Europe, Be Happy and Embrace Muslims

By Khedr Abd Al-Mo'ti Khedr

Thank God whose blessings insure all good for the launch of the EU Muslim family campaign under the slogan "a stable family forms a stable community." We shall pray for the best father, grandfather, husband, brother-in-law, and the last of the prophets and messengers: Prophet Mohammed, may God's blessings be upon him.

This fortunate campaign is led by the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE) in coordination with all its institutions in more than 30 European countries. The FOIE, in supporting the campaign financially and intellectually, massed all its scholars, preachers, spiritual guides, and intellectuals with full capacity and strong enthusiasm to awaken people and correct illusions. Various activities have been prepared to approach individuals and families in the West. This campaign, in my view, will be very fruitful for the whole European community as well as being a fundamental fortification especially for the Muslim family. Thanks to this campaign, both Muslim and non-Muslim communities will soon co-live in an atmosphere of security and prosperity due to two reasons.

Reforming the EU Muslim Family

The first reason is the reformation of the Muslim family, which is now part and parcel of the European community. Such reformation will definitely lead to a wide amelioration in the European society. To elaborate, a stable community can be seen in many shapes such as a good husband-wife relationship and effective parenting. Any society has to guarantee a healthy environment for upbringing children.

There is an educational theory that a child has to have some fun and joy during his / her first seven years. Within those years, the child might be guided without deterrent punishment so that he/she could acquire decency and have, their parents, as a good example to follow. Then, the following seven years the child directly learns regulations, laws, and disciplines. After this phase, the young boy will be able to show responsibility and can support his family as well as his country. This theory is mostly conforms to our God's, Most Glorious and Most Merciful, verse: (My Lord! Bestow on them thy Mercy as they cherished me in childhood) (Al-Israa, 24). Many institutions suffering from raising family problems will benefit from this campaign. The Muslim family has many hanging issues in different fields such as social affairs, police, legislation, education, etc. All these problems will be tackled by the campaign in conferences, forums, field visits, and researches.

Exploring New Role Models

The second reason, which reveals the importance of the EU Muslim family campaign, is that the European family will be able to find a model role for its members to guide them through the way, that is the model of its stable Muslim family in the neighborhood. The most wonderful way to approach our goal for all families is to adopt the holistic methodology that will lead us all to stability and happiness. That divine path softens the dry materialistic life which cannot guarantee man's happiness despite its strength and discipline. Neither did the scientific progress secure a life-loving human being free from fears, and selfishness. As the British philosopher Bertrand Russell says, "Though man won his battle against nature thanks to knowledge, he lost his war against himself where knowledge did him no good." He also admits that religion can handle such war.

The EU family campaign, seeking both Muslim and non-Muslim families in Europe, has carried the wholly congenital righteous lamb. Obviously, it tackles all the problems facing teenagers and matrimonial conflicts, as well as defending the rights of the European woman when she gets married to a Muslim man. This campaign encourages the couple to have patience with each other - we shall explain this in the following paragraph.

Raising Generations

In order to illustrate this, we must say that human beings sometimes ignorantly adopt wrong concepts for a life time. This cannot be changed easily but with patience, understanding, and counseling. According to this theory, both husband and wife should tackle all negative issues in their life. Any couple should help each other to raise a good generation that respects its identity and its origins of both parents. This generation should be aware of the social hierarchy inside the family and respect it.

The EU family campaign aims at achieving integration and settlement without prejudice or ingratitude. Additionally, it is a reminder for all who forgot the real goal of a Muslim in life so that money and kids will not turn into a plague for them. Many Muslim families' faiths have been tested during their journey, especially the early immigrants. Their children, for example, have strayed from the right path despite their luxurious life. This comes as a proof of our Lord saying (Let not their wealth nor their (following in) sons dazzle thee: in reality Allah's Plan is to punish them with these things in this life) (Al Tawba, 25) Another verse assuring that concept is "truly the flimsiest of houses is the spider's house," an approved scientific fact. This great image from our Holy Book shows how a family that is not deeply based on the Islamic principles would meet the same fate of a spider's house; to be crashed and destroyed. The family weakness comes from a materialistic father and an unfaithful wife. Then follows the impious children. All these reasons confirm the goals of the family campaign.

Learning many sciences and achieving academic excellences is the main road towards fortification. European Muslims should also use their countries' language together with their mother tongue, not to forget it. Most important of all is to learn the Arabic language, that of the Holy Qur’an. Applying all these pieces of advice, we will ensure having good offspring with all useful knowledge, languages, and tempers.

Also a Campaign for Women

It’s a fortification campaign for women as well; a campaign that will synchronize with the European celebration of Woman's Day on March 8th. This campaign aims at wiping out the bad image of women in the developing countries, then resetting their roles in the European countries by giving good and righteous Muslim examples. Thus woman will be honored and appreciated and her role in family, society, and life will be stressed.

This initiative is considered a comprehensive methodology to reform all family affairs introduced by the EU family campaign in Europe. However, none can deny the importance of materialism for people and countries.

With God's blessings, we launch the EU family campaign in Europe, we call all the honest and sincere intellectuals and media men, not only in the FOIE but in all free and moderate institutions in Europe, to get involved in this campaign, each with whatever they can do and what they are destined to.
* Khedr Abd Al-Mo'ti Khedr is a member of the European Assembly for Imams and Spiritual Guides.
Source : Islam Online