Latest / After Maghrib 🌙 / $100,000 Muharram Majlis (Ft. Br Aimen)

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$100,000 Muharram Majlis (Ft. Br Aimen) · After Maghrib 🌙

0:00
Smellorama raheem,assalam o alaikum and welcome back to
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another podcast on after Maghrib.
0:06
Today is a bit special because I am joined with a special guest,
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but before I introduce him salam, alaikum Salam.
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Aleikum said, not too bad. Not too bad or before we speak
0:23
about this topic. In more depth.
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Let's welcome our guests, our special guest today brother,
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amen. Tapi salaam alaikum.
0:30
How you doing from a slight distance?
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How was your journey from West London to Northwest London and
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happy life? You know, the London traffic,
0:41
you never know what you're going to get into and handle my dear
0:43
sir II don't blame. You know, he was also late to
0:46
the podcast today was we try to be on time every time.
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So brothers, sisters. If you've been tuning in over
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the last few weeks, you'll know that we use this platform to try
0:56
and discuss Community Based issues.
0:58
We've talked about everything from Unity to Business to
1:01
understanding varying levels of hierarchy, and status in our
1:04
community, but one thing we haven't done as you of the
1:09
western Shiite, Muslim Community is discuss the Western, scheldt,
1:12
Muslim Community from the perspective of Youth.
1:14
And in Charlotte today, our goal is to do that.
1:17
We want to analyze critique and credit our community for all of
1:21
its work and maybe inshallah, you know, try our best to offer
1:25
Solutions, maybe try and find ways to grow.
1:28
And, of course, anything we say, Say is to ourselves first and
1:31
foremost because, you know, we've all handle.
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I had our fair share of years working amongst youth groups.
1:37
But inshallah, we pray to Allah that we can continue to try and
1:40
serve, but even before we kind of get into this topic, I want
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to ask you because you've been, you've been in the UK, not all
1:46
of your life, correct. When did you come here?
1:48
So, I moved her in 2011, so it's 11 years nearly to the day.
1:52
Really since I moved here to the UK, and in the past 11 years,
1:57
the amount of progress that I've seen.
2:00
Community go through the amount of prosperity.
2:04
I think that the community has gone through them out of
2:06
maturity that I've seen. So develop over the my past 11
2:10
years, here is a breath of fresh air really and it's significant
2:16
progress and significant progress in the right direction
2:20
as well. And I'm proud of what the
2:23
community is. Managed to achieve solvent in
2:25
the 11 years that I've been here to witness.
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I'm proud of the direction that different groups.
2:30
Youth groups and solve them or as an established established
2:37
groups. If you like, I'm gonna let you
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can name them if you want. I'm proud of everything.
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Sort of, from a youth perspective of my, look at your
2:45
abyssal plain who were already established when I moved here.
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The amount of work that they had done in the build-up to also in
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the years previous to me moving here to then sort of experience
2:54
that sort of prosperity from from 2011 onwards with them and
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through them. And But Foundation is another
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amazing Foundation, another amazing group of people, group
3:05
of individuals and then sort of you look at the last couple of
3:08
years. Three years, I think that with
3:10
we've had a good hosseini as well.
3:11
And what they've managed to achieve being directly that
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direct audience being the youth and the probably the youngest
3:20
segment of our youth, and what they've managed to do.
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So of consistently for two and a half.
3:26
Three years now is nothing short of miraculous.
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And it's, and I'm nothing but proud of what they've managed to
3:34
do and what they've managed to achieve while Charles, I know.
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That's, that's so amazing to hear.
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And you mentioned the word Youth and I saw a point on the stand,
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you know, you know, like bar. So, Bob has a plane like all
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these organizations when they first started, they were run by
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youth for the UVA. People are drawing up
3:50
hamdulillah best. The most amazing thing was
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seeing the youth having this passion or having that energy.
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And having that love of our bottle are saying to come and
3:59
serve to come and make them. Alice's and you have been
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involved. I have seen you in many of these
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organizations and like yourself as other youth who have the same
4:08
energy. Martial law may Allah reward you
4:09
all by have a I have a like a real question.
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And the question is, you know, you know, speaking about just
4:15
these the groups because it's I think is the answer will be
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personally from you, because you are passing involved with them
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is, are they all heading in the same direction with my jealous?
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So, so, so it's interesting that the question is framed, and from
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the perspective, Spective of modulus only.
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Now my personal opinion on the matter is that youth
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organizations within the share community in London, don't exist
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specifically to deliver Magellan if they exist to serve the
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community that surrounds them. And if it's meant, if modulus is
4:46
what the community are, that is around them requires.
4:50
Then that's the service that they must deliver for the
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community. If however, modulus are only one
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part of a wider, banquet of options that they Deliver for
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the development of the community.
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Then Majoris is only a small piece of the of the puzzle,
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really. And, but specifically from a
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majority of perspective again, I'm it fills me with pride and
5:17
joy to see the freedom and the quality of work that is that is
5:23
delivered on an annual basis in London by Youthful.
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You, that specifically or Organized and run by people who
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only five six years ago where, so either at University, or even
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sort of prior to pre-university age and the amount of maturity
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and amount of responsibility that each and every one of them
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takes on their shoulders, when delivering is nothing.
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But but a joyful experience really?
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And but I am interested or specific specifically, am I talk
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mainly from a sort of an ugly background and I'm interested to
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see And know what the perspective from a be other
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communities with the London are. Yeah, I mean everything, you
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said, just now, I agree with but before before I talk about what
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you just said in terms of the the other communities.
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So I come from a culture background and the Hamptons I
6:16
like I've grown up in a community and stanmore, Shout to
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stumble. We love you but I'm hardly youth
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is the community the youth group we have.
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Now the average age for volunteering, that group is
6:28
probably 20 years old. And volunteers chat 75 people,
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and I know a lot of Youth groups have great, big volunteers
6:37
chats, not always active or very select people involved.
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But and I'm the love, that is a group that I was handle.
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I had the honor of being a part of the team who established it
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and its continuing to serve. And, and there are so many ways,
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which we need to focus, but a question for us and I think you
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mentioned on the same, and if the goal is modulus for the
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Youth, then focus on modulus, but Live.
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Now in a world where we're talking about drug abuse knife
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crime, pornography music cheating, swear, abundance of
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issues that are affecting Youth and we are here, delivering
7:11
modulus and modulus. For many of us have has been the
7:15
means for us to to reach involvement in to reach
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spirituality. But for many others that may not
7:20
be, some people won't connect with modulus.
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Some people go to a modulus disinterested or forced by their
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parents or may go, but purely because there's a social element
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to it. I don't think it's bad to be
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really honest for youth to go to modulus for socializing, but
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it's something for us to consider because it's a youth
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group. In my opinion, shouldn't be
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restricted to two modulus only agreed.
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And as you said the major list all the organization of
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modalities is not the end but it means to an end.
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And it's that perspective I think that needs to be taken
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widely in order to ascertain which is the Pathway, the best
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Pathway to achieve said end, if it's if it is Major, listen for
8:05
is still my journalist and by all means with Bismillah.
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However, there are other Pathways and there are other
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routes that I think need to be investigated need to be seen as
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other options in order to for us to develop our youth, our kids,
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our brothers, our sisters into Pinnacles of society.
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And the next 5-10 years? Say, Daddy, can I ask you a
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question? Of course, you've traveled the
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UK. Okay, you've traveled the world
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Handler reciting and and kind of engaging with different
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communities. Have you seen an example?
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I know you always say, I put you on the spot.
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You do you have you seen an example of a couple not a
8:44
particular Community, but have you seen characteristics in
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those communities which in your mind you think, you know what
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the the the model Community should be like this, they should
8:55
have that quality or this characteristic you know, I think
8:58
is unfair to ask. That way because you know every
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Community has its own specific needs and requirements plus and
9:05
you know, sometimes it depends on who the community are an
9:08
investor who I think focusing on youth, you know, just just gonna
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add a bit more to what Amon was saying.
9:15
Yeah, you know, it's a means to an end but I don't really think
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we can ask more of them because they are organizations are not
9:25
community centers. So I feel like it's a bit
9:28
different from opinions on this from Being a mosque and a
9:31
communities and so organize it. So if I jump in there and they
9:36
are not a community center in the strictest, meaning of the
9:41
word however they exist to serve the community around them.
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Yeah. And and for a while now, it's
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felt like a modulus or the organization of modulus is the
9:53
main way that they feel they can serve the community.
9:55
And for years decades potentially we're talking of
9:58
some of the existing And more established centers if you like
10:02
within London specifically and that was the best way for that
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message to be reached in for the community around around North
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West London, West, London specifically to grow into the
10:13
prosperous and successful community that Handler with
10:15
managed to develop into. I think the challenge that I've
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got from my perspective is that there are other avenues that I
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don't think are being investigated sufficiently
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enough. The fact that we can Almost
10:29
Define organizations or, you know youth organizations as the
10:34
organization to create and pull together.
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An amazing magician is I think retract from their potential.
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Yeah. It's so I'm just going to say
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because it seems to me as an on-air Rocky that this is a very
10:49
Rocky. Kind of way of seeing things
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because pakistanis colleges even a radians of Connie's youth
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groups that we know of. Excuse me, youth groups that we
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know of with, in the Western World, don't organize modulus
11:04
for their community. So I my community I will use
11:07
group doesn't organized modulus never willnever has those the
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community that as in the community center space is the
11:13
committee of that Center is tasked with much less.
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What the youth do is to facilitate programs surrounding
11:20
them. This seminars workshops, you
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know, youth programs for kids for teenagers, whatever it might
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be and then outside of the the month of Muharram inshallah move
11:30
on is to keep them engaged, weekly socials, weekly sports
11:34
events, barbecues, whatever it might be.
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And in my opinion, I think that's where where there's maybe
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a slight difference in the way, we see things because I find it
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very interesting to that. You said that that people have
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been using measures as a means to kind of bring people
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together. And even you mentioned that and
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and and the work, of course that our elders have done 100.
11:54
Now, we're in a day and age where youth groups and not just
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youth groups, but just Community organizations will spend
12:00
hundreds of thousands of pounds in the 10 nights of Muharram, to
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bring the best speakers in the best.
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Recite has and put on the best modulus?
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Is that is that an adequate use of funds?
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Because, of course, if it's not, if it's, if you're saying it.
12:15
Well, arguably, that it may be an outdated means of bringing
12:18
the community together. Is it then a suitable. funds,
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she's who I mean, So again, I think when we look at a event,
12:29
whatever the event may be specifically from a sort of
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financial perspective cost this much and this is the amount of
12:35
sort of money and there was spent on it.
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I think that again is a very narrow point of view.
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If it was a successful measure, listen to, this is a question,
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I'm just about to throw to you. Yeah, whether it's 100,000,
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whether it's five hundred thousands, whether it's ten
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thousand pounds, it makes no difference.
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So, like so long, is the end or Goal or the objective was
12:55
reached. If the objective was reached and
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that is money. Well spent however much that
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amount is but sort of to twist that around to you guys.
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And do you think that we Properly analyze how successful
13:12
our events are modulus or otherwise.
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And you think that We need to start to or we need to adapt the
13:21
way that we find a majorly successful or otherwise.
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I think that's a, that's a very I've never been asked that,
13:29
like, how do you like, measure something being successful or
13:32
something is so it's you've taken me off of track him.
13:36
And this, I have never ever questioned, for example, is, you
13:40
know, this modulus or this organization successful and in
13:44
the majority Standing Tall. So it's interesting to think
13:46
about it now. And I'm going to share my
13:49
thoughts and a little while but I don't know if I'm that you
13:51
want to share. Well, I mean it's an interesting
13:54
concept because a lot of us don't think like that and view
13:57
coming from from background and obviously we know each other
14:00
very well but the the way you think as a human being is very
14:03
analytical, a lot of us don't have that skill that you have
14:08
but if it's in the sense of if we analyze a matchless on paper
14:12
we may look at things tangibly so we may look at how much
14:15
you've spent, how many people came did we get?
14:18
Many views online x1's and some people may categorize that
14:21
success. Other people say no was the
14:23
feedback. Good, did people enjoy it?
14:25
You know, was there a lot of cries and was there a good
14:27
lover, man? All of these things but success
14:30
is obviously a very relative term, two different people.
14:32
Yeah, I think is very easy, very relative term, but yeah, but
14:35
generally speaking, I don't think we, we assess ourselves as
14:41
critical as we should if we were.
14:43
And if we did, we would have had some involvement and that to be
14:47
really honest. I don't think We're talking
14:48
about Western she, our youth groups.
14:51
I don't think we've evolved in the last five or so years, it
14:54
will look at 10, 15 years. Yeah, of course, the last five
14:57
or so years. No, not really Handler.
14:59
We have more groups but a lot of the new groups will be doing the
15:03
same sort of stuff as some of the older groups.
15:05
So if we're talking about evolving, we should be talking
15:08
about tackling issues outside of the modulus of about Abdullah.
15:13
In my opinion, it's a very interesting thing you say
15:17
because how I have understood. It may be because we come from
15:20
different backgrounds. Yeah.
15:22
And being a rocky like places, like, you know, we just
15:25
mentioned a few. I'll mention, again, for
15:27
example, a kind of foundation. I saw them as like, Milwaukee
15:30
abhay Arts, this sort of thing. So, I never actually saw them.
15:32
I saw her like, a, a community one would go to would be a place
15:35
where you'll attend my jollies. You go do some lot on go eat
15:39
tomorrow, you know, go to that puppy power of the other listen
15:42
to the lecture. I never actually saw as being
15:44
something anymore. So I think say there's a
15:47
discrepancy. Can my definition of community
15:49
and potentially oh definition of community.
15:52
And by Community. I mean so the general population
15:55
that surrounds Northwest London that surrounds West London
15:58
specifically the ones that I've had sort of first-hand
16:00
experience with by organizations I could I mean sort of a
16:05
foundation show Bobs play my sisters, who your actual that
16:08
one for example to me they're all organizations that exist to
16:12
serve the community. I either General populace around
16:15
them. Yeah, I agree with that and Just
16:18
to add on to that as well. The, the organization's you've
16:22
listed serve the community, but when we say that their
16:25
Community, do we specifically mean they're cultural ethnic
16:29
Community? Because I know I can always come
16:30
back to this. But in my mind as a non-arab, am
16:34
I not a part of that community and the sense that I am?
16:37
I not able to benefit and just see what I mean.
16:40
So it's sorry to cut to sort of button.
16:43
It's interesting because earlier I was thinking, what?
16:46
Actually What was the reason for some of our use of Youth groups
16:50
to come to existence and for under for their necessity?
16:53
Yeah. At more than anything else and I
16:54
think it shows a massive amount of maturity on their behalf that
16:58
they identified quite early on that.
17:02
There is a segment of the community of the general
17:05
populace. That was being left behind sure,
17:07
that the the way that our parents and our grandparents
17:11
have done things, since sort of moving here in the 80s and 90s
17:14
and no longer reverberates with with The younger segment of the
17:19
population and I think it points to a certain level of maturity
17:25
that certain individuals and certain groups have come in to
17:28
fill that void, which is why I equate, any of our youth
17:33
organizations with with our more established ones because they
17:36
both exist to serve the same objective and that is the
17:40
betterment and the development of the community, right?
17:43
Okay. But the community meaning the
17:45
people share all shh, right? Actually, that's the, I'm glad
17:48
you've some pointed that out because again, one of the, I
17:51
think issues. Historically, from an APA
17:54
Community, around the organization perspective, was
17:56
that it was very easy to put people into silos to put people.
18:01
They are people of this person or they have sort of that group
18:05
of people. Whereas, I think especially Shah
18:07
Baba, sword pain and leg pain, foundation and Holocaust denier
18:10
have done with those who have old ways have done away with
18:13
them of how we group people within the community they have.
18:17
At created sort of cross-racial and connections.
18:23
I'm sure if you were to attend solve any of the shots you don't
18:26
you do you? Yeah, I do.
18:28
I mean I've got so many friends like yourselves who attend
18:32
images like these and run into, you know, run into people like
18:34
this on and as a non-arab I do feel comfortable in these
18:37
environments and a big part of that comes back to the English
18:39
language. When we talk about English
18:41
language, as, as a universal kind of commonality.
18:45
Sure. There's a reason we're speaking.
18:47
In English from this podcast on a debate series of the first
18:50
thing this Channel and that's because about Abdul are saying
18:53
is not restricted to one language or 21 skin color or to
18:56
one city in one country. Just what I mean of course.
18:59
So that's a big part of it. Of course say that if you've got
19:01
any thoughts before we I do and the fact you've mentioned the
19:04
English language, yeah I think is starting so important because
19:07
you are asking him doesn't mean the entire share Community for
19:09
example, but then you have certain organizations for
19:13
example, they'll do half and half.
19:14
Yeah. So so what they'll do is for
19:16
example, go. The lecturer in English so will
19:19
cater for the entire community and then the other will be in
19:21
their own language. They cater for specifically for
19:24
their own culture for the community.
19:25
That's beautiful. It is beautiful.
19:26
Yeah. But you know sometimes people go
19:29
to these programs because it's advertised as an English
19:32
measureless. Mmm.
19:34
So they expect Isaiah English. I want to haul once hung up
19:38
north, ya think. So where they auction and it was
19:42
far from here and we and and I actually done a lot on day and I
19:46
did in English. And the center was really
19:49
confused because they were like, this is the first time they've
19:52
done not come to English and understood what they were doing
19:55
a lot of thought. So the lecture will always be in
19:56
English. So they'll bring all these you
19:58
know respectable more Lana's best every time the hazard
20:02
started, this will be one day will be in Iranian one day.
20:06
He'll be in Arabic. What one day will be in order,
20:09
they was never English but the fact they bring English, they
20:13
are managed by the way to redo it because everyone understood,
20:17
you know, Silly what they were doing as our for so if there's
20:20
anything I want to add is that if you advertise emotionally
20:23
speaking English, you know, apart from your to our Quran
20:26
Ciara, everything should be in English.
20:29
Yeah, yeah, interesting. And I think, you know, we
20:32
sometimes take for granted that we talked about London and
20:35
everyone who listens to this will know that we're very London
20:38
specific and of course we obviously have viewers from
20:40
around the world. In fact, I think half of our
20:42
viewers are not even uk-based, which is amazing.
20:45
But the Western World in general.
20:47
Well, I think maybe this is biased but I think London in
20:51
many ways is the Hub of Western Schism.
20:53
For so many reasons, the terms of, in terms of the activity,
20:55
the numbers in London, we have 25 30 centers sentence.
21:01
We have 65 or something she our centers across the UK, which is
21:04
a very small country in comparison to a lot of others.
21:07
And generally. Speaking in London, we have more
21:10
progression and more development than many other cities in the
21:12
world and many other. Western she our cities.
21:15
I say, Western geocities, you know what I mean?
21:17
Have communities, which haven't been there for so long or only
21:20
have communities that have moved there from, let's say the early
21:22
2000s. Whereas, for example, in London,
21:25
the first Shear modulus took place in the late 50s
21:28
subhanallah and this was credit to what home Hodge got a bond
21:35
early, nobody, who's from Dulles Hill, and he held the first
21:39
match list and Afghan Community. Yes.
21:40
And the Afghan community of course.
21:42
And we learned so many lessons from from them and so on, but
21:45
there's still so so much. More to do.
21:48
We have so many issues, we talked about, what's this?
21:50
I want to leave my kids alone if I'm really honest.
21:52
Yeah, I want to talk about other issues because we mentioned
21:55
gender mixing drug abuse bullying.
21:58
So many other things and and all the things that we see, but
22:01
really during this time and shatter my home, we should be
22:05
actually targeting these issues. And using this precious time
22:09
where people gather together to address them it's interesting
22:13
because you know every time the Harem comes You know, people
22:17
normally that, you know, you mentioned drugs and all of this.
22:20
People, normally, when it comes to my heart on, they solve
22:22
respect, they have solved this respect, what they pause and,
22:26
you know boundary. Yeah, they have this line.
22:28
They don't want to cross this line.
22:29
I solve respect, I respect that. Yeah, they can respect, you
22:32
know, the month of Ramadan. Thankfully they can respect the
22:35
mother but I'm this things have changed now where I've seen
22:38
people actually come to modulus, hi.
22:41
So they've taken drugs. Yeah.
22:42
And they've talked to modulus and sometimes they smell of it
22:45
and And their Community are not dealing with it.
22:48
They just say Yamaha the age he came, he came high, or did you
22:51
smell the smell of marijuana. But there's no one actually
22:54
actively talking to the youth, telling them get off the drugs.
22:57
And this is where I come in and where I think historically,
23:01
we've judged the successfulness of events based on amount spent,
23:04
or time spent solving the organization or a number of
23:08
attendees, which was quite a common way of judging the
23:11
successfulness of certain event. And actually if we have A
23:16
regression in our community over the last five years and that
23:19
means it's time for the organizations within the
23:23
community to sort of make the next step in their evolution to
23:26
adapt in order to sort of 22 to get the message across.
23:32
And I think it links back to the way we judge successfulness
23:36
again of the major list and that, and if we were to change
23:39
our perspective and design that will do this quantitatively or
23:43
qualitatively, And see if we can see a significant positive
23:48
impact to our events and what will be the positive impact?
23:51
Whether it be something as simple as a questionnaire to
23:54
attendees on the ten nights if you're holding 1010 nightmares
23:57
list or actually to have an open hustings and type of event, post
24:03
a series of events, post ten nights, a morcha have Ramadan.
24:07
For example, where it's an open open forum for our community,
24:12
for our attendees to give their feedback, And to suggest ways to
24:17
improve tikrit to critique and maybe some of the topics, maybe
24:20
some of the methods of delivery. There are other ways and more
24:25
sort of rigorous ways of judging the success or of an event as
24:30
opposed to expect. That's that's an amazing angle
24:32
like me because it can work, you know, Works in business or Works
24:35
in when people I like doing products.
24:37
They're trying to test our for Works within a market, is this
24:39
feedback just concept of feedback and I've never been to
24:43
a center that's ask for feedback of only.
24:45
Alstom. Her rightfully.
24:46
They also for donations? Yes.
24:48
There's never been like the only involvement they were from the
24:50
communities, their money, I understand.
24:53
But that's pretty much all they want.
24:54
A lot of Senses will do those QA specifically for the share of
24:57
the mawlana is there? Yeah, it's not to do with your
25:00
feedback for us. Have we this, which, of course,
25:02
is a great idea as well, but of course, outside of the events in
25:05
the modulus as well. Organizations, youth groups,
25:08
whatever you want to call them Community.
25:09
Organizations can be targeting issues that we see in different
25:14
ways. Of course.
25:15
So one is obviously through the physical face-to-face
25:18
interaction. But of course, through social
25:19
media through socials, outside of the mosque, and outside of
25:23
the center's and bringing people together, whether it's football,
25:26
every two weeks or something, with a group of boys, or whether
25:29
it's like some, like, art workshops for sisters, and a big
25:33
part of what I wanted to look into as maybe organization not
25:36
to be confused with organizations.
25:38
Yeah. Organization.
25:39
And how organized we are plays a big part in it.
25:42
So a lot of our centers and And organizations will have a
25:47
committee and we have elections. I will have a list of policies
25:51
will have a GM's and so on and so forth.
25:53
I know it gets so boring and we don't want to get into that, but
25:56
all I would say is from experience and as being someone
26:00
who's been part of committees and then being, you know, had to
26:02
step down or had to put myself forward, be elected and so on
26:06
and so forth. It's a huge, huge checks, and
26:08
balances process because you are accountable at the end of the
26:10
day and your answerable, of course was built our last one to
26:14
Allah, but we are answerable. Our colleagues and to the people
26:16
who were serving in our community.
26:18
I think it makes a world of difference personally, speaking.
26:23
I equate this to what we have at work, with our customers.
26:28
We've got service level agreements and it's a contract
26:30
to send legal legally, binding, contract between the, if you
26:36
like us and our customers. Yeah.
26:37
And it says, we will do this for you and we will do this for you
26:40
and we will do this for you, but we or you saw yourself as
26:43
customers. We expect this from you, expect
26:45
this from you and we expect from this from you.
26:47
And that service level agreement, I think or something
26:51
of the like I think the natural progression or the natural Next
26:56
Step that our community, our organizations need to take in
27:01
order to ensure that that message in the level of service
27:04
that they provide for the community around them is of
27:07
adequate quality and is the right means and the right
27:10
method. Are you in civil engineering?
27:12
So, I trained as an engineer, but I've been working a program
27:15
manager tells has a very nice of skills.
27:21
And you can tell what he's what he's got.
27:23
If I didn't based on the way to be mellow is give you more as I
27:26
like. I like I like I like straight
27:28
lines and I like process Maps a basic, you know, if you'd like
27:33
you said You didn't say, did you say it was I say, does your
27:39
Center, do what? You were suggesting?
27:41
There's my sensitive sample. Yeah, okay.
27:44
Yeah, I didn't mention the word Constitution, that was what I
27:47
was thinking of asking a magician because we will speak
27:49
my mind. Yeah, because what you, when you
27:52
were talking about, you know, how you'd want to see the
27:55
community's going forward, or organizations organizing
27:58
themselves. It's so I've been to different
28:01
communities, even abroad and of America even places here in the
28:05
Okay? And mostly run by Hodges
28:08
project. This project community and they
28:10
all have constitutions. Yeah.
28:12
And they all have like, you know, checks and balances and
28:14
there's like a voting system or something goes wrong.
28:17
They hold meetings about it and it involves the community.
28:21
Whereas there are I'll speak about my community and the
28:25
communities. I've been involved with there is
28:27
no such thing. There is, it's it's my way or
28:30
the highway or if I think this is what's going to work best for
28:33
the community. That's how we're going to
28:35
proceed with. It.
28:36
But, but the fact there are like accountability.
28:38
The words you've been using, that's something amazing to see
28:40
if you can, you can understand say, it's sorry to interrupt
28:43
that that does exist because it's with particular examples
28:47
from your community. We talked, we talked about this
28:49
a lot, how the Iraqi community in the west, many of them came
28:52
here as Asylum Seekers and we're naturally forced to integrate
28:57
and assimilate into society. They didn't understand, they
28:59
didn't know. And you had ringleaders, you had
29:02
influential figures who were heads of families or Two
29:05
figures, who would say I will gather my people around and I
29:09
will take us forward and I respect that leadership and of
29:12
course it's it's it's what they call it.
29:14
Organized chaos. Yeah.
29:16
Is that the right term? Yeah, we're in the sense that
29:18
it's you know, you going forward with pure Nia good intentions
29:22
but maybe a lack of structure which is then obviously, yeah, I
29:25
don't doubt the service, they do these things.
29:27
They can't, they can still kick in because obviously, we all
29:30
were part of ab sock. Same.
29:31
And I know you're an absolute present at the same time.
29:33
I was so we both had Had to follow Constitution.
29:37
We were both appointed elected and Adam, find a success or
29:40
whatever you wanna call that print.
29:41
Yeah, the right word successor. But those those Concepts, which
29:47
we as youth in this day and age where used to them, but it's
29:51
what we choose to apply like you said from your workplace and
29:53
like you said in business, what you apply from from the outside
29:56
world, sometimes we don't apply to our community world.
30:00
So it's an interesting thing because sometimes we don't you
30:03
know, integrate the two mindsets.
30:06
And I think what's, what's quite interesting is my shot of luck.
30:09
We look at the community today, both sort of if you like the
30:12
generation slightly older than myself and even the generation
30:15
sort of younger than myself and you look at them and you look at
30:19
the success that they're having in a professional work
30:22
environment. Yeah.
30:24
And it sort of makes you think that there's no reason why that
30:29
success cannot then be brought into our organizations and more
30:32
widely into the communities that we originally come from.
30:37
And to me that is a potential sort of positive point for us to
30:41
look forward to because one can only assume that as as the
30:45
community grows and as the community becomes more
30:47
successful than those positive traits that they pick up or that
30:52
we pick up, will only start to get integrated in into our
30:56
organizations and more widely into the community.
30:59
And you know what both of you. I know we have so much to talk
31:03
about in this topic best before we go too.
31:06
To you know the different different Avenues in this
31:08
conversation, I just want to mention one thing is that from
31:11
the community on from? Yeah, I need something that I've
31:15
observed over the years and I think it still goes on even as
31:19
very recently, a lot of organizations have faced.
31:21
This is the Youth of these sentence of this community
31:26
centers because there is no checks and balances because
31:31
there's no accountability because they have no involvement
31:34
of how they think. You know, the majority should
31:38
change or the events should change or you know, they have no
31:42
say in anything so their opinions just worthless to them.
31:46
That's how they and they've come up with these organizations
31:49
you're saying is resolved their parent as a result of our
31:52
communities know having these checks and balances because for
31:55
example you can you can be you can have the same person serving
31:59
and I love everyone that service by the way, and I don't know
32:01
anyone's intention, but sometimes it's time for you to
32:04
go. Mmm, Sometimes time for you to
32:07
change, I give you see your community separating and
32:11
breaking up. Maybe there's something wrong
32:14
and because there's no checks and balances, there's no one
32:16
really saying. Okay, let's let's talk with with
32:18
the youth, or let's talk with other members of the community.
32:21
That's bring everyone together. How can we improve on things?
32:23
Because that is not happening and might be happening
32:25
internally, but because everyone's, you know, friends
32:28
with everyone, they all agree with everyone.
32:30
So for them, there's no change for it to happen, but because
32:33
there's no conversations happening with the Youth of the
32:35
wider. Unity the breaking up.
32:38
Although I think it's better, the moment you're honest about
32:40
the, the better and the fact that there are different
32:44
organizations and some other not to say it was like a community
32:47
from the same Community made the song Community, but they have
32:51
bring changes to the way images. I mean something amazing?
32:55
No, no quite mention that. Mmm, I agree completely.
32:58
And again, I think it makes it to a level of maturity that
33:01
exists or existed, within the use of five to ten years ago to
33:05
for them too. A point that void and of
33:09
service. If you like all that void in our
33:13
events and and I'm a journalist that they've sort of decided to
33:16
sort of jump in and for that. But it's, I agree with your
33:19
point completely. I think the lack of Jeopardy and
33:22
historically within sort of more established organizations and
33:26
I'm not sure this is and I'm sure this is not london-based
33:30
only this lack of Jeopardy and that leads to and, At least the
33:39
complacency that's the one. It leads to complacency and
33:44
there's complacency because we're not saying they're not
33:45
progressing on another serving, of course of them are serving
33:48
and that's something so amazing about us once your complacent.
33:51
Now, of course you do and it actually goes back to the point
33:53
of having an open loop or an open feedback loop, where you
33:59
almost run the risk. If you're the same, sort of
34:03
people who run the same organizations and the same teams
34:07
for so long, That there's the risk that then becomes an echo
34:11
chamber and therefore, it is everything you say.
34:12
And everything you suggest that, you suggest becomes a yes or a
34:16
positive answer and no one is likely to challenge or becomes
34:20
less likely that a challenge or a critique will come your way.
34:23
And if it isn't for challenges and critique is becoming becomes
34:25
very difficult for an organization.
34:27
Whether it's sort of cultural, or even sort of in a work
34:30
perspective without that Jeopardy in, without that
34:32
challenge in that critique organizations will regularly and
34:37
stop evolving. And I think they'll also become
34:40
stale. Yeah, yeah.
34:41
That's a really important thing to consider that a lot of the
34:45
youth groups, or even the parent community centers organizations,
34:50
which have relied on the same faces and the same personalities
34:52
for a number of years are for one of two reasons.
34:56
Usually, either one people don't want to hand over power which
35:00
exists whether we like it or not, we're not just talking
35:03
about centers were talking about organizations out there around
35:07
the world. Okay, chair.
35:08
Tease. Okay, things are, which are of
35:10
similar nature or number two, there are people who don't want
35:13
to step up to the plate. But the thing is subhanallah, a
35:17
real leader will bring people up with him or her and a real
35:22
leader will train develop integrate and and kind of work
35:25
alongside people to, you know, make sure everyone's on the same
35:29
page that, you know, skills are there.
35:32
And like you said, a man dedication, and your Nia is
35:34
there to serve. So, that's a really important
35:36
thing for us to look at, as well.
35:38
And and just before we move into the dedication, sort of
35:41
discussion because it is a amazing level of dedication that
35:45
we see and just pick up on the point that usually, there aren't
35:49
any leaders willing to step up or there aren't people willing
35:53
to take that step up. Yeah, I think again points to a
35:58
point to a more intrinsic issue within within our community.
36:02
If we can't develop our youth, our children today to become
36:05
Leaders of Tomorrow and there is something in Physically wrong
36:09
with either the community that they live in where there are so
36:12
many closed doors for them or there is something wrong with
36:17
the way that they're potentially, they're being
36:20
brought up opportunity breeds success.
36:22
Exactly. If you give you the
36:23
opportunities, they will step up now except there's no doubt
36:25
about it. If you ask a ten-year-old to
36:28
help you plan, something I never then they'll do it.
36:32
Yeah. If you ask it a twenty-year-old
36:34
to help you design a campaign, they'll do it.
36:37
You know, like Up there are things out there and then and I
36:40
don't, I don't think I'm wrong in saying, you may have a youth
36:44
whose specialized in accountancy.
36:47
Why not get them to help with the mosque?
36:48
Finances? You might have a YouTube, for
36:50
example, is like, we're talking about engineering, you might
36:53
have a youth, whose incredible architectural engineering or
36:56
something of that design. Best feel help.
36:58
Get them to help plan building a new center, how many?
37:01
Most of our centers now talk about expanding, if I'm not
37:04
mistaken, he surely is a big part of how many youth are
37:07
trained and As in these fields, it's like you said, the
37:10
opportunity breeds success and the skills and the involvement
37:13
that these, that young people have from a young age, will mean
37:16
that they develop commitment, and it's ingrained within them
37:19
dedication. We are born.
37:21
And we were brought up a Servants of about $2 saying,
37:24
amazing. We are all born and brought up
37:25
at 7:00. We live and die by our love for
37:28
a moment of saying, alehissalaam.
37:30
But the thing is, we are not sometimes given that opportunity
37:33
to serve. What about the license Island
37:35
last time. Anyone saw tonight and like
37:37
he's, they're asking, For help after eyes not to be left back.
37:41
There's for today, you know, the issues that we Face are today in
37:44
the people who are in need and oppressed all here today and
37:47
they live in our postcodes in our ZIP codes.
37:50
So, we've got to do something about that.
37:51
You know, we have to find ways to Target them.
37:54
I love tangent. Tangent.
37:56
It a bit, but greeting them. To be honest.
37:59
Just pick again. Pick you up on the dedication
38:01
point. I don't know about you two, but
38:04
when I walk in to an event imageless, whatever it may be I
38:08
see, you can feel the amount of energy, the amount of positive
38:12
energy that you get when you walk into our events and armor
38:17
Genesis, especially, when you see, sort of people, net,
38:20
younger than yourself, sort of running around and organizing
38:22
and, and setting up the sound system or setting up the cameras
38:26
or making sure the YouTube live feed is working.
38:29
There is a sense of there's a buzz that I genuinely get from
38:33
from that experience. And I think that level of
38:37
dedication is Is is an amazing sight, really thirdly?
38:43
We've had a man's thoughts and I think everything is just said
38:46
about dedication is is so true, but we all know that, you know,
38:52
with three guys sitting here, talking about this and 50% of
38:56
our community, our sisters. Surely.
38:59
We would be twice as better off and W successful, if we included
39:05
not just included, we encouraged and gave the opportunity.
39:08
T two sisters to take a more active role?
39:11
Am I right in saying that, or do you feel?
39:13
I think you are mad? Because if I can just think of a
39:17
rhino of my head, I've never thought of this, you know, the
39:19
first time hearing it, I've never actually like this.
39:22
I think I'm part of the problem. I've never thought of like,
39:24
women involved when it comes to like decision, making within the
39:26
jawless and stuff. This, I think if we give them a
39:29
voice and we can hear their opinion and we can hear how they
39:34
want to be involved in making, you know, imagineers or
39:37
Community change or Umm you to bring new ideas.
39:40
I think we'll get places. This is crazy because 2022 I
39:43
think we are. Yeah, I'm just thinking now I
39:45
have never ever for or of having a lady's opinion, there should
39:50
be female chair. Ladies for every Center.
39:53
There should be female represented representation at
39:56
every least, a female representative.
39:59
Every meeting which is deciding a modulus at least at least a
40:04
voice that she's what I'm saying.
40:06
Of course, the role of a woman when it comes to being Lick the
40:09
other thing itself is that's up to her.
40:11
I don't know what role we can give them as the fact.
40:14
I think there's limited roles if any if when I was a kid.
40:17
I remember the only role woman had it like, sentences.
40:19
Commuted sentence was given a food as forgiving tomorrow if
40:22
only, they will make in China China.
40:24
And there was nothing else more for them to do when it comes to
40:28
being involved in the community. I think about you even sorry,
40:34
I'm blessed to be called at me. That's fine.
40:36
And I think the odd Thing is that as soon as you walk out of
40:41
your organization of your rent, feel much less, whatever it may
40:44
be, and you walk into back to University back to school, back
40:47
to college, back to work, there is a certain level of
40:52
professional interaction that men have with women and women
40:55
have with men and that is completely acceptable and it is
40:58
completely fine. But I think what is an issue is
41:02
that for some reason as soon as we walk through the door of our
41:06
organizations that Mentality changes to potentially what the
41:11
mentality was potentially back home decades and decades ago.
41:15
And I think that again is an area.
41:18
So ripe for development for our community and that it almost
41:24
feels criminal not to invest in it.
41:27
It almost feels wrong. Not to give women and our
41:31
sisters, the opportunity to lead the community in the same way
41:35
that we've sort of we, as men of whom held.
41:38
Don to power for so long. And as you pointed out with
41:41
three guys discussing sort of community events, but actually,
41:44
our perspectives, or all three of us, rented are very male or
41:48
yeah, exactly. And I'm sure if you had a sister
41:50
sat here instead of me, the, her point of view and I heard
41:55
discussion points would be vastly different.
41:57
Anyway. Maybe we should get a sister.
41:59
No, I think we should. And to be honest this is because
42:01
we've, you know, when we talk about these things, what like we
42:05
talked about issues that youth are facing, do we not Think, of
42:08
course, sisters have issues with with young girls.
42:11
Take it off a job music. Is there.
42:13
How many commonalities are? They're bullying?
42:16
You know, social media addiction.
42:18
These are things that exist with with men and women and young
42:21
people need representation from mentors.
42:23
And so they need the guidance for mentors.
42:25
There are so many women and sisters who are under 30 years
42:29
old, who are incredible examples and can be incredibly mentors to
42:33
young teenage girls. But why do we as men who run
42:37
communities? And who run organizations, not
42:40
even have a sister in charge of this to, to equate a boy, or a
42:44
guy who's in charge of that. If we have a guy who's had a
42:46
marketing, why can't we have a sister who's under marketing?
42:49
If we have a guy who's head of dark mail Thursday's, why can't
42:51
we have a sister who's also? She see what I mean.
42:53
I agree. It's a norm for a lot of
42:55
communities but also known for not a lot of others.
42:59
I'll be really Frank. I've grown up in a center where
43:02
you have a male resident eylem, you have a few more as an item,
43:06
you have a male president, you have a female president.
43:08
I was like, my first time here, this.
43:10
No, I'm serious. I mean, and this is a center
43:12
which has six thousand annual paying members in Northwest
43:15
London, you know, and paying for and their services upon
43:19
services. And, of course, I will look at
43:21
my community with a critical eye because I have standards, which
43:24
I've been taught by them and then I'll hold them to those
43:27
same standards and Beyond. But the thing is, it's strange
43:30
for me to hear this because, you know, there are more female
43:33
attendees in my my Center, the mail, you know, we have in many
43:37
cases more All events than male events.
43:39
You know, there are a lot of events, where females attend,
43:41
even though the mail or platinum elds are organizing it and
43:44
expect more hiya Mel attendance. So, you know, it's something for
43:47
us to think of sleepovers for girls that mosque.
43:50
Why not do them art workshops, you know, all sorts of yoga.
43:54
So, it has been for the voice is that nights like this connection
43:57
actually. So where's that hearing things?
44:00
That were classes and sleepers actually, and actually, let's
44:03
bring the other half of the community and ask them what they
44:06
need. Ask them what they are.
44:08
Because again, we're looking at this from a male perspective and
44:12
there is no way that either one of us truly understands you
44:17
can't and their experiences and actually what they really deeply
44:20
need. And so, yeah, I could not agree
44:24
more with regards to sort of having women representation, you
44:27
know, having hearing from both of you.
44:30
Because it's very interesting for me.
44:31
I know you both have had direct impact and involvement with
44:36
organizations and community centers For me is more like, you
44:39
know, you're going to recite somewhere or even invited
44:41
somewhere. So, it's be like a backstage.
44:42
So I think it's very interesting to listen to you both.
44:46
But I have a question for, amen. You know, a man having been
44:50
involved with organizations who serve the communities, if now,
44:54
we made, amen. Taki in charge of Amen.
45:01
Hurricane, a menu. How will you make it different?
45:05
What are the solutions? I think whether it be how to
45:10
kill a mini or helical idea or trying to make a personal to
45:14
you. And I think, I think each
45:17
organization before they start that there's a sort of self
45:23
critique that needs to happen to question, whether they their
45:27
services are required as, as a separate organization.
45:30
Now, if the services are required, I think there needs to
45:34
be an immediate short-term. Medium term and long term plan
45:38
with full understanding of the resources required and a clear
45:43
definition of what the end goal is, what the objectives are and
45:46
what the goals that need to be met on the part, on the way to
45:49
meeting meeting your overall overall objective.
45:52
If the overall objective is to create develop and nurture, a
45:57
community of shabaab of Youth that are emotionally mature that
46:01
are socially mature that are religiously aware that walk into
46:05
whatever environment you put them in.
46:06
In as Pinnacles and its leaders of that environment, then what
46:11
you need to do is you need to plan for children effectively at
46:16
the age of 89 today and put a 10-year plan in place.
46:21
Feeding in the right times and their development and their
46:24
emotional development in their physical development with the
46:28
right interventions, and the right types of events, as well,
46:31
as the right content. So that when they are adults or
46:34
when they decide to walk into a workplace or whatever Walk of
46:38
Life, they choose, we have developed them into mature.
46:43
Complete individuals who met, who would be able to To minimize
46:53
the negative effect, if you like of society and the polls, and
46:57
that I'm sure you've experienced a damn sure you've experienced
47:00
in a workplace. For example, those pulls unless
47:03
you're a very stable individual beta built unstable foundations.
47:09
Yeah. Mm.
47:10
It's very easy to get drawn in by that pool.
47:13
And the only way we'll be will build tomorrow's leaders.
47:15
Today is by putting and it in a sort of long-term plan for their
47:19
development. Meets all the requirements.
47:21
Basic, I think if we were to just to kind of summarize
47:25
because obviously we've talked about so many things.
47:27
I think we were being too - no. Yeah.
47:30
And so I think we've critiqued by, I think it's only fair.
47:33
We thank everyone for serving. This is the, this is the number
47:37
one thing. We said this earlier that we
47:39
live and die on the path of Crema.
47:42
And this is something we're proud of as a community.
47:44
And obviously, we thank our I'll mothers and fathers fought for
47:48
raising us on this path. And it's for them and had it not
47:52
been for them. We wouldn't be having this
47:53
discussion today, that's very trans.
47:55
Even even even our, even those who are younger than us, our
47:58
agent, even slightly older who are doing the work of putting in
48:01
the hours. And, you know, we've got like,
48:03
when we when we do these community events and we've all
48:07
had to drive like extra hours to pick up this thing like a banner
48:11
for random event, 10 miles away. Or like you're going to have to
48:14
go find water bottles to take to Center for to distribute.
48:18
We've all had to do the hard work that know Will ever know
48:20
about. That's the beauty you spend from
48:22
your pocket and you know, these are things that you do.
48:25
Fisa Bill, the line you do, all the love of your heart for about
48:28
the life of saying in this holy month and across the year of
48:31
course. So thank you to everyone who is
48:34
involved in any way. Any volunteer who gives any time
48:36
whether you're in the car park in the kitchen in the AV rooms
48:39
or even in the front lines of the modulus you are Inspirations
48:43
to us and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts and shall
48:46
we pray together that we can all be a part of a community that
48:51
prospers and grows and inshallah is prepared for the coming of
48:54
the awaited Imam at a lot of footage of Sharif and yeah, I
48:58
mean, it's these are the Blessed nights and inshallah we can use
49:02
them to grow. Sure.
49:03
A lot in Catalan and it's been amazing having you Amen.
49:06
On the podcast today, you know, seeing different perspectives
49:09
and hearing it from different angles but more importantly, the
49:13
viewers at home. Yeah, those listening to the
49:15
podcast. Be on Spotify, be on Apple,
49:17
please. Please engage with this podcast
49:19
because I'm Interested to see, you know, your opinion, your
49:22
feedback on what the community is lacking.
49:24
What you want to see different in the community.
49:26
At the same time, I want to thank everyone that serving in a
49:29
way of Allah free, mom saying thank you, everyone.
49:33
And don't forget to smash that subscribe button.
49:34
We will be back next week in sha Allah with another episode of
49:37
Arthur Mi Greenville. So I like him a lot.