Naeem's Blog

I would like to bring everyone's attention to this beautiful post by Br. Abu Eesa.

He highlights a very important, sorely lacking point in our community: the need for everyone to show that extra bit of sincere effort when dealing with our fellow human. While he uses Princess Diana to make his point, I would like to highlight another iconic figure from Western culture, Mr. Rogers.

You remember Mr. Rogers. He was that slow-talking sweet old man who was the epitome of politeness and kindness. In case you've never heard of him, here's a clip showing him interacting with a young breakdancing boy (Watch Mr. Rogers try breakdancing. Pure Classic!):



I remember watching Mr. Rogers when I was a kid and I never really enjoyed him since he simply couldn't compete against the action cartoons like Transformers or G.I Joe. That's too bad because only now can I see that I missed out on alot. Someone like him has quite a bit to offer our children.

And it seems that he wasn't just a made-for-TV character. He was for real.

I really wish that Muslims had a personality like Mr. Rogers to offer our children. I remember when Maryam was 2 years old, we bought a whole bunch of Adam's World videos. How come we don't have anymore programs like that?

But more important than mere programs, we need more individuals like Mr. Rogers. People who make a difference, one smile at a time. People who embody the Sunnah of our dear Prophet (saw) by teaching neighborly respect and civic responsibilities.

Abu Eesa says it well:

"Once you have that love and concern for humanity in your heart, you’re natural disposition will change; you’ll go that little bit further with your friend, your neighbour, your work colleague, your customer in the workplace, the passer-by in the street, the one who asks your assistance at the grocery and so on. The lesson to learn here from the Diana experience and something I am sure that all of us can attest to is that such small acts of kindness are never forgotten, and always leave a good impression."

Let me conclude with this short clip of Mr. Rogers in a Senate hearing for PBS funding. Talk about a sales pitch from the heart!