Da’wah To Japanese Muslim Youth : Experience Of The Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP)
Many Japanese Muslim youth born and raised in Japan fail to practice Islam due to a lack of proper education in Islamic subjects, strong peer influence and huge societal pressure to conform. This research aimed to describe the functions of the Cultural Exchange Programme; explain the experiences of...
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| Summary: | Many Japanese Muslim youth born and raised in Japan fail to practice Islam due to a lack of proper education in Islamic subjects, strong peer influence and huge societal pressure to conform. This research aimed to describe the functions of the Cultural Exchange Programme; explain the experiences of Japanese Muslim youth enrolled in the Cultural Exchange Programme; and examine the impact of the Cultural Exchange Programme on the Japanese Muslim youth and therefore, the suitability of the Al-ta’āruf Concept for future da’wah programmes. This research project employs an ethnographic qualitative method of inquiry by non-participant observation and in depth interviews with open-ended questions. A focus of this thesis is on the experiences of nine Japanese Muslim youth hosted on a short-term basis by Muslim host families in Malaysia. The findings indicate that the Cultural Exchange Programme internalised all seven stages implicit in the Concept of Al-ta’āruf : 1) Tahāwur (dialogue); 2) Ta-’arūf (mutually knowing, mutually interacting); 3) Ta-‘āyush (to coexist); 4) Tasāmuh (tolerate each other’s differences); 5) Tabādul (exchange of ideas); 6) Ta-’akhī (to associate as brother); and 7) Al-ta’ayush Al-silmīyy (to coexist in peace and harmony). Furthermore, the participants' experiences are outlined into five domains of human connection embedded in Al-ta’āruf : 1) Physical; 2) Intellectual; 3) Emotional; 4) Cultural; and 5) Spiritual. The Cultural Exchange Programme was found to have left a positive impression of life as a practicing Muslim upon all participating Japanese Muslim youth. The impact was due to the Al- ta’āruf process that had taken place, rooted in Islamic tradition of the Ansār-Muhajirin relationship. These themes will be useful for understanding how the Concept of Al- ta’āruf may be explored through intercultural programmes to help strengthen the identity of minority Muslim youth. |
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