Empowering Muslim Youth Through Developing Argumentation Skills
| Journal | Al-Basirah |
| Title | Empowering Muslim Youth Through Developing Argumentation Skills |
| Author(s) | Faize, Fayyaz Ahmad |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Year | 2017 |
| Pages | 1-13 |
| Full Text |  |
| Keywords | argumentation, critical thinking, Islamophobia, Muslim youth, social media |
| Chicago 16th | Faize, Fayyaz Ahmad. "Empowering Muslim Youth Through Developing Argumentation Skills." Al-Basirah 6, no. 1 (2017). |
| APA 6th | Faize, F. A. (2017). Empowering Muslim Youth Through Developing Argumentation Skills. Al-Basirah, 6(1). |
| MHRA | Faize, Fayyaz Ahmad. 2017. 'Empowering Muslim Youth Through Developing Argumentation Skills', Al-Basirah, 6. |
| MLA | Faize, Fayyaz Ahmad. "Empowering Muslim Youth Through Developing Argumentation Skills." Al-Basirah 6.1 (2017). Print. |
| Harvard | FAIZE, F. A. 2017. Empowering Muslim Youth Through Developing Argumentation Skills. Al-Basirah, 6. |
Abstract
The progress of nations lies in the hands of educated youth. Presently, our Muslims youth are facing numerous challenges. This include western propaganda against Islam as a threat to peace, moral degradation, lacking spirit of inquiry, internet addiction, blind following of western norms and cultures and various kinds of social problems such as violence, gambling and pornography. Our Muslim youth is wandering in identity crises and have forgotten the true spirit of Islam and the achievements of our forefathers. Majority of youth are copying and adopting the western style of life and cultural involvement. One reason for this may be the education system that we have inherited from the colonial masters. This is also replicated by electronic media and the Western propaganda against Islam that we don’t take pride to be staunch Muslims otherwise; we will be blamed as extremists. Our education system has also failed in instilling the spirit of inquiry, critical thinking and moral judgment in our youth. In order to develop the potential of our youth to reform our society and not to be led by baseless beliefs, the role of teaching is very important. With this goal in mind, the students should be empowered through argumentation skills. This requires teaching students through argumentation method by involving/guiding students to make a claim then write justification for their claim and finally counter argument to support their claim. The essence of argumentation is not new as the Holy Qur’ān repeatedly stressed the believers to use their intellect, to critically observe their surroundings and avoid baseless information. Practice with argumentation will help in developing critical skills in our youth and in making informed decisions. They would not blindly follow western norms and would be able to answer western propaganda through solid arguments and valid justifications.