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221211P - THE YOUTH CHALLENGES AS A CONTEMPORARY ISSUE OF THE UMMAH

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Presented at the International Conference of Islamic Studies held under the theme ‘Contemporary Issues of The Muslim Ummah: Causes And Solutions’ Islamabad 11-12 December 2022. By Professor Omar Hasan Kasule Sr. MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard) Professor of Epidemiology and Bioethics


(DEFINITION)
DEFINITION OF YOUTH: 3 Characteristics (open-minded, strong convictions, act on convictions)


(CHALLENGES)
Challenges for Youths in the IOT Era:

  • The Challenge to Listen.
  • The Challenge to Understand.
  • The Challenge to Analyze.
  • The Challenge to Critique.
  • The Challenge to Synthesize.
  • The Challenge to Act According To Convictions.
  • The Challenge to Act Responsibly.
  • The Challenge to Act In A Balanced Way And Avoid Extremism.

Challenges to the Elders Regarding Understanding the Youth:
  • The challenge is to understand that the youth are a new and different generation with different challenges and roles.
  • The challenge is to understand that the youths are citizens of the world and not of a specific geographical area; they can have ummatic loyalties and not local or national loyalties.
  • The challenge is to understand that some of the knowledge of the elders is no longer true or relevant to the youths.
  • The challenge is to accept that culture (aadaat) changes with time. 

Challenges to the Elders Regarding Understanding the Youth: con’t.
  • The challenge is to understand that tafsir of the Qur’an in applications changes with time.
  • The challenge is to understand that ahkam al shari’at outside ibadat change with circumstances based on ijtihad.
  • The challenge is to understand the limits of the parental tarbiyah and not be disappointed with the results.
  • The challenge is to understand that the youths are living in a rapidly changing technological, social, and economic environment with limited predictions of the future course.

Joint Challenges to the Youths and the Elders:
  • The challenge of demographic transition: late/no marriage, low birth rates, more elderly citizens requiring support, and different disease and disability profiles.
  • The challenge of changing family dynamics: smaller families, nuclear vs extended family, both parents working, hired care for children and the elderly, higher divorce rates.
  • New societal values due to the consumerist society.
  • The challenge of mass media and social media.