THE NATURE, THE SCOPE, AND THE ROADMAP OF THE NEEDED CHANGE (2/2)
By Dr. Souheil Ghannouchi
I truly wish that the needed change could happen smoothly and gradually through existing entities, and championed by the members and managers of those entities. But realistically, those who are managing the status quo will more than likely be unwilling or unable to have an active role in affecting the needed change (33:4 Allah has not made for any man two hearts in his body). This is mainly because of time and organizational constraints. Indeed, organizations are good for what they were made for and if they don’t evolve constantly, they loose flexibility, and their culture, membership, and structure become more resistant to change.
Currently, many Muslim organizations are already doing everything they can do given their charter, their culture, their structure, and their membership and leadership. However, they are in a deeply entrenched comfort zone that only allows for some improvements, but does not allow for any real change, much less in leading the needed change. Being consumed with the maintenance of the organization and management of the ongoing operation, many of them don’t see the need for change, and don’t believe that things could or even should be better or different. Activism, busyness, and organizations became objectives in and of themselves. On the other hand, Muslim organizations which had the potential and what it takes to evolve and reinvent themselves have already missed the window for that and crossed the point of no return.
Hardly any Muslim organization was established as a mainstream organization that is committed to and focused on America. And to my knowledge, no Muslim organization was established to fulfill the divine mission in its totality and to impact America in a significant way. And no Muslim organization showed any willingness to take on the challenge of relevance and measure their performance accordingly. Moreover, most Muslim organizations are limited in their charter and operations, and too bureaucratic and conservative to tolerate real change.
Nevertheless, noble efforts such as offering forums of belonging and activism, providing educational programs to members, managing a segment of the community (albeit small), defending the rights of Muslims, organizing conventions, ensuring some political participation, and providing some outreach and interfaith programs require a lot of dedication and sacrifice from scores of activists and organizations. Such noble work is commendable and must be maintained. May Allah reward all those who are committing their time, their money, and themselves to it.
However, this is nowhere close and is not getting us closer to Allah's expectations and to what we should and could be doing. That’s why we are in a dire need for a fundamental change, a paradigm shift, and a new beginning.
I truly wish that there was an Islamic movement of change that is rallying/driving Muslim Americans towards relevance and impact and towards the fulfillment of the divine mission. One would only have to join it and lend it a hand, as was the case of those who joined Islam in Medinah. I wish that there was a movement that could – even with some reform – become the driving force that champions the cause, rally the community, and impact the nation.
Fortunately or unfortunately, that’s not the case. As a result, we have a much bigger duty/role than to join or reform an existing movement: it is to build a movement. That’s a humongous task, but it is historical and very rewarding both in this life and in the Hereafter.
That’s why a tough choice needs to be made: are we willing to pay any price to do what needs to be done? Or are we looking for every excuse to do what is convenient? Which one comes first: Allah’s cause or our own comfort. Allah’s cause calls on us to explore all avenues and do all what it takes to shape a better future for Islam and for America. But for our own comfort, we only need to find a place that gives us a sense of belonging and a forum of activism, irrespective of the relevance or impact of such activism. And comforting excuses can always be found in some Islamic concepts, texts, or historical incidents taken out of context.
The good news is that we don’t have to build the movement from scratch. We just have to chart a new course, open new horizons, raise the bar of our aspirations, liberate our minds, unlock people’s potential and energy, and remove mental and road blocks. But while many people will eventually join the movement, not many people will be willing or able to build it.
Only people who are free could champion the needed change and chart the new course. By ‘free’, I mean people who are neither consumed nor constrained. They are bound only by the constants of faith from the sources of guidance and the law of the land. Everything else (literature, methods, historical experiences, heritage, etc) should neither be binding nor be a starting point. Moreover, the needed change is very demanding and those who want to champion it must both model it (be the change) and pull people towards it. Also, the needed change is about charting a new course and a new beginning. And the trailblazers must be comfortable venturing into uncharted waters. They also need to keep in mind what Mahatma Ghandi said: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." That has always been the case with any change movement and its champions.
Ultimately, the rebuilding of our community will use the same building blocks but with a different design, for a different purpose, in a different direction, and ‘across the river'.
The vanguards of change must also be able to stand on their own feet without leaning on the power of an organization. They rely on Allah first and foremost and they have only their message, their model, their passion, and the energy and determination they harness from their consistent and effective spiritual workout and from one another. They should be constantly striving and pushing themselves to be the best embodiments and most effective instruments of Allah's Will. They must emulate Ibrahim (peace be upon him) who was an ummah (nation/movement) in and of himself, and faced the whole world alone. Finally, vanguards of change must engage in deep reflections and soul-searching to figure out the best ways to model the needed change and chart the new course, which means embarking on a journey of meaningful personal development and civic engagement to realize their full potential and impact. Overall, there is a lot of devotion, passion, knowledge, determination, relationships to cultivate, and many territories to explore; all of this requires intensive and consistent spiritual, intellectual, and outreach efforts by those who want to champion the change. This implies that they distance themselves from consuming activities and meetings. So, for many well-understood reasons, most activists will more than likely be unwilling to entertain all of this.
These are the type of people who are needed at this founding stage characterized by uncertainty. And the key to the whole process of self-change is the deep reflection and soul searching; this shall make you confront the brutal reality and set the whole process in motion. This is also probably the main reason why most activists will be very reluctant to entertain going through the process, because of the fear of waking up from a nice, self-fulfilling illusion of accomplishment. They will be forced to trade that illusion and their strong sense of comfort and security for a momentous mission that the heavens, the earth, and the mountains declined to carry and hold themselves accountable for.
Many activists won’t be able to stand not being occupied by meetings and action, which constitutes the main source of their sense of fulfillment. They also may not be able to stand no longer belonging to a fraternity, which serves as the main source of their sense of security and comfort. Also, many activists are who and where they are not because of their inherent credentials, but because they are backed by an organization, and without the organization they will have little to offer.
The transition that the vanguards of change must go through is from being a big fish in a small pond to being a small fish in an ocean. It is also like transitioning from working for a company to starting your own company. Indeed this is such a difficult transition that I don't blame anyone for being reluctant to go through it. And I firmly believe that only a compelling mission and an inspiring vision will propel a person to go through it voluntarily. It is one thing to lend a hand – whenever you can - to an existing operation that is neither challenging nor result-driven. It is a totally different ball game to take on and live a humongous mission, chart a new course, and hold yourself responsible and accountable for the results.
To live a humongous mission, to always be conscious of the brutal reality (without pain-killers), and to constantly aspire and challenge yourself to be the best embodiment and the most efficient instruments of the Will of Allah, might seem very daunting. But the seerah of the Prophet and the lives of the companions clearly indicate that this kind of life is the most exciting thing in the world and pays the highest dividends not only in the Hereafter but also in this life: spiritual and intellectual lucidity, and genuine and unshakable inner peace and tranquility. Both are too precious and priceless to be traded for anything. Plus, they have the great bonus of leaving their mark on history. 61:13 And He will give you something else that will really please you: His help and an imminent breakthrough. [Prophet], give the faithful the good news. You who believe, be God’s helpers.
Indeed, in very unfavorable conditions and with very limited resources, the Prophet (pbuh) and his companions changed the face of the world and the course of history, and championed a great civilization.
Like the Prophet and his companions, those who are serious about pioneering the change and the movement must live the mission and wholeheartedly commit their lives to it. They also must have a deep faith, limitless passion and aspirations, unshakable resolve, a rock-solid sense of security, and self-confidence. In addition to the individuals who accept to model and drive the needed change, the movement of change shall include organizations. Some of those organizations might already be working and some are yet to be formed by the pioneers of change. However, such organizations must be inherently mainstream and organizationally simple and versatile. Organizations that are too bureaucratic, high-maintenance, slow, and lacking clarity and cohesion are not expected to make any significant contribution to the needed change, especially in the formative phase.
The seerah of the Prophet (pbuh) when read as a blueprint for building a mission-driven community, is clearly not the blueprint of our current community, and as a result we have been stuck for quite some time. The needed change is not only urgent and fundamental, but also requires a new beginning and a new course that should be charted by the vanguards who are serious about meeting Allah’s expectations, making a difference, and leaving their mark on history.
