A one-day workshop for youth leaders of major Muslim community organizations in the southern Indian state of Kerala was turned into a brainstorming session on how to disseminate the message of peaceful coexistence in a pluralistic society to the grass root level at a time of growing intolerance, and prepare community members to identify the potential challenges and develop a positive and productive approach in addressing them.
A media seminar, addressed by senior journalists of leading newspapers in the state, was the major highlight of the event, organized by the Kozhikode-based Goodwill Foundation in collaboration with the Chair for Islamic Studies and Research at the University of Calicut at Mareena Residency in Kozhikode last Saturday.
Advocate P.V. Zainuddin, member of the Kerala State Waqf Board and leader of Indian Union Muslim League, inaugurated the workshop, which was an eye opener to the message of peace and harmony as propounded by the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) through the ages. The delegates summed up that the workshop tended to serve the purpose of a lighthouse in orienting the confused youth toward the right direction in the contemporary context where Islam is stigmatized and terrorized globally by a section of people with vested interests, and some young men being lured into the trap of Daesh (the so called IS) and other terror outfits.
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Prof. A.P. Abdul Wahab, chairman of Kerala State Minority Development Finance Corporation, inaugurates the media seminar. — Courtesy photos[/caption]The opening session was presided over by Dr. A.I. Rahmatullah, visiting professor of the university’s Islamic Chair. Main speakers at the workshop were Rashid Gazzali, executive director of SIGN HR development and research center, Dr. P.T. Abdul Aziz, principal of Sir Syed College, Talipparamba, and Vinod Mitran, lead trainer of Smart Mumbai. In his inaugural speech, Zainuddin underscored the need for re-identifying the priorities by the leaders for the sake of the community’s broader interests. “There should be a shift in priorities from frivolous things to the focal and most pressing issues. Avoid extravagance in marriage and other events and pool more energy and money for the much sought after socio-economic-educational uplift of the community,” he said.
Addressing the session, Rahmatullah dealt with major activities of the Islamic Chair, especially in organizing programs that are beneficial to the community in enlightening and empowering its members especially in tackling challenges and addressing vital issues facing them in a positive and creative way, besides enabling them to contribute significantly to the nation building process as well as to build bridges of communal amity and cohesion.
Speaking on the topic of “The aesthetics of leadership,” Gazzali, an international trainer, explained the qualities that a leader must have to impress and attract a following. “An ideal leader has to tackle successfully three phases —misunderstanding, inquiry and verification. Those who fail to pass through these phases can’t leave a lasting impact on the group he heads,” Gazzali said, adding that broadmindedness, caliber to overcome hurdles, self-esteem, endurance and undying willpower are some of the qualities of a good leader.
In an interactive brainstorming session titled “Social reading of the leadership,” Abdul Aziz, together with the delegates, identified the major challenges and vital issues faced by the Indian Muslim community. The session came out with well-thought out viable solutions for these issues with the involvement of all segments of the community. In the session on the “Methodology of leadership,” Vinod Mitran enlightened the delegates with a powerful presentation on various qualities of a successful leader. M.V. Mohammad Saleem (Lahore Garden, Jeddah), P.P. Abdul Rahiman, Abdullahkoya Kannankadavu, P.T. Moosakkoya, Siddeeque Kuttikkattur, and Umar Cheruppa also spoke on the occasion.
A seminar on “Approach of media toward minorities” was the major highlight of the event. The seminar was inaugurated by Prof. A.P. Abdul Wahab, chairman of Kerala State Minority Development Finance Corporation. Dr. Ismail Maritheri of Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz University and chairman of Goodwill Foundation, presided over the event. Those who addressed the seminar included K.F. George (Malayala Manorama), M.P. Suryadas (Mathrubhumi), N.P. Chekkuty (Thejas), A. Sajeevan (Suprabhatham), P.P. Abubacker (Desabhibani), and Hassan Cheruppa (Saudi Gazette).
The speakers highlighted the holistic role of the media in fostering democratic and secular values and fighting communalism, the scourge of terrorism and social evils. They called on the media to stand by the marginalized and weaker sections of the society in upholding their legitimate rights and countering injustice and abuse being meted out to them. Both the print and electronic media should shoulder their responsibility as a watchdog of democracy and secularism in India’s pluralistic society, the seminar said while voicing concern over the growing tendency of spreading biased and prejudiced news stories as part of unethical practices of some satellite channels to increase rating and serve ulterior designs.
“The media persons should be wary and utmost vigilant to safeguard the values of the fourth estate at a time when the tendency on the part of corporate giants to misuse the media for their vested interests is growing unabated,” the speakers said.
Nearly 70 delegates representing various organizations such as Samastha Kerala Sunni Students Federation, Sunni Yuvajana Sangam, Kerala Nadwatul Mujahideen, Ittihadu Shubbanil Mujahideen, Solidarity, Muslim Educational Society and Muslim Service Society participated in the sessions.
Goodwill Foundation’s General Secretary P. Zikandar welcomed the gathering while Treasurer Basheer Baderi proposed a vote of thanks. Goodwill Foundation came into being on Aug. 13, 2014 as an effective platform for leading, guiding and enlightening the Indian pluralist society in general and the Muslim community in particular through putting into practice groundbreaking plans and programs especially those for empowering the community, fostering communal amity and striving for uplift of minorities and weaker sections. The formal inauguration of the foundation was made by Panakkad Sayyid Hyderali Shihab Thangal, a towering Muslim leader and president of the Kerala chapter of Indian Union Muslim League on Aug. 2, 2015.
