O Beloved youth of this Ummah! O honourable sons and daughters of Islam! You are the treasures, the energy, the vitality of this great nation of Muhammad (saw). The legacy that you inherit as the youth of this noble Deen is one of greatness: The establishment of Islam and its great civilization was built upon your shoulders. You were the ones who rushed to the support of Islam when so many rejected it and protected it from distortion and attack.

Sisters if I made the suggestion to you that a 4 year old boy who drew a cucumber and mispronounced its name, could be considered to be in need of referral to a de-radicalisation programme, you might in another world sadly accuse me of bordering on insanity. However we live in 2016 in the UK and it is at this moment in time, that the child in this case actually caused someone to worry enough to warrant such a course of action to be taken- Welcome to the British Government’s PREVENT Strategy

The youth represent a manifestation for energy and creativity, a heading for giving and spontaneity. However, the youth suffer today from a painful and tragic reality, poor guardianship and marginalization, and from the absence of representation of their aspirations as Muslim youth who hope to restore o their sovereignty, usurped land and regain plundered resources.

My dear sisters and distinguished guests, the identity crisis affecting many of our Muslim youth is one of the most pressing issues affecting this Ummah. And as with any crisis, addressing it effectively and with urgency is imperative. It is imperative for it will determine the success of our children and ourselves in this life and the next. And it is imperative for it is integral to the success of the future of this Ummah and the status of our Deen in this world.