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US Muslim leaders try to counter radicals' influence on their youths | Mosques and Islamic organizations across the United States regularly issue statements rejecting violence and fringe ideologies, but after the arrests of five Americans in Sargodha, Pakistan, on terror-related charges, Muslim leaders in the country have been scrambling to fill what they describe as a gap in their connection with young people. According to the Washington Post, they are searching
for new ways to counter the influence of the extremists whom young people might
encounter, especially online. Till now, many Muslim leaders have focused on what
they considered external threats to young people, such as Islamophobia or the
temptations of modern, secular life. Now, they say it is time to look inward,
to provide a counterweight to those who misinterpret Koranic verses to promote
violence -- and to learn what rhetoric and methods appeal to young people. "I'm
really concerned about what the Internet is doing to my young people. I used to
not be worried about the radicalism of our youth. But now, after this, I'm worried
more," said Mohamed Magid, imam at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society in Sterling.
Magid said he has met in recent years with other Muslim leaders to talk about
social networking to counter radicalism in Europe, "but we never thought about
it for here." Now, Magid said, "I have to be a virtual imam," meaning that Muslim
groups need a larger and more effective online presence. Referring to extremists,
he said: "Twenty-four hours, they're available. I want to be able to respond to
that," he added. Radicals "seem to understand our youth better than we do," said
Mahdi Bray, executive director of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation.
For some, a new approach cannot come too soon. Zaki Barzinji, 20, a Sterling native
and former president of Muslim Youth of North America, said mosques are "sort
of in the Stone Age when it comes to outreach. Their youth programs are not attractive,
not engaging . . . . They're shooting in the dark because it's always adults who
are planning this outreach." Barzinji said, adding that groups of "traveling Muslim
proselytizers" sometimes appear at Virginia Tech, where he is a senior, often
attracting foreign students, who tend to be more socially isolated. "They go to
the dorms, look for Muslim-sounding names, knock on the door and say, 'Hey, we'd
like to talk to you about hellfire and how you're heading that way,' " Barzinji
said. |
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