"What is to be done?"

Earlier in 20th century, `Allama Iqbal, the great Muslim philosopher, had raised somewhat similar question, emphasizing the sense of urgency in an essentially different social-political setting faced by the Umma in the 1930s. It was the period of foreign domination and blatant Western imperialism. The future destiny of the Muslim youth growing up in this turmoil faced a different kind of danger. It was the danger of being politically and morally indifferent and not doing enough and in time to resist the European political and cultural hegemony. It was the danger of submissiveness in the face of all powerful forces of the imperialist colonial powers. In Iqbal's view such a feeling of resignation fostered even a more dangerous attitude than the actual hegemonic designs of the colonizing government. In order to defend itself the Muslim community had to search for ways to overcome the weak culture in which it found itself. Muslims had to resolve to become both internally and externally capable of defending themselves. Internally they had to revive their spiritual heritage to regain the dynamism of early Muslims. Externally they had to acquire modern sciences and technological skills to subdue the feeling of powerlessness. Hence, Iqbal's cry, asking Muslim community: "What is to be done, o people of the East?" "What shall we do to remain muslim?"As I begin to assess the social and religious needs of our youths in North America, I discern the fact that questions asked by Dr. Shari`ati and `Allama Iqbal are not only relevant today but have assumed critical urgency. But it is a different sense of urgency as we prepare to enter the 21st century, and, obviously, under different social- political circumstances. We have come a long way to this state of our own development. As we have journeyed from continent to continent in search of new, secure homes for ourselves, and from culture to culture in search of a new identity, we have experienced social and religious upheavals of immense proportion, both as individuals and as a community. Thanks to the opportunities that were provided under the aegis of the commemorative religious gatherings to remember the sacrifices and the heroic deeds of the Prophet and his Family, and their excellent companions (peace be upon them all). We have, in these gatherings, pondered about our goals and articulated them, although imperfectly, as a community. On certain issues, I believe, we have communicated well. These include critical assessment of some aspects of our religious rituals and manifestations of cultural life. On other matters, like the future of our religious orientation under the impact of the social challenges that face us individually and collectively, we have failed to create proper channels of communication with each other.I still await to see a well-intended dialogue between groups and individuals representing different ways of approaching life in North America. I still long to see an intelligent, tolerant and civil approach to our pluralistic, both religious and cultural, reality in North American social universe. The plurality is so integral to our existence in North America that ignoring it could lead to neglect in creating proper strategy to deal with it effectively and to our advantage as American Muslims. At the end of the twentieth century, the fact remains that after some thirty years of our saga - from being uprooted from our native lands and trying to reroot in North America - we are still faced with many unresolved questions related to our approach to living and our identification in the new social environment. These unresolved questions include our perception about our integration in the North American social universe as one among many religious communities and its impact upon the religious future of the next generation. As we prepare to enter the 21st century we have no choice but, once again, to take up the question that was asked by Dr. Shari`ati, and perhaps rephrase it to underline the urgency of Dr. Iqbal's question: "Having found ourselves here and now what shall we do to remain muslim (in the literal rather than the cultural sense of the word meaning "one who submits to the will of God)?" Such a question should lead us to investigate realistically the sources at our disposal that can increase our capability in remaining "those who submit to the will of God.