Today, I was walking by one of the Islamic goods shops near my house when I saw on display a poster which was advertising regular meetings that the store was holding. The meetings were for Muslim converts who wanted to learn more about their faith, or just wanted to hear about other people's experiences.

I was really pleased that someone was doing such a noble deed and went to congratulate the owner. As we got talking about this initiative I asked him what gave him the idea to do this but it was his response that shook me.

"The Mosques just won't do it! So we have to."

It was the sadness in his voice which hurt the most. Here was a sincere brother who just wanted to help his fellow Muslims and yet again the place where he goes to for religious knowledge was the same place that was depriving him of taking positive steps.

The very institution that talks extensively about how Islam is a way of life, was doing everything they could to make Islam lifeless.

However, I'm not going to bore you with details you already know: our mosque leaders are incompetent and we all know it. Whether we accept it or not is a different matter but the actions of our mosque leaders clearly show that they are not up to the job. Yes, there are a few, rare exceptions - a handful of improving mosques and many more where the leaders are sincere but lacking the skills to build an institution that serves the needs of the community. However, I don't know why we would accept a single failing institution when it concerns the worship of Allah.

But I am going to put forward a challenge to you - knowing that your mosque was failing in every aspect, did you ever ask them why they weren't doing anything? Did you ever ask them why they never spoke out against any of the injustices we see around us? (and no, ranting at the mimbar doesn't count).

And how did they respond? Did they ever actually say: "You know what? You're right, let's do something, let's start now"?

The truth is that the mosques have been so inactive for so long, that we find it weird, nay, almost wrong if someone asks them to do their job.

But how many innocent Muslims must suffer before our leaders activate our sleeping Ummah? How many of our civil liberties have to be taken before they spring into action?

The management is terrible - we've had a string of embezzlers, fraudsters and liars making a string of catastrophic decisions. This is plain fact.

But who let them get away with it? It was you! You let them have the power to make your decisions for you and your children!

Whilst I'll admit that anyone can make a mistake once, to go on making the same lethal errors decade after decade seems to me nothing short of deliberate. You have encouraged these malicious incompetents who have made your life a shambles. You have accepted without question their senseless orders. You have allowed them to fill your faith with feeble and pathetic ideas. You could have stopped them. All you had to say was "No." Have you no spine? Have you no care for your oppressed brothers and sisters? Have you no faith in Allah?

If you do have a spine, if you do care and if you do have faith in Allah, I ask you to do one thing - stand up to these men before it's too late.

If you want to change the situation you find all Muslims in, then please join us for the London MPACUK Branch meeting on Sunday 25th November. Details are below:

Venue:
Ebrahim Community College,
80 Greenfield Road,
London E1 1EJ

Date: 25th November 2007

Timings: 11am to 2pm

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