Ethics

A Prophetic Hadith says: "Whoever wakes up without giving much consideration to the Muslim's affairs is not a Muslim."

This is a wider call toward giving much importance to the Muslim's affairs, wherever they might be. This consideration is not only achieved in feeling pain for their sufferings nor becoming happy with their happiness, rather it includes anything that can make their spiritual and material life better: "The example of Muslims in their love and mercy is like that of a body that can be sick sharing the sickness with other parts." This social Islamic membership in love, affection and mercy will not allow the hand to say: "Well, I am ok so the pain of the other body doesn't concern me." It will not allow the eyes to say: "There is nothing to bother me since it is the leg that is suffering", no it is not like this. The relationship is such that it will have effect on every part of the body.

Based on this, the principle of enjoining good and prohibiting evil is not only limited in calling toward moral reform and fighting social evils, rather, it comprises our responsibility, as Muslims, in making a stand in the whole issue of reform and all evils. We must reform all evils using different methods and abilities, as well as, encouraging the reformed one in order for him to be firm on his stand. Here, we can forward this question to ourselves: Tell me what is your least stand…because a youth who doesn't have a stand is just like a feather in the air; it is not stable rather, it is the air that leads it to every evil and misguidance.

If this young fellow, who is sacrificing his life for the purpose of rescuing his people from the injustice of an unjust ruler in a limited and selffish way thinks and says: It has nothing to do with what belongs to people, no people have been liberated nor any force of darkness has been defeated.

If you kept quite in seeking justice and refrain from defending the rights of the oppressed, you are helping injustice indirectly. It is said: "Whoever keeps quite against injustice is a worse devil."

What was called the 'Political Road' contains a large number of youth; a political responsibility requires that the youth must have a say in all affairs. Many a time, the participation of the youth in demonstrations and protests changed the path and he movement here and there. Indeed, your sound is your responsibility…have you not seen how it can help if you give it to a wrong or unjust path? Then, why do not you give it to justice, right and freedom? Are not you a Muslim who is responsible for fighting oppressors and helping the oppressed? "Be harsh to the oppressor and a helper to the oppressed."

Maybe sanctioning the goods of the occupiers (like the Zionist) cannot be effective on their economy, but it is a great stand…it represents the culture of presence, because sanctions here and there can make the effect wider and harm the enemy more. Therefore, the way of discharging political responsibility follows different channels: One is (consciousness) and a political awareness on what is going on here and there that includes planning, slogans, conferences and other movements both domestic and international.

Then (political presence) in the sense that the youth might have their own opinion in their society's affairs both the present one and the future ones, being a part that can never be separated from the society. A political writer has said: "Retiring from public activities by an Arab is a disaster for the society ."

Also, political responsibility calls us toward purifying political activities from lying, controversy, playing with slogans and treason. That is, we must work in order to give politics its moral being. We should not regard depending on forbidden evil as a way to achieve our political goals. No doubt it is a complicated responsibility that can be shouldered by many, but keeping the youth far from it, due to this reason, may make it more complicated, because this can be like releasing the anchor of a ship that can make the ship more closer to sinking.

But on the part of the media, there is no basis for the saying that there is a young media. Even what is said in the mass media concerning youth affairs doesn't fully touch on their affairs. It is either against Muslim youth's morals and his culture, values and behavior, or it will be a guidance to the right path. However, the programs relayed by satellite televisions portray the condition of separation between introductory matters and the gains of the youth where he cannot see himself.

Maybe he may find programs on music, sports and other subjects, but it hardly finds a place in the society or pay attention to his problems or an established program of taking him out of it or a firmed culture that gives much consideration to his personality. The media responsibility of a youth is based on criticizing this media. Not only should they forward their complaints to the newspapers and magazines in those western mass media, who are proud of broadcasting youth programs that give much emphasis of sexual stimulants, but they should request that they correct their programs for the benefit of the whole youth population.

The lack of complaints toward those mass media will only encourage them to widen their activities and programs, and, likewise, the broadcasting of pure programs and competing with those evil stations or internet sites might open a way for a youth toward knowledge and understanding. The problem is not from the youth, himself, rather, it is from those who are taking care of his media affairs. Because as we know, if a youth found a nice station that cares about his social affairs and plays a vital role in that field, no doubt he will stick to it and do away with other evil stations.

Adapted from the book: "Youth Aspiration Towards Responsibility" by:  "Al Balagh Foundation"