A blog operated by young European Muslims has reported on a youth conference held in Brussels by the Forum for European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO) that included a debate on religion which took place at the European Parliament. According to the report:
The third generation of Muslims are an integral part of what makes Western society – they are fully Muslim and fully Western, one is not independent of the other. This is echoed in Shaykh Babikr’s analogy; “the river is crystal clear. Its water remains pure, sweet and unpolluted. It reflects the colour of the riverbed. Thus, it is that Islam in China is Chinese, just as in Africa it is African, and in Britain is British.” While this becomes the theoretical basis for my point, I have recently found FEMYSO – the Forum for European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations – to demonstrate this understanding in the most practical way. It epitomises how dynamically active Muslims are within the Western society. I was fortunate to have taken part in the first ever European Muslim Youth Conference (EMYC) in Brussels last month, organised by FEMYSO. This umbrella body is multifaceted in its attributes. Its mission is to be a platform for youth organisations to congregate, exchange information, gain experience and benefit from each other, to work for a better Europe. Essentially, FEMYSO aims to showcase how Muslim youth organisations and individuals are vibrant leaders, progressive thinkers and an important part of Western society. It gathers leaders from Muslim organisations across Europe, who speak in several different European and Eastern languages. The venue enables the sharing of ideas and promotes co-operative working to find creative solutions to the many pressing issues in Europe and the world at large – such as poverty, conflict and resolution, human rights violations, environmental concerns amongst many other pertinent issues. The workshops, seminars, lectures and debates were focused on letting the youth leaders take the lead, voice their concerns, present ideas and compete to set up new organisations, which are to be funded and supported by FEMYSO and the European Council.The Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations was established on the 1st September 1996. FEMYSO has developed into a wide network of 39 member organisations, bringing together youth from over 22 countries. Over the last 10 years it has become the de facto voice of Muslim Youth in Europe and is regularly consulted on issues pertaining to Muslims in Europe. FEMYSO has developed close links with the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, the United Nations and a host of other relevant organisations at the European and international level. Furthermore, it is currently a member of the Advisory Council for Youth of the Council of Europe, helping to shape youth policy across 47 countries.
The report goes on to discuss the debate held at the European Parliament.
Read the rest here.
A previous post reported on a FEMYSO statement advocating the “the freedom of Muslim women to choose the way they dress.”
FEMYSO is the youth/student arm of the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe (FIOE), representing the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe. Over the years, FEMYSO has developed a relationship with both the Council of Europe and the European Commission where it has been invited since 2003 to attend meetings of the Group of Policy Advisers (GOPA). One of the important leaders of FEMYSO over the years has been Ibrahim El-Zayat, the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Germany.