Religious scholars hold a revered place in Islam. As God-fearing keepers of knowledge, they are amongst those who are especially blessed by Allah. They are mentioned in the Quran and even referred to as “inheritors of the Prophets” in Hadith.
However, this reverence and status come with an immense responsibility. Scholars are expected to truly practice what they preach – fulfill the rights of Allah (SWT) AND other human beings, be an example of piety, abide by the law, offer refuge and solace to people during life calamities, and have arguably one of the most difficult attributes of all, be in control of their Nafs. Indeed, it is not an easy task which is why not everyone is a religious scholar.
In North America and other places where Muslims are a minority, the role of scholars becomes even more crucial as they often serve as representatives of Islam in the entire society. Therefore, when a scholar is found to be of a poor or criminal character, whether within the boundaries of the masjid or in the law courts, it shakes the community to the core. Recent events involving the Imam of a local mosque now convicted of sexual assault and serving prison time have led to a tsunami of emotions within the Muslim community.
There is shock and disbelief that someone who gave sermons at the pulpit in a masjid and taught the words of Quran and hadith to people, including minors, was capable of such a heinous act; grief for the survivor whose life was forever changed; fear about what we do not know and perhaps the loudest emotion of them all: rage and anger over the lack of empathy and support for the victim when she came forward to community leaders, over the lack of transparency by community leaders about the events and over the insufficient checks and balances for religious leaders like Imams in our religious organizations.
There are also the less-talked-about effects of this horrible incident. This was a trigger for some of us who have survived sexual harassment or sexual assault within our houses, our workplaces or organizations where we volunteered. Many of us made the painful choice of staying quiet for reasons known only to us, some of us confided in someone and told them to keep it a secret, and very few of us sought justice. Regardless of the choice, the journey has been painful, and hearing about a fellow survivor just rips the bandage and exposes the wound again.
It is important to acknowledge all these feelings and emotions, as raw as they might be, pouring over telephone calls, social media posts and within the family rooms of the household. As a community and as individuals, we clearly know that we can’t stop what we can’t talk about. Through these various conversations, the community is communicating its needs loud and clear. Community organizations, regardless of their scale, ought to or have started to recognize the dire need to give full attention to these needs, assess them and put together a well-informed plan to address them and follow-through with full transparency. There are many avenues to consider, including:
– Review of hiring practices in local masjids
– Review of employment contracts and need for
criminal checks
– A renewed commitment to transparency and
accountability at all levels
– Inclusion and better representation of
women, youth, newcomers, and other under-
represented members of the community
– Improved awareness about social programs
This is not easy for anyone, let alone volunteering board members who may not have the tools or experience to approach a multi-faceted problem of this magnitude. However, no one is demanding change while serving as bystanders. There are many individuals in the community who are willing to come forward and help community organizations. It is time to seriously consider these offers of help and be cognizant that to make meaningful changes, we have to embrace our fears of losing control and authority.
The community needs to heal and recover and this recovery will not be possible until concrete changes are made, clearly communicated, and reinforced on an ongoing basis. The process will require increased patience, humility, and understanding from all of us but we absolutely owe it to ourselves and our future generations to honestly give it all we have got.
Laisa lil insana illa ma sa’a” There is nothing for man
except what he strives for.
(Surah Najm verse 39)
