programmed-oriented Dakwah? a hope for SRC

Alhamdulillah, just last week the Student Representative Council of IMS Bangalore had successfully organized the first ever Islamic Youth Symposium (IsYS). It is said that this is going to be the template programme for the IMS students in the upcoming years. It is undoubtedly a dakwah programme for the students, aiming in general to gain Islamic awareness amongst the students despite of the busy routine as a medical students.
Again undoubtedly it is a good programme, but yes of course there are yet many rooms to be improved. I am here wanting to raise one concern for all of us to think. Strictly, this is not a critique upon the IsYS programme (why must I critique? I am one of the think tank behind this programme after all hehe).
My concern fall upon the way we perceive dakwah. Must we wait for a programme then only we say we are doing dakwah? Must there be a specific formal programme for us to do dakwah? Isn't dakwah a continuous process? I'm only raising a concern here for all of us to think.
Hopefully those in the SRC realize that as leaders we are the vicegerent of Allah, we replace the duty of the prophets to bring human beings bowing, submitting to the One God. Alhamdulillah and InsyaAllah I am putting my trust to those who lead me. May God always lead you guys and not letting you guys fall astrayed. Ameen.....

.....................................................a hope for a brighter IMS.......................................................................

How are we establishing IMAM India SC?

IMAM India SC is yet a dream but this dream is in a progress. How far are we in the progress? The idea began to move when my senior here in IMS Bangalore began to contact Dr Latiff, president of IMAM. Then she began looking for those who have the same idea and ambition of seeing IMAM a reality, and call them out for a short meeting.

Then a meeting was held between six people. Those people are me myself, my fellow brother Farid Nazmi, Nur Asilah, Syazlin, Kak Nisa known better as Ken among the seniors, and Farha, better known as Aha. From the meeting we came out with our very first baby step which is to establish a protem committee. The committee is officially and temporarily lead by me. Then the names have been sent to central IMAM office in Malaysia and from thereupon IMAM India is virtually established and recognized by the central IMAM.

Then our next step was to approach leaders in other medical institutions. As a matter of fact there are list of medical institution infested by Malaysian students all over the South India region. The list are as below:
1. IMS Bangalore
2. Melaka Manipal Medical College, Manipal
3. Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore
4. Belgaum Dental College, Belgaum Karnataka
5. Salem Dental College, Tamil Nadu
6. Davangere Dental College, Davangere Karnataka
7. JJM Medical College, Davangere Karnataka (coming soon)
The highest student population is in Bangalore, Manipal and Mangalore. Since Mangalore is only two hours from Manipal we chose to approach the leaders in Manipal and Mangalore first. Hence me and Farid went to Mangalore and Manipal meeting the leaders beside accompanying an Ustaz from Aman Palestine to give talk to students in Manipal.

After the Aman Palestine talk in Manipal, me, Farid and leaders from Mangalore and Manipal went for an informal kedai kopi meeting. From there on we arrived to a conclusion and agreement that every institution must have their own protem committee. The leader from Mangalore, Alimin whom a third year medical student agree to provide 4 protem committee members. Leader from Manipal, Khairil promise to give me names but doesn't specify how many of them will be in the committee.

In the proceeding stage, I myself called Dr Latiff and reported to him the progress so far. Then he gave me an order to begin the real roll balling of IMAM India by running a small weekend programme. In order to do this a proper committee must be formed and it has been agreed that a temporary committee will be selected first without the course of democracy. This is done in effort to promote and henceforth attract students to join IMAM India SC.

So far the progress upon launching this programme has not been discussed yet due to exam constrain. And I am yet to receive any names from Manipal also due to the exam constraint. At 11 June, Alimin will be coming to Bangalore to sit and discuss with Bangalore committee members upon taking the next step. InsyaAllah, may Allah bless upon what we are doing and May Allah bestow upon us an easy path void of exterminating problems. InsyaAllah... all gives prayers and work it out with knowledge. These comes with unprecedented Knowledge and Work. InsyaAllah.

IMAM India SC... yet a dream in progress

It was an idea shared in common by many especially those who frequent the surau. Regardless whether the person comes from bangalore or mangalore, the idea comes to a meeting point. I believe the idea has been circulating around for years. But none comes forward to initiate it until one day a girl from bangalore urges a few person who has been talking these idea around without action to come and meet. It's the idea of forming IMAM India Student Chapter. Finally insyaAllah the idea is on the move, progressing at a fast rate.

IMAM which stands for Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia has been donned as a successful platform for Malaysian muslim medical related course students to fulfill their activism needs. IMAM has a humble beginning which seeds out from the idea of 5 muslim doctors back in the 1980's. Since then it has spurred out to become a large NGO gathering muslim doctors all over Malaysia, running Muslim agendas through professionalism.

Now that IMAM has student chapters all over the world; UK, Ireland, Russia, and Chezch Republic. I am not so sure whether IMAM has their wing in Egypt or not. However now we are about to see the emergence of IMAM's wing in India. I reserve my will to exaggerate this as there are still many obstacles ahead. We are still at the very seed of its establishment.

Let us first peek into the scenario in India. Malaysian population here in India has its own niche. Firstly its interesting to note that there are nearly a thousand Malaysian students scattered here in the region of South India. This number is expected to be growing as provisionally, Malaysian government are sending more students to India. This scenario can be credited to the fact that the cost is much lower and it is said that the quality of the graduates are better.

Secondly, due to geographical constraints and facility defects in India, students from different institutions are much disconnected to each other. This brought us to a scenario where students from different institutions tend to mind their own business rather than getting together for a beneficial gathering of any cause. In simpler words, Malaysian students in India in general are not united.

In effect to the fact that students are not generally united I observed that students in India are not much exposed to extracurricular activism that can help them to develop awareness that they are not becoming doctor for no clear reason; that can help them to realize that they are actually has dive into a profession so challenging and interesting that they can't afford to merely pass the course. There are something extracurricular that they must pursue in preparing themselves in becoming a real good doctor. I believe that these extracurricular factors are not being served to students in normal Indian classroom routines.

Hence come the IMAM idea to propel and fill up this vacuum. The main idea is to help students realizing at least their purpose of becoming doctors. Besides I am also hopefuls that this organization will be able to spark off the spirit of volunteerism among the medical students which is in my belief is an important niche of a good Muslim doctors. Inevitably, if IMAM were to be a reality one day this will be the first organization that really gathers Malaysia students to one point; and in fact this meeting point is a very beneficial one as it is based on the spirit of medical professionalism not merely empty hari raya fun.

As I said before, it's an idea shared by many who has been indirectly inspired by their colleagues in the western world. Now only we came to spark off the propeller's engine. The jet has not yet moved but the engine has been started. The roll balling of IMAM India will start with a simple weekend program. This program will mark the real emergence of IMAM as an effective organisation gathering Muslim Malaysian Medical students in India. InsyaAllah I'm optimistic to see a new dawn in India.