January 22, 1999

Muslim Journal

"Building the Community and Family"

Imam W. Deen Mohammed

Q What should Masajid and Imams focus on to help strengthen the family?

IWDM: We all should focus on including in our propagation efforts and program agenda for the Imams and leaders the needs of families in this critical time for families in America and in the world. We should focus on what kind of support they need from us after looking at the kinds of influences that are coming from the outside: The streets, the gangs, drugs, illegal houses of sins, publications of pornographic materials.

The church sees such corruption as problems and issues. We have to be aware that we must do the same. We live in a society with a free enterprise system, and as such, the law will not outlaw many things G-d outlaws. The masjid and its leaders must have a feel for what is needed in our members to increase their awareness and level of consciousness in order to be alert for such dangers.

If something cruel comes in the mail (pornographic material), the parents will be alert and it will never reach the hands of the children. This is very necessary in seasons of moral decadence.

If there are undesirable businesses trying to open up in our neighborhoods, the level of consciousness should be such that the Muslims (or others) will alert the neighborhood or the block and get support to force it to seek establishment somewhere else. By that, I mean it's illegal under G-d, not necessarily under the law of the land.

In many cities they have these hard-core pornographic films for rent or viewing and some citizens are aware, and they force them to keep that stuff out of the residential areas. Sometimes the poorly educated don't have that protection. There may be a place on 46th Street, or maybe near the corner and you and your child live on 46th Street or near the corner, and you and your child will be exposed to corrupting influences.

We must be alert for the opening of taverns (and package good stores). We must be aware that our families need to live in areas where they don't have to pass by a drunk hanging out on the street corner, just because there are so many taverns and places to buy alcohol. The influence of the growth of such places have put drunks all over some neighborhoods. When very poor, we (my family) had to reside in such places.

There are many concerns, and we ought to take up the whole concern for families in order to have more protection against influences that demoralize the family and invite the youngsters to criminal life.

If drug pushers come in the area and tell the youngster that he can have a luxury car and wad of money in his hand, that is a great temptation. We should be alert to protect our families and stop that, before it gets close enough to our youngsters to affect them.

We must keep it at a distance (away from them). If all Americans were alert
like this, there would not be much of a place for those people who peddle pornography and drugs in our neighborhood. They would have to go outside of America.