Omar links to this piece – Need It Be Us and Them? – in Islamonline.net that should be read by all Muslims and non-Muslims:
We Muslims are commanded to improve the societies we live in, to enjoin the good and forbid the wrong. It’s not enough to do that just among ourselves. We have to be an active part of our societies, not only to gain our own rights, but to see that right and justice prevail. We should not hide our Islam but carry it proudly like a torch everywhere we go and let others know that we are guided by its principles. Our participation in society does not have to take the form of political involvement-for those who are still “squeamish” on the subject. It might be an active role in the Parent-Teachers Association or volunteer work in any number of areas. The important thing is to work with the non-Muslims around us to improve society (and to try to gradually shape it to our standards).
