Monday, June 01, 2009

Back to posting, more heresies for everyone :)

Alright, I haven't been posting for bajillion years and I know that's not right. I apologize. Indeed, I haven't been posting but I was definitely thinking and I have a load of heresies to go around. I will try to pace myself and, God willing, post two heresies every week.

As I toned down my work with organizations I was active with and reflected upon my life and my life goals, I realized that what I really think I need is a community with no organizational strings attached. I don't need an organization for my own personal development but I need a healthy environment to live in. I don't fear for my identity or spirituality if I am not part of a bigger organization, to the contrary, being alone helped me great deal but I need a social life that reflects my values. What I need to create is a community for activists to network, exchange ideas and socialize. A community for peer-to-peer support, a healthy one though. I need an all welcoming environment without any "pre-existing conditions". I feel we all need a community, drama-free, that helps fulfill the very basic needs, from prayers, emotional support to marriage and counseling. Such a community can only be created at a local level and these local communities can network with each other nationally. This community of activists energizes them to invest all their activism energy in all different fields.

I believe we should serve our country through existing mainstream organization and if we find that there is a need not served by an existing organization, we should form one but it should be mainstream as well. By mainstream, I mean open for all citizens equally.

That's my dream and my heresy.

5 comments:

For today....Woman of the World! said...

Agreed. i did a similar thing. and it was great...but you'll suffocate if you don't get out and mingle every once in a while. Also you're organizational strings (although cut) will drag behind you for a while. and it's not a bad thing, but just no it's going to linger.

Ayman said...

yup, you are right. I call this lingering, the de-institutionalization phase. And yes, I need to get out and mingle and that's why I believe I need to create such a community.

Dunia said...

I agree whole heartedly!! When I moved, I felt the same thing - that we need sincere ways to love and help one another without organizational ties. I spoke to a few people in the Bay Area a few weeks ago who felt the insincerity of interacting on a personal level within an organization, rather than naturally allowing it to happen and working on it as a duty to God. We need to love and interact with all people, by default it seems you just prioritize those that live close-by.

MID said...

I think that we have to be careful not to go from one extreme to another. I love the local emphasis on the engagement part. the challenge is how to get involve with organizations in the community at large but continue to grow and become a civic leader driven by a passion to serve Allah and the world that He created.

Ayman said...

I agree as well. Extremes are not good. I believe that the evolution of any structure has to be organic, not forced. I also believe that networking can be so effective that yields better results than some establishments. I believe that it's more powerful to come together as independent entities having mutual interest and goals rather than coming together committed to an organization.