Wasim Kempson – How to deal with social media

			Sisters Welcome back to
		

			the ICC Patricia and I'm here with old friend
		

			to meet in London a few months back. So have you been since last time? This may not have the London
Times flying? Okay, as usual It's good to see you again Sala avec. So it's your first time I believe
in Malaysia Can you just share with us your first impression of the country and yeah and the people
I've actually met so far. Yeah. Well
		

			the reputation of the people preceded me coming here. Okay. And coming here to see that the
Malaysian people here my father the very humble very soft people
		

			getting to see the country itself is beautiful countries amazing country.
		

			The weather is a little difficult for me. Okay. Quite humid.
		

			It's better than the London weather. I mean,
		

			I don't actually mind the cold. But I don't mind. It's okay. Okay. He is a bit difficult for me. But
it's not a complaint. Really. It was a food. Food is enough. only been here about two days. Okay.
Okay. And I'm leaving tonight. Alright, but it's on my list that we stopped a family restaurant
tonight. Before we go in Charlotte, let's get some beliefs or religions, Indonesian. And generally
people in the region are very keen on social media. They use they use a lot this, you know, this way
of communicating. And it was your topic during this conference, a very important topic. Yeah. What
are the main key points that you share to your audience during your lecture? Yeah, you're right. And
		

			then the use of social media in the know, once upon a time Malaysia was like 6000 miles away and
contact them as very difficult. Yeah, now by you know, by few clicks, you can contact millions of
people.
		

			I send you the spoke about
		

			especially now you hear a lot of lectures about social media. And I think a lot of research needs to
be done into it in that, what impact is it having on us as Muslims? It's a new phenomenon. You know,
let's give it you know, seven or eight years with Facebook and Twitter and so on, and it's
relatively new. What impact is that having on us with our knowledge, our character, our behavior?
		

			It's, you know, it's not as it's something very new, it's, I was trying to try to tap into Cabrini
to be very, very careful, alright. Because even though it has great benefits, it has big pitfalls as
well, because so these were the main points, really, and I had a discussion with somebody else
earlier. He's doing their research and their PhD about social media and Islam. What impacts his
habits, honestly, yeah. So what are the advice we give to a young young audience because they are
the most
		

			affected? And the one we're using the most social media to? As Muslim to use it wisely? And, you
know, to benefit from from it rather than to be harmed from? Yeah, yeah. I mean, the general advice
is, with anything to fear Allah, it's a tool, it can be a benefit to you, it can be of harm to you,
I mean, these general advices that you hear on the lectures, I mean, this is all very, very good.
But I would say is that and I tried to focus on the, the effect that has on us as people, it's more
of a psychological kind of perspective. But it's, it makes up our character. And, you know, our
manners and our character, and Islam is very, very important. So how we, you know, dispense of, you
		

			know, knowledge, interacting with other people, because essentially, by knowledge is a virtual
world. It's not real, right? So how do we interact with a virtual world? How do we interact with
knowing 1000s of people, but at the same time, really knowing that
		

			sometimes there's a false sense of security, a false sense of knowing people, these are things that
I think, you know, we should Don't forget. But it's a virtual world. It's not real, we shouldn't
substituted by really going to the masjid meeting people going to lectures physically, this is very,
very important. There is an attempt, some companies like Milan to try to make the social media
industry more a lot.
		

			So it's a it's a Muslim version of Facebook. Do you think that it's important that somebody had the
skills to create
		

			apps?
		

			Let's say you Muslim YouTube version, or what made you drive into bed for us to make those choose?
Yeah, let's say more suitable to outfit? Sure. You know, the reality is that
		

			things like Facebook and Twitter and these
		

			apps which are worldwide. They are part of our lives now. A lot of us. So what's stopping us really,
from tailoring apps and programs, software, which are slightly more to our needs? I think it should
be commended.
		

			pushed religion that we have things which will enable us to have a Hillel environment or more not to
worry about, you know, people whose the how they're going to contact us. We have similar minds, you
know how we think on these platforms, I think I'd be very good if we could kind of push this
forward. So we encourage skillful Muslims to grow because we are lacking that type of
		

			genre we see more and more coming in the future. We're gonna go for a short break, and afterwards we
can talk about the second topic, which was extremism. Right. So sticking with us.
		

			I found the truth. I found the truth Yana. So Bravo. To COVID ability
		

			to
		

			pick up the virus
		

			was called bertola berita. In control, I found the truth.
		

			I am Muslim.
		

			I'm Muslim.
		

			Muslim on
		

			Muslim ban a Muslim or there's also non Muslim man on a pedestal out so Muslim man, I'm a Muslim
		

			to hear
		

			LASIK
		

			LASIK
		

			Baker was
		

			confetti, then
		

			we'll hire
		

			Salam Alaikum Welcome back to Twins Affair 2015. We share our symptoms on talking about extremism.
That's a big word. How do we define that? And what are the thing we should do to avoid it?
		

			Yeah, I mean, it's a common word extremism, radicalization. And, and you know, a lot of it's
directed towards Muslims and directed towards Islam.
		

			I guess I was talking about Muslims really
		

			reclaim reclaiming our religion,
		

			and reclaiming our reputation. As you know, God fearing people, having good character being just and
fair people. I think for too often, we've been taking a backseat and watching what's been going on.
And unfortunately, there are individuals who use the religion in a wrong way, use them in a wrong
way. And they're called extremists. And a lot of non Muslims are confused. That is this really Islam
because we've not been proactive enough. We need to push ourselves forward and let our reputation as
Muslims and allow Islam to be an example for other people, so that they can view that this is
extremist, well, nothing to do with Islam. But we don't feel forced, that we need to come out and
		

			start condemning and defending Islam. It's far from Islam. So this is essentially what I was talking
about, and us really taking the middle path. I'm in the middle path. So what what does the middle
one mean? What does that mean to be in the middle, being in the middle means that you're not extreme
on either side, you're not extremely lazy and negligent, nor you over the top, you take that middle.
So that's the context of being in the middle. You know, a lot tells us in North America,
		

			and most of the day we made you a middle nation, middle and what not being extreme or being lazy,
negligent. So this is essentially what my lectures about.
		

			There's a current thinking, especially developing my country in France, which is very extreme is to
me, which is a concept of no religion. Yeah. And so we often talk the media was not Muslim or just
to talk about muslim extremists but very secular is extremism as well that we start to see a
nurturing in in France and do you feel the same in in UK but some people I think, this type of crazy
idea? Yeah, but we don't need no more religion, which means to me is very extreme. Yeah, I mean, on
the use of word extremism, this is the point that people are somehow always using the word and
connecting it with Islam, extremism, Islam.
		

			extremist Islam radicalization Islam, we need to make clear that extreme extremism comes in so many
different forms. You can have extreme thinking about doing away with a religion completely not
accepting religion. That's an extreme, you know, way of thinking things like, and it happens in the
UK, unfortunately, you do find individuals or all movements that go to extremes in their behavior,
but they're not called extremists. So called, you know, they're given different titles, you know,
just simple like criminals, you know, I mean, but there's extreme behavior, why is it extreme
radicalization has to be attached to Islam has to be attached to Muslims. So we need to really
		

			contextualize and dilute this really kind of,
		

			I don't want to say attack, but this kind of focus on Muslim Islam and connect it with certain
words, we need to be proactive as Muslims and educating people about these terms, and that they
comply to many things. Yeah, right after the attacks, you know, Shelley is actually a famous Jew
writer, a British writer,
		

			taught by Islam, and he actually talked about this, like extremism, and I was what is quite
inspiring what you mentioned, because we so often just talk about Muslim, as you mentioned, but
despite, it's important for the people to understand that some
		

			security people are starting to become radicalized by the media themselves. Yeah. So due to the
input, I mean, this is where the importance of social media comes back. And this is maybe our only
way to talk to most people, when to realize that they themselves are a victim. That's the irony of
it, that they're warning people of becoming extreme regard themselves or falling into it, you know.
So it's, it's quite interesting to see that we're at once upon a time, it may have seemed innocent,
or that they have the, this atheism existed, it's not become free militant, militant atheism, you
know, you know, looking at religion as something very backward, or something not progressive and
		

			dealing with real life challenges that we have, when in fact, you know, when you start really
dealing with what solutions they have, they don't have very much. And, you know, you find, I think,
eventually people will, will go back to religion will start to find answers in any religion, because
that's what is within us, is to turn back to our long term, to turn back to God, to try and find
revelation to find guidance, and not to find it in the minds of individuals, you know, so I think
eventually, that people will come around the shadow matter. And this is where Sorry to interrupt
you, this was important for us as Muslims to be there to catch these people. Is that for sure, this
		

			is what Islam is about. And I mean, I was quite, very pleased with my last trip in in UK, because I
wasn't expecting the people to be actually open to Islam. And it seems that among the European
countries, the British are actually protecting Muslims in some many ways. So can you just share with
you and the good things that you see about your country? As a convert yourself? Yeah. How about
taking the lead? Maybe in Europe to show? Definitely, definitely. I mean, I would say that, you
know, in the United Kingdom and tolerance in the Western world, if you'd like, to some extent,
there's, as a foreigner, you know, along with, I'd say, Canada's or maybe Israeli as earlier, that
		

			they're very understanding and tolerant with, with Muslims who want to practice their religion in
the correct way. It's just unfortunate that we do find words, it's a tiny percentage. But the
problem is I have is that why is it that this tiny percentage is allowing to tarnish all Muslims,
you know, but you know, hamdulillah we have, you know, the ability to build masajid have halal meat,
give it our all these opportunities are there for us. So we can complain? Yeah, we can. But we
should also think that we have lots of opportunity, especially in the United Kingdom, UK, and India
to get that one should take take this opportunity now make it easy and strengthen the woman, UK and
		

			all over Europe. And it was a pleasure to see you again. I hope next time would be nice. Maybe?
		

			I'll say no, no. Okay. All right. Thank you for your time.
		

			Thank you so much.