How Muslim Schools Fail Us
I removed my daughter from a Muslim school this year. I removed her from the madrasah as well. As a single father, I have a lot on my plate already, so why would I deliberately complicate things even further?
Our local Muslim school has been plagued with issues in recent years. Like so many community endeavours of this kind, it started out with hope and commitment to deliver the clichéd aspiration of world class everything. The parents bought in and contributed as best as they were allowed to, and everyone was hopeful that it would only go from strength to strength in the years to come. Unfortunately, it was quite the opposite.
Mismanagement and an egotistical board of governors meant that decisions of a strategic nature were not strategic, but instead self-serving. As in so many community initiatives, like building mosques to serve the Ummah, after the moneys of the working class are collected, the biggest donors that complete the project wrest away control of the running of the institutions to establish their authority in lieu of their generous donations.
But was it really that generous if the aim was simply to establish themselves as owners of what is essentially a trust of the community? In this case, as I'm sure it is in many cases sadly enough, that arrogance resulted in a total blockade of any meaningful engagement with the parents to the point of totally rejecting any requests to establish a consultative forum for parents to have input in the affairs of the school.
Experienced educators left in droves each year, and were systematically replaced with educators that were easier for the board to control, rather than for their skills or experience. Nepotism is the order of the day, and the arrogance of the board grew with each victory of denying the rights of the parents, until they eventually saw fit to expel the students of any parents that raised concerns about the declining standards of education and the total lack of transparency in the handling of the trust funds for the institution. All without due process I might add.
Unsurprisingly, the inept principal chose to completely ignore me when I visited their offices this morning to confirm my decision to remove my daughter from their school. Instead, they chose to process the administration of my daughter's exit from the school with my daughter who is only 14 years old, and opted not to ask me for my reasons for removing her when she declined to answer their questions.
Living in a non-Muslim country means that recourse in such situations is limited to the secular courts. Muslim leadership is opportunistic at best, and totally absent when tough stances need to be taken against maladministration of Islamic institutions. After all, how can the ulema speak out against the same businessmen that fund their lifestyle?
Segregation of duties is unheard of in such institutions because it all comes down to who has the most political influence, and has nothing to do with who is most competent. For this reason you will see conscientious objectors being evicted from their jobs and replaced by lackeys who are thrilled at the opportunity of being able to serve such masters in exchange for the title of principal or head of such and such department.
We wonder why the Ummah is failing dismally at establishing itself as a beacon of morality or ethics, or why we have failing relationships and abusive spouses? No need to wonder. Look around you and see how much abuse of authority and trust you tolerate in your efforts to appease the wealthy businessmen that abuse the coffers of the community around you. Look at how the conscientious objectors, the ones that dare to speak out against unethical and unprofessional practices are treated and the throngs of despicable title worshippers that stand in line waiting to take their place when the morally corrupt trustees of such institutions replace them because they would rather be surrounded by lapdogs than sincere contributors towards the upliftment of the Ummah.
So why exactly did I remove my daughter from such an institution? I removed her because such behaviour was growing to be normalised in her young impressionable mind. I removed her because I needed her to understand that such unethical behaviour was unacceptable for Muslims. I removed her because it was the only feasible option for an ordinary member of the community who has no political influence or recourse of any sort to object to, and hopefully change the unacceptable practices at an Islamic institution. I removed her because unfortunately this is the only form of protest that is available to me with my limited resources, in a country where religious institutions have been a law into themselves forever. I recall such abuse of power by the trustees in the mosque in the neighbourhood where I grew up and I see the same abuse now, decades later. And I realise that our condition is worsening because those with resources and authority are more inclined to protect their own interests than they are to sacrifice their comforts for the upliftment of the Ummah, except of course when such upliftment comes with the recognition of the masses.
I wonder then, if we take such comfort and celebration from our contributions to such noble causes by putting in such concerted efforts to be seen for our contributions now, what are we really investing in our standing in the hereafter?
May Allah save us from ourselves, and save others from us. Aameen.
