muslims will not
disobey Allah for the will of anyone.
The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) and the Companions had nothing
but disgust for the way of life of the disbelievers. In fact, they had so much
disgust that they purposely did everything the opposite of them. 'Umar bin al-Khattab'
(radiAllahu anhu) actually forced the Muslims to look differently from the disbelievers.
So why are we trying to imitate them?
Muslims have been given honour through Islam and
nothing else. Not through expensive designer clothes, nor expensive sneakers, or
top ten CD's. In fact, if you examine the history of the Kuffaar, you will find
them so inconsistent in their behaviour that only an idiot would want to copy
them. Every year brings on a new fashions, a new habit, a new religion. One
year, its drugs, then its alcohol, then its mineral water and alls the things
that can destroy themselves.
Australians (and other Western countries) can only copy Americans, which really shows how much sense of
identity they have. Americans love hip hop, so do Australians. They wear
baseball caps, we all may as well follow them.
Muslims however have their own identity, history
and religion, which millions have flocked to escape the filth and stupidity of
Kufr. Why are we doing the opposite?
Our Youth have to be supported by the community.
When they are in need of assistance, we must be there. This could be
financially, or morally. When they begin on reforming themselves, and assisting
in bringing about a change, the solid support must be there to helps them for
growing and reforming .