The first annual all day youth conference for young men on Saturday, January 10, 2009 was hosted at the Best Western Hotel in Falls Church, VA and attended by 80 young men from high school to college age. The conference was co-sponsored by a number of Somali organizations, Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center, and the Muslim American Society (DC).
Abdia Mohamed, who many organizers have described as “the brain” behind the conference, has been a resident of Virginia since 1981. She has watched the community grow and knows a thing or two about raising children in America, as she has six of her own. She noted that this problem is not unique to Somalis, as many immigrant groups have struggled with the balancing act of integrating into their new home while maintaining a sense of identity and culture. “Our hope is to show the youth that it is possible to build a sustainable sense of self, and model citizenship without compromising their identity,” Mohamed says, “we have to show the youth that their Islam, and Somali-American identity are compatible.”
Dr. Altaf Husain, one of the panelists, echoes Mrs. Mohamed’s sentiment, “Muslim adolescents face tremendous challenges and opportunities growing up in America. Conferences such as this one organized for Somali teenagers in the Metropolitan Washington area provide a forum for the youth to interact with another and to learn about the best practices with regards to thriving as Muslims and as Somalis in America.”
The event featured a panel of long time community activists and motivational speakers such as local leaders Dr. Altaf Husain, who serves as an executive committee member of the Muslim Alliance in North America and Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, the Outreach Director of Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center, as well as Abukar Arman of CAIR Ohio, and Mohamed Dini, the Executive Director of Somali Counseling and Consulting Services in Columbus, Ohio. The event was moderated by Abdulkareem Jama, President of Dar Al Hijrah Islamic Center. The topics ranged from “Maturing to a Faithful and Victorious Mindset” to “Leadership: the Prophetic Method” led by Mohamed Dini and Abukar Arman, respectively.
The most discussed topic was maintaining a sense of Islamic identity, while participating fully in society. Mohamed Dini, a popular speaker at many youth functions, addressed this topic, “the most prominent element is the need to attain a spiritual identity while recognizing the fact that our outset identity as Muslims doesn’t make us anyone’s enemy.
In line with the Quran, everything or everyone ( wild beasts, birds, humans, trees) is part of an ummah, so that should negate the mindset of isolation where one only looks after himself/herself or cuts self from the Jama’ah.” The idea of community and support was another common theme. Upon finishing his talk, Dini sat among the youth to listen to the rest of the speakers himself, “I must say that this was very organized and a diverse pool of talent was showcased. No matter what, there will always be better days, the light will never die off and the Mu’min must care deeply for the human family and those who are close to him/her even deeper.”
Arman’s talk on leadership and the example of the Prophet (SAW) was very fitting for the room full of young men. He discussed the special characteristics of good leaders highlighting sincerity, vision, self-policing and altruism. The participants were given examples of young leaders in Islam’s history that they could embrace as role models.
In his closing remarks, Arman summed up his points with a relevant analogy, “To prevent any chance of loosing his/her sense of direction, a coal miner would wear a lifeline—a rope anchored at the entrance of the mine that he or she wraps around his or her waste in order to feel their way back when its time to come out. The deen is to our youth what the lifeline is to the miner. It is the only way to save their lives and to pull themselves out of the depths of darkness.”
Looking around the room, you could see the significance of this analogy wash over the youth.
Imam Johari led an incredibly interactive workshop, encouraging the boys to speak up as they listed the daily pressures they face, and ways to cope. Participants were apprehensive at first, but soon they were joking with each other and eager to chime in.
As the day moved swiftly along, participants only stopping for prayers and lunch, Imam Johari reflected on the deeper significance of the event, “Their greatest asset is their greatest challenge. As people who have a culture as nomads, the nomad has to be able to adapt to their environment. Somali youth have been able to adapt to the American environment faster than any community I have ever seen. The challenge is will they use the power of their adaptation to live to the standard of their historical legacy, or whether they will succumb as survivors of a refugee legacy?”
The conference ended at 6pm and as participants were picked up by their parents, the organizers were already assessing their impact and beginning to make plans for the next conference. For one of the participants, Abukar Arman, there was a sense of achievement.
“My hope was to find youth of all ages willing to listen and to take part of the messages conveyed to them during the course of the conference and apply on themselves. And, judging from the feedback I received from some of the youth and their parents, I think we, in our own limited capacity, have succeeded in sowing a positive seed.”
The joining together as one to work towards a better community is an idea whose time is now. For anyone interested in joining the network, e-mail sadiaaden@gmail.com.
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