RE: growing activism

Salaams all,
What an interesting set of issues.  I really struggle with this
one---but, thinking about it, the struggle hasn't resulted in answers to
the question I asked.  This is what I mean:  I started with a naive and
reflexive idea of what was good to do in the world, but pretty quickly
my identity, and the identities of the people around me were all tied up
in that work.  At best, big egos aside, I ultimately believed that I
could determine what Big J "Justice" was and that I had the capacity to
not only to effect the changes that were Just, but also monitor the
level of success achieved.  
But then I burned out.  And for a variety of reasons, mostly personal,
realized that I could no longer be trusted to make decisions in my life.
But neither could any other person.  So I was totally, nakedly
confronted with my absolute need to ask God for guidance.  At some point
during all of this I read the story of Khidr and Mussa (peace be upon
them both), and I read it for the first time with some doubt about my
own ability to intuit or know the right thing to do.  I guess I mean I
read it for the first time with some humility.  And it became so
interesting to me that Mussa (p), the one who "spoke with God" didn't
have a clue what this wise man Khidr was up to with all of that building
a wall, killing a boy, sinking a boat nonesense.  He, prophet that he
was, talking with God though he did, had no concept of the greater
justice that Khidr had been given by God to do in each of those
situations.  And, if I remember correctly, Khidr was explicit that his
own knowledge, in each of those situations where he did those wacky
things, was circumscribed by what God allowed him to know so that he
could carry out what was given him to do.
And, remember, the other part of this story is that Mussa is compelled
at every seeming injustice committed by Khidr to speak up, in violation
of the vow he made not to ask any questions of Khidr, but only to follow
him around and figure out why God called him wise.  Khidr doesn't
actually boot Mussa for these violations until the very end--Mussa after
all is only enjoining justice as far as he can see.  But that's just
it---Mussa, the blessed Mussa---couldn't see anything God didn't give
him to see.  He had none of the information that Khidr had to have to
fulfill his very own personal God-given mission.  But we know Mussa was
a prophet, and that he was talking to God.  I can only assume that he
had whatever information he needed to fulfill _his_ very own personal
God given mission as well. 
Am I remembering right that God sent Mussa on this journey with Khidr
after he claimed to be the wisest man on earth?  I don't remember if
that's just a story or if it's in the Qur'an.  In any event, the
implication of the story is clear.  Even this great prophet, sent to
lead a people out of slavery knew only what he knew, and not what Khidr
knew, and certainly, then, not what God knew, even about the justice and
injustice of a matter directly in front of him. 
I found this story totally fascinating: my obligation to enjoing justice
and work against injustice are clear.  Mussa and Khidr are my examples.
But it is also clear that each of us has a limited concept of justice,
can't and don't know the larger picture.  We are both bound to do what
we can and surrender what we can't or don't know, or can't and don't
control, including what seem like "failures."  And, like Mussa, we are
bound to trip over our egos when we believe for a moment that we are
working for a justice defined by us, or that we are wise.  I think maybe
we become wise, instead, by carrying out the miniscule piece of justice
put in front of us, knowing that what we have is a piece in a great big,
incomprehensible puzzle.  And for the puzzle our piece is, at the same
time neccessary but insufficient, and also completely unnecessary in the
majesty of Allah.  But that's a whole other topic.
With love
Sofia

-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of
inas younis
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2004 8:23 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [Progressivemuslimsnetwork] growing activism



Salams Vana,

The measure of an activists progress is directly proportional to the
motivations of the activists.  If the motivation is fuled by a need to
see concrete change, then only if and when that change takes effect will
their efforts be redeemed.  Ie.  WOMANS SUFFRAGE. 

However,  I suspect that for many, activisim is motivated by the need to
identify with something greater then yourself, and to do so in some
tangible measurable way.  Ie.  writing, counselling, marching. 

the measure of postive change,  when the  motivation is self
identification is sometimes counterintuitive.  ie.   The need  to feel
that  you are all the more greater because of your humble efforts.  Some
people's  entire identity is shaped by some greater cause to the extent
that success is sometimes sabatoged with pessimism.. IE .. FREEDOM
FIGHTERS.  

The question becomes not .. WHAT PROGRESS AM I MAKING ?  but WHO AM I,
IF NOT AN ENVIRONMENTALIST,  A POLITICIAN , A HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST
ETC.. 

That is why I believe it is important for people to nourish more then
one aspect of thier personality so that the activism does not become the
only measure of who they are.  When that happens, progress is measured
by how much worse things are then how much better they have become.  

So your question has a relative answer, depending on the agenda and who
is espousing it, and whether you are using a personal or objective
yardstick for measurment. 



>From: Vana Lopez 
>Reply-To: [email protected] 
>To: [email protected] 
>Subject: [Progressivemuslimsnetwork] growing activism 
>Date: Thu, 26 Feb 2004 08:55:27 -0800 (PST) 
> 
>Salaam, 
> 
>I am wondering how those of you who are activists on a 
>large(r) level know when what you are doing is 
>useful/working?  I'm coming at this from the 
>perspective of the smallest.  Give 1 person some food 
>& he is not hungry for a day, shelter and not out in 
>the elements for the night.  It is very clear what is 
>working at that level. it is easy to see if someone 
>stops drinking or stops using drugs. it is easy to see 
>if someone hasn't killed themself. 
> 
>As the target of the activist increases past the very 
>small, how do you know if your meetings, speeches, 
>protests, etc., are doing any good?  How do you 
>measure it? Is it a "feeling" thing?  Is it a level of 
>opposing intensity measurement? Is it the 
>acknowledgment of others like yourself? 
> 
>I see this as somewhat separate from the "do the right 
>thing" need that we probably all have in that I think 
>that the "right thing" is irrespective of 
>outcome--more of us having a whiff maybe of what God 
>has put us here on earth to do. 
>wondering, Vana 
> 
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