Role of Imams
Bridget Kustin Mohammadpur, Dhaka
I am an American researcher working on engagement between development organisations and Imams and the increasingly active role of Imams in community development. In America, misinformation and negative press concerning Islam is widespread--a manifestation of ignorance and arrogance against a backdrop of a misguided crusade against "terror". However, many Americans and I reject this demonisation of Islam, promoting education and critical consciousness instead. Prior to visiting Bangladesh, I countered misinformation about Islam and advocated for the inherent humanity of all, irrespective of religion, with academic and theoretical arguments. But since being welcomed here by scores of Imams as their daughter and sister, the experience has become personal. Personal experience carries a weight unmatched by purely intellectualised arguments.
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