US Muslim scholar calls for forward looking leadership
LAHORE: Dr Aslam Abdullah, a US-based research scholar and director of both the Islamic Society in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Muslim Electorates Council of America, read his paper on Leadership Skills Needed to Transform the Self and the Society on Friday at the Iqbal International Institute for Research, Education and Dialogue (IRED).
IRED chief executive officer Dr Riffat Hassan, Egypt-based scholar Dr Fathi Osman, General (r) Mirza Aslam Baig, IRED Communications director Mahmoud Gilani, and students from Punjab University and Kinnaird College were also present. Dr Aslam said that Muslim countries world over needed leaders. He said that Islam emphasised some fundamental qualities in leaders, which are: understanding of internal and external values of the community, acceptance of culture, foresight and the flexibility to adapt society. He said that in order to achieve these leadership skills, Islam has provided three principles: consultation (shura), justice and freedom of expression.
He urged students to develop communication and social skills so that people may accept their future leadership.
Also addressing the students was Dr Riffat Hassan, who said “the pursuit of knowledge is very important for the youth, especially to develop their leadership skills.” She said that five sources of knowledge in the light of Quranic teaching are: revelation, reason, intuition, perception and historical context. She urged the students to play their individual as well as collective role to present the true face of Islam.
The students raised various questions relevant to leadership skills. Later, in his concluding remarks, Dr Fathi Osman said that the existence of different schools of Islamic thought was a positive development, because the Muslim Ummah’s unity does not bank on maintaining a singular viewpoint.
Pertinent Links:
1) US Muslim scholar calls for forward looking leadership
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