Doha, Qatar: The profound changes shaping today’s world raise the question of how a strong Muslim identity can be revived and maintained in modern societies – a question that has been tackled at Qatar Foundation’s inaugural Qiyada conference.
The youth-focused Education City event – organised by Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Higher Education division, sponsored by QIIB, and attended by over 1,000 young people from Qatar’s schools and universities provided a platform for Muslim youth to meet and connect, identify shared challenges, and inspire each other to find solutions rooted in faith.
Among the conference speakers was educational consultant Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Harami, who emphasised that “Muslim identity can only be built on an unchanging source: the Holy Qur’an”, and said, “Within each of us lies a source of change and strength. Don’t wait for anyone to push you forward.”
Dr. Al-Harami also spoke about the value of time, saying: “Everyone who has succeeded has organized their time. Being in a true struggle with time means that not a moment passes without you adding something new.”
Yemeni social media influencer Fedaa Al-Deen Yahya addressed the identity crisis facing young Muslims, saying,
“Those who move to a Western country may experience a culture shock that makes them wonder ‘am I Arab or Western?’”
He explained that globalization may have made many people “feel like strangers inside their homes” but emphasized that complete isolation from the world is not an option. “We must distinguish between means and ends,” he said. “Other civilisations provide us with tools that we can utilise as means, but if we treat them as ends, we will lose our identity.”
