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The search for the Young Muslim Achievers is now on its Third Year, through the Ten Outstanding Muslim Youth (TOMY) Awards. Nominations are being accepted now, and the deadline is May 31, 2007. This is our way of praising the excellent achievers, not the scoundrels of our society. Time has shown us that there are essentially two ways to win effectively anyone's clamor. A child can make his parents buy him the nicest toys either by wailing loudly in the store or by being the nicest son at home.
A student can get the attention of her teachers and co-students either by being the number one bully or by being among the greatest achievers in school. A marginalized or minority group can attract the attention of the government or, better yet, the international community by playing "toughie" or by showing its members' merits. The deep contrast between the two strategies may not sink into an ordinary individual's psyche easily. This is especially true if one is blindly concerned with achieving a particular goal by all means – by hook or by crook. Some members of our community are not exempted from this blindness. A rogue group may choose to achieve its 15 minutes of fame by striking terror to the populace. This adventure may get the attention the Group needs, i.e. the media sprawl over these (mis)adventures, but such action may result to the destruction of the entire community they supposedly represent. The silent majority will surely suffer the discrimination and retaliatory measures brought about by the violent actions of the few hot-tempered colleagues. The advocates of Peace and Excellence, on the other hand, prefer to do their best and exert the greatest efforts to make good in their chosen fields in the hope of making a mark in their disciplines and give honor to the community they represent. Unfortunately, these achievers do not get the same amount of praises and limelight our society gives to the perpetrators of violence. Did the media, for example, create the same hype when a Muslim got into the top ten of the recent BAR exams (Ismael Al-Shwaid, 8th placer) or the others who placed 1st in many Board Exams? Did Shahana Abdulwahid, the first Muslim lady Chairperson of the UP-University Student Council receive a well-deserved publicity over her sterling accomplishment? Or did we ever talk much about the Muslim Doctor (Dr. Ted Esguerra) who assisted the Philippine Mt. Everest Team in their successful climb to the World's tallest mountain? We can enumerate a long list of Muslim achievers, but we do not usually accord the appropriate accolades due them. The "toughies" among us are the ones given more attention instead by the Government and the ordinary folks. And this misplaced praising of the different actions of our colleagues in the Muslim society cause the "bad-doers" to become more encouraged to continue their villainous acts, and the "good-doers" to lose their enthusiasm to pursue more heights of greatness. We therefore have to change our ways on this aspect of our societal life. If we want goodness to prevail in our midst, we must acknowledge and celebrate individual achievements of excellence – especially those immensely contributing to the betterment of our image and lives as Muslims. The Ten Outstanding Muslim Youth (TOMY) Awards, which the Center for Moderate Muslims (CMM) is hosting for the Third straight year in 2007, is aimed at this noble goal. May we succeed in working for the Good of the Muslim Ummah! Amen. |
