“You cannot live a political life, you can’t live a moral life if you’re not willing to open your eyes and see the world more clearly, see some of the injustice that’s going on, try to make yourself aware of what’s happening in the world. And when you are aware you have a responsibility to act, and when you act you have a responsibility to doubt, and when you doubt you can’t get paralyzed. You have to use that doubt to act again and that then becomes the cycle. You open your eyes, you act, you doubt, you act, you doubt. Without doubt you become dogmatic and shrill and stupid, but without action you become cynical and passive and a victim of history and that should never happen.”
Note: Mr. Ayers makes this statement at the end of this interview with Terry Gross on NPR’s Fresh Air.
Is this consistent with the (an) Islamic view of activism? Anyone? Any other thoughts?
Personally, I can admit that I’ve been in a rut for a little while where I am a bit paralyzed by my doubts about what is exactly the right thing to be doing so I’m retreating a bit into study and family…may Allaah (swt) guide all us to do what is right.
Tags: Activism, Bill Ayers
Abu Noor Al-Irlandee 
November 22, 2008 at 2:33 pm |
As salaam wa laikum,
I think Ayers is right here. Not doubting makies you dumb. However, not being active makes you cynical and passive. I don’t know which ones worse. I think nowadays I’m more of the latter and I hate it.
December 1, 2008 at 2:47 am |
I actually listened to this live!
The crime of the Muslims of the past and present! We are supposed to be the nation of commanding good and forbidding evil! Allah spoke of the Nabi (‘alayhis salam) and the Sahabah:
“Thus, have We made of you an Ummat justly balanced, that ye might be witnesses over the nations, and the Messenger a witness over yourselves; …” [2:143]
What kind of sad witnesses are we now!?
January 5, 2010 at 1:13 am |
Bill Ayers speaks the truth.