This refers to the article, “Muslim Participation or Participating as Muslims” (Radiance, 24-30 May, 2009). The write-up is otherwise a nice mix of “analysis and suggestions”. The author at one hand suggests two very precious points, e.g. (1) ‘Self Discovery’, and (2) ‘Inviting all human beings to Divine Guidance’. But on the other hand he gives no room to the Point 2 above in his 3-point formula of ‘Participating as Muslims’. This happened probably due to looking upon the very ‘Muslim dilemma’ from a populist ‘Muslim-centric’ angle.
The occurrence of this lapse obviously points out to the need of a more realistic (and of course imperative) change in Muslim psyche. And as such he suggests an altogether ‘third’ field of Muslim activism beyond ‘participation’ and ‘participating’, and that is ‘Dawah’, which has been presented in the Qur’ān as obligatory upon the Ummah, giving it a special and distinct status among all other nations of the contemporary world.
Z.A. Mansoorie
New Delhi