That brought me to tears. This really is how the Ummah should be. Alhamdulillahi Rabbal’Alamiin for providing such a wonderful opportunity. May Allah (swt) reward these brothers and sisters, and make this the beginning of many similar projects to come.
I hope to see this here in Australia some day soon.
Mash’Allah what a commendable effort. It just goes to show how the two virtues of compassion and education – core elements of Islamic etiqueete – can combine to overcome great hardships. Insh’Allah may the honorable work of this Centre’s employees, shower them with hasanat in this life and the next. This is indeed, how it should be done.
1) It will make Muslims feel good. But I am not sure that’s its intention. I assume it is meant for people outside of the Ummah, to show Islam’s compassionate nature.
2) If this is the case, I think it would fail. As a very secular Muslim who grew up in the west, I reckon my perspective is not unlike that of a non-Muslim’s. So that at first I was wondering if the video was a parody is probably not a good sign.
3) The American Jews call it, “schmaltz.” This is a surfeit of sentimentality. Again, it may touch the Muslim heart, but would not penetrate the heart of an ambivalent westerner, I don’t think.
Why?
4) The first thing a westerner is going to ask is why on earth there is an implication of exceptionalism in the Islamic charitable impulse. Because that imputation is made in the video.
5) The over-emphasis of the religiosity of the medical workers may again please other Muslims; however, overt religiosity of ANY stripe is more likely to alienate westerners who are largely secular.
6) My experience in communications teaches me that the the maxim of “show, don’t tell” is often apt. Show people with Muslim names, women in Hijab, etc doing good works, mention the Islamic nature of the clinic incidentally. When the doctors mention the Islamic nature of their inspiration, they should seek to contextualise it as a universal tendency that exists in the three monotheistic faiths. By doing this, they link themselves to Christians and Jews in a deep historic, moral and religious sense.
Do all this instead of *telling*, over and over, about the religious motivations.
Even if this video is also aimed at Muslims, the above still resonates. It would still be obvious that these medicos were Muslim, and that their clinic was established in from a very Islamic compassion. 5t would still be an endeavour to be very proud of.
Which is to say, that what annoys me most about this video is that these doctors are doing something so amazing, and reflecting the most beautiful aspects of Islam, but they are not done justice here. They deserve something far better.
One more potentially offensive aside: If for no other reasons than simply PR, that group needs more women if it is looking to overcome various negative stereotypes.
I can’t comment on why the video was made (I don’t know) but I posted it for the benefit of Muslims as I think it offers us a very good example of how we should interact with the broader community. i.e. that we should work to enrich society such that if Muslims were not to be present, people of all faiths or no faith at all would consider society poorer for that. I think, regardless of your points about how the video was made, that this is still worthwhile and it benefits Muslims to be shown examples of excellence from our co-religionists.
I didn’t post it as PR for non-Muslims because, quite obviously, it will take a lot more than a Muslim-operated clinic in South Central Los Angeles to convince people especially when their day to day experience with or observation of Muslims may be completely different to that.
With regards to your points, I didn’t notice that the video was overly ‘preachy’ but I’m probably viewing it from a slightly different perspective to you. If I was to look at it as a secular, non-Muslim Australian, it might appear to be ‘promoting Islam’ but then, like those secular non-Muslim Australians that recognise the good work of the equally religiously inspired Salvation Army, they might also be able to see that religion has motivated these people to do some good (even if they might disagree with that religion or religion in general). Is that beneficial? Probably if it means that some balance — albeit small — has been provided to the overwhelmingly negative view that some people may have of Islam and Muslims.
I understand Lala’s position, religion(any religion) has such a poor image that to mention it maybe counterproductive. But there is a confident, assertive faith based effort which Americans will recognise as very much their own way of doing things.
Self evidently the project is well beyond a PR exercise, it appears to be too well organised, funded and staffed. Also, it must have some level of external audit if it is allowed to train medical students.
I get the impression, that they use it to fund-raise. To run a free clinic in a country where healthcare is so expensive, must require a lot of funds, mostly charitable. I get the feeling that it is exceptionally well organised.
8 comments ↓
Assalamu ‘Alaykum Wr. Wb.
Jazakallahu Khayr, akhi.
That brought me to tears. This really is how the Ummah should be. Alhamdulillahi Rabbal’Alamiin for providing such a wonderful opportunity. May Allah (swt) reward these brothers and sisters, and make this the beginning of many similar projects to come.
I hope to see this here in Australia some day soon.
Wassalamu ‘Alaykum
Mash’Allah what a commendable effort. It just goes to show how the two virtues of compassion and education – core elements of Islamic etiqueete – can combine to overcome great hardships. Insh’Allah may the honorable work of this Centre’s employees, shower them with hasanat in this life and the next. This is indeed, how it should be done.
[...] Link: Austrolabe: “This is how it should be“ [...]
I have a few serious problems with that video:
1) It will make Muslims feel good. But I am not sure that’s its intention. I assume it is meant for people outside of the Ummah, to show Islam’s compassionate nature.
2) If this is the case, I think it would fail. As a very secular Muslim who grew up in the west, I reckon my perspective is not unlike that of a non-Muslim’s. So that at first I was wondering if the video was a parody is probably not a good sign.
3) The American Jews call it, “schmaltz.” This is a surfeit of sentimentality. Again, it may touch the Muslim heart, but would not penetrate the heart of an ambivalent westerner, I don’t think.
Why?
4) The first thing a westerner is going to ask is why on earth there is an implication of exceptionalism in the Islamic charitable impulse. Because that imputation is made in the video.
5) The over-emphasis of the religiosity of the medical workers may again please other Muslims; however, overt religiosity of ANY stripe is more likely to alienate westerners who are largely secular.
6) My experience in communications teaches me that the the maxim of “show, don’t tell” is often apt. Show people with Muslim names, women in Hijab, etc doing good works, mention the Islamic nature of the clinic incidentally. When the doctors mention the Islamic nature of their inspiration, they should seek to contextualise it as a universal tendency that exists in the three monotheistic faiths. By doing this, they link themselves to Christians and Jews in a deep historic, moral and religious sense.
Do all this instead of *telling*, over and over, about the religious motivations.
Even if this video is also aimed at Muslims, the above still resonates. It would still be obvious that these medicos were Muslim, and that their clinic was established in from a very Islamic compassion. 5t would still be an endeavour to be very proud of.
Which is to say, that what annoys me most about this video is that these doctors are doing something so amazing, and reflecting the most beautiful aspects of Islam, but they are not done justice here. They deserve something far better.
One more potentially offensive aside: If for no other reasons than simply PR, that group needs more women if it is looking to overcome various negative stereotypes.
I can’t comment on why the video was made (I don’t know) but I posted it for the benefit of Muslims as I think it offers us a very good example of how we should interact with the broader community. i.e. that we should work to enrich society such that if Muslims were not to be present, people of all faiths or no faith at all would consider society poorer for that. I think, regardless of your points about how the video was made, that this is still worthwhile and it benefits Muslims to be shown examples of excellence from our co-religionists.
I didn’t post it as PR for non-Muslims because, quite obviously, it will take a lot more than a Muslim-operated clinic in South Central Los Angeles to convince people especially when their day to day experience with or observation of Muslims may be completely different to that.
With regards to your points, I didn’t notice that the video was overly ‘preachy’ but I’m probably viewing it from a slightly different perspective to you. If I was to look at it as a secular, non-Muslim Australian, it might appear to be ‘promoting Islam’ but then, like those secular non-Muslim Australians that recognise the good work of the equally religiously inspired Salvation Army, they might also be able to see that religion has motivated these people to do some good (even if they might disagree with that religion or religion in general). Is that beneficial? Probably if it means that some balance — albeit small — has been provided to the overwhelmingly negative view that some people may have of Islam and Muslims.
I understand Lala’s position, religion(any religion) has such a poor image that to mention it maybe counterproductive. But there is a confident, assertive faith based effort which Americans will recognise as very much their own way of doing things.
Self evidently the project is well beyond a PR exercise, it appears to be too well organised, funded and staffed. Also, it must have some level of external audit if it is allowed to train medical students.
I get the impression, that they use it to fund-raise. To run a free clinic in a country where healthcare is so expensive, must require a lot of funds, mostly charitable. I get the feeling that it is exceptionally well organised.
Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
Hope you are in the best of health, highest of Emaan.
You guys are doing an amazing job; I make du’a for you all & if you every need help; please contact me.
Jazakallah khir.
Arfan Ali
Programme Manager.
arfan.ali@islamchannel.tv
www.islamchannel.tv
Islam Channel
14 Bonhill Street,
EC2A 4BX
Tel:0207-374-4511
Fax:0207-374-4602
Good prodcution thats for sure. Well done…
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