4.12.08

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Raheem 
 
Asalaamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu, 
 
Those who know me will know that I am the mother of three boys. But this summer, a miraculous thing happened: I was blessed with not one, but four new daughters! No, I have not had IVF, nor have we decided to adopt. This summer saw the launch of the Muslimah Enrichment Programme, a summer course designed to aid in the spiritual, intellectual and cultural enrichment of young Muslimahs. 
 
The subject of young Muslimahs is one very close to my heart. I do not have daughters of my own but I have met enough young Muslim teens to feel a kinship with them, a fond memory of myself at that age and an anticipation of a daughter of my own on the cusp of adulthood. I remember the opportunities I had as a youth and weep when I see girls from practising Muslim families whose futures are prescribed for them, through lack of opportunity or lack of exposure to ideas and inspiration.  

I will never forget one sister who doubted the wisdom of teaching her six year old daughter Science and Geography: "What's the point?" she said. "She's just going to be at home anyway." 
 
How many parents have this attitude towards their daughters' education, either openly or secretly? How many parents unwittingly map out their daughters' futures by curtailing their ambitions and stifling their dreams? They must be brought up to be 'good Muslims, wives and mothers'. As if dreaming big, reaching for the sky and achieving excellence, were contrary to what it means to be a good Muslimah. 
 
I know many parents do it 'for their own good': they shelter their girls from the vagaries of life and from the dangers lurking outside the front door. But as the front door closes, no others open up and, in the process, they stifle the potential in each one of them. They come to see Muslim life as a set of restrictions, rather than opportunities; they see limitations where there could be possibilities; they doubt their own abilities rather than pushing themselves to excel. 
 
Of course, this is the situation for a minority of young Muslim girls. The majority, I fear, are left to their own devices, allowed to wade through the mire of modern freedoms and shifting values. Too little freedom is not their problem. 
 
The girls of whom I speak come from religious families: they pray, they wear hijab, they may be homeschooled, or attend a full-time madrassah. They are the Muslimah mothers of tomorrow, bearers and nurturers of the next generation. 
But what happens if they never understand the magnitude of their place in history because no one ever believes in them enough to inspire them to believe in themselves? 
 
Every young person needs a mentor, a guide, an inspiration. It could be a family member, a teacher, a scholar or a community leader. Many of us are in a position to inspire young people - but how many of us are taking it upon ourselves to inspire the teenagers in our midst? Do we talk to them? Do we ask them about themselves, their hopes, their dreams, their ideas? Do we try our best to help those dreams become a reality?  
 
These are the Muslim women of the future. I have high hopes for them. I see them, in my mind's eye, in my fondest dreams, carrying the banner for strong Muslim womanhood, being a shining example, being the pioneers, the vanguard, at the frontline of the Ummah. 
 
Personally, as a Muslimah author, I feel a great responsibility to these young Muslimahs. And I hope my little group of four daughters will bear witness to that and be the start of something amazing. I want to inspire these girls as Muslims: to see their potential as the future of Islam, to open their eyes to the world around them, to opportunities, experiences and ideas they may not have had before. 
 
For, if our youth are not enthused by Islam and its possibilities, if they do not see themselves playing a part in its future, we will lose two of the most precious commodities we have: their hearts and minds. So many young people today are detached, disenfranchised: they see no part for them in the world, no role for them to play, no say in how things are, so they opt out. 
 
Well, I don't believe that opting out is the answer. I believe that, especially in Muslim communities, where parents are honoured and respected, where Islamic values are promoted and held to, our youth should be given a space to find themselves, to grow into their roles as agents of positive change in their communities. 
 
Indeed, the aim of this programme and others like it around the world is to open their hearts and minds to possibilities and, in so doing, enrich their lives and ours. I know mine has been enriched immeasurably by my weekly encounters with my four 'daughters' - and that is something I am enormously grateful for. 
 
Is there a teenager in your life looking for a mentor? Be her inspiration today. 
 
Wasalaam 
 
Na'ima B. 
 
PS. If you are interested in finding out more about our Muslimah Enrichment Programme, log onto http://muslimah-enrichment.blogspot.com/. To see the fruits of the girls' summer labours, check out Silver, their new online magazine for Muslim teens: www.silverteenmagazine.com