Youth Invovlment

 

Overview

Youth are the future of Islam in North America, and they deserve the utmost attention of the Muslim community. Many Muslim youth, particularly those completely there post-secondary education, find it difficult to integrate to the masjid as they found themselves cut off from decision making, or find the community is not interested in their services.

The problem is compounded in many communities with immigrant majority, as the style of management and activities does not very often correspond to that acquired by Muslim youth growing up in North America.

Guidelines

• Islamic centers are the best place to build the confidence of Muslim youth, and help them gain the experience they need to project Islam in their daily life.
• Islamic centers should provide programs for both youth education and entertainment.
• Persuasion and setting moral examples, rather than compulsion, should be the essential mode for imparting Islamic values and beliefs to Muslim youth.
• Muslim youth should be allowed to elect their representative(s) to participate in decision making bodies, either as a full members or observers.
• Muslim youth should be allowed to organize their own programs and activities in consultation with the Islamic center executives.

Resources

• Manual for Muslim Youth Extra-Curricular Education
  A detailed plan for organizing a comprehensive weekend and after-school youth education, with goals, session, topic, activity, resources, focal Points, and reading material.
• Administration Structure for Youth Program
  An organizational chart and roster of functions for developing a youth council and executive committee.