Foundation for Progressive Society
Community Centres and Mosques need a new approach.
When the first generation of Muslims arrived in the UK, they established mosques to provide a place to pray in congregation and build communities. Their work has been commendable. However, as generations have passed, the needs of the community have changed. They have established beautiful mosque buildings, but the community is now larger, and its second and third generations have well integrated into local cultures to build a better future.
To maintain their identity and protect their core values, community leaders need to develop systems and strategies. This includes providing cultural education, cultural awareness programmes, and transferring the historical knowledge to the community. These systems can be standardised as there aren’t major differences between different communities and various ethnic groups.
Today, we have seen that young people are affected by various social issues, such as teenagers having relationships before lawfully becoming wedded, addicted to drugs, addicted to computer games, identity crises, and disconnect with their parents’ culture, and the local culture. These issues could affect the very fabric of our communities and families. Therefore, there is no doubt the primary objective of the current leaders is to address these fundamental issues we are facing today, which is beyond these centres have been focusing in the past.
Community organisations and mosques have a much bigger responsibility than just providing a place to pray five times a day, Jumma prayers, and facilitating during the month of Ramadan. As stated above, the primary objective has changed with time. We need to develop programmes and provide platforms that connect with young people and help them to lead the future at religious, community and wider society levels. If we don’t focus on this well enough, there won’t be a future generation to carry on the legacy of our community.
As we all aspire to send our children to the best schools and best universities, we also share a responsibility to ensure that community organisations and mosques have the best talents and resources to provide the necessary services to meet the current needs, which are beyond what has been done by previous generations. Sadly, many Mosques and organisations are currently preoccupied with preserving their personal legacies and friendships, often with narrow-mindedness. People are reluctant to let go of their egos and positions. This culture must change, and new thinking and strategic approaches must be implemented over the next ten to twenty years to ensure that the next generation will protect our core values, culture, and beliefs while integrating into mainstream society to provide service to humanity. CRCD strongly urges all community leaders to seriously develop and refine their strategy, planning, and policies to ensure they are designed to address the needs of the coming decades.