How to increase the reach of reform message

[asad]

I am opening this thread to invite ideas on how to increase the reach of reform message. But as is the trend and how tempers run high we will be tempted to take this thread as we like. but if we all can stick to agenda something might come out of it.

This forum has a limited access and generally people who agree to corruption charges also scoff off due to much slander against the head himself.

Now how to make people consider that something is amiss, people in whom they have blind faith are taking them for a ride. If we can convince people of only financial corruption it will be a start.

Now how to increase the reach of our message.

I have only one idea and board member can add theirs.

1- a well worded mail to all the bohras in our mailing list, Now we all are apprehensive of not revealing our ID's so my suggestion is to send the mailing list to Admin of this site and he can send a periodic mail to every one, off course keeping every one in Bcc. Though it looks like a security issue and breach of trust to share email ID's with a third party but if our goals is to clear the community of corruption and make people aware we will have to get above our inhibitions.

we all can send details of the major scams of our area or financial irregularities and they can be included in this email. We should avoid hearsay and should have concrete figures so that mail is not just sent to junk by recipient and to make it effective and acceptable to people we should avoid any false allegations, let people figure out whom to blame for their woes.

If we all can share the mailing list soon it will be a very big number who are sent this email and i know one thing about human nature which is common to all its curiosity, though people will not agree but will surely read and thats also an achievement to start with

[stranger]

Well I dont know why i am am putting forward this suggestion as i am an orthodox supporter as the other members of the forum are aware of and known me as one, May be i am doing wrong but let me listen to my concious
I'm not a progressive but still i feels that somewhere deep inside most of ortho ( except female ) bohras have a progressive view. They want to say 'NO' , they want to ask 'WHY' but couldn't, and I am no different.
Reasons may be different, as, some wants changes on Financial matters, Some wants changes on Religious matter, Some wants to challenge the authority and some are seeking freedom from abosulte power.
All in One, maximum of us want change on some or other thing.

Neway,
1.) Lot of Dawoodi bohras are browsing internet and Facebook can prove a handy tool to reach them.
2.) Make a fake FaceBook Profile.
3.) Just Post the link ( http://www.dawoodi-bohras.com ) in their inbox. [ without any introduction, let them explore]
Or
4.) Post the link of one of the current or previous best topic of discussions, which directly let them to the debate.

Make sure that you are not guiding them to a topic which is abusive and againts Da'i, it will spoil the very idea. It can be something which is targeting to system. Also, It should look authenticate and proven on reality ground.
It could be, For Eg :-
Erasing the memory of past philanthropists
http://dawoodi-bohras.com/forum/viewtop ... f=1&t=6057

The "APS TRUST" on the board speaks for itself.

Let them reach the forum, let them know, let them think and let them decide.

[ANA BOHRI]

Well I personally feel that almost all the bohra families feel that things are not going well in our community.They all know that they are being fooled by jamat and kothar but every one is worried that if they speak any thing against the wrong doings they will not be supported by fellow brothers and that's why they try to negotiate with these goons and try to get rid of them by keeping their mouth shut by paying money.In fact many of my friends would ultimately say that if we want to stay in this community we have to follow them.

Bro Stranger not only males even females feel the same thing but they are scared to speak about it in public.In my family almost all the ladies support me when i talk about the wrong practices in our community and i can see that they feel helpless.Every one feels that nothing can be changed in our community and if we want to stay in this community we have to accept this crap.

I have noticed that when i visit this site my wife also takes a lot of interest in reading the post .so all we need to do is to reach as many bohris as we can and we need to explain them that we are their friends and all we need from our community is the "accountability".once they realize that it is our right to get answer from the jamat and kothars for each and every monetary contributing we make for the betterment of our community and not for these clergy to pocket it for their ayyaashi then they will have courage to speak out in public.

We need to educate them that they need to fear only ALLAH and no one else.They should know that no one can take you to jannat except your own deeds and unless and until they know that each and every human being is answerable for his own deeds they will not have courage to speak against these goons because they feel that by paying them at least jannat is guaranteed..

[SBM]

I agree with all the above postings, I think some times in the heat of emotions we do (reformist and people on other side) cross the line and start personal attacks. We as reformists should refrain from name calling otherwise we are no better than those Goons.
I have suggestion to increase the reach of reform messages
1- I have no idea how this website is being financed, members who are regular from both side can make small contributions towards this cause as this is the only forum which provides every Bohra regardless of their affiliations to express freely and vent their frustrations. This will also help the people who are running this forum to reach out bigger masses thru facebook and twitter. It takes money to do the work. Please consider contributing.
2-By looking at various DB message Board, sometimes we see people looking for help in the form of medical or financial help. In the past when I see those postings, I ask my friends in India to get in touch directly with them and provide direct assistance, when they ask where did the help came they just reply NOT FROM KOTHAR or Aamil but from a caring Dawoodi Bohram, If they accept well and good, if not them move on. We can sponsor some deserving Bohra students to complete his/her education by paying directly to their colleges and letting them know the help came from Caring Dawoodi Bohra and NOT FROM KOTHAR OR THEIR GOONS
We do know for sure that this forum is being monitored by Kotharis and some times when we have pointed out certain things on Regressive websites,,they have been removed instantly (Case in point the big fat envelope with money) so let us be respectful in our expressions.
I have said in the past that I am a card carrying member who is 23/10/milad DB, which means I only attend 23rd Night of Ramadan, Ashura and sometimes Milad of Syedna. I stand my ground and pay only for local Markaz maintenance and whatever the local needs are. I am regular with other Muslim community and my Aamil knows about it and debated one time and when I told him he can not control my life, he has let it go.
I believe when you stop fearing Allah then every other fears takes over your life. You can make changes by staying inside the system instead of just shouting from outside, a bit of hypocrisy but end justifies the means

[Conscíous]

otherwise we are no better than those Goons.

Haha..You aren't any better because you're just another ape on a different side

[ghulam muhammed]

This forum has a limited access and generally people who agree to corruption charges also scoff off due to much slander against the head himself

This is not true because in private gatherings even the diehard abdes dont defend the dai although it looks so on this forum wherein only a limited few vent their so called anger and it is quite possible that some of them may be delibarately planted over here by kothar itself to defend themselves.

If we can convince people of only financial corruption it will be a start.

Majority of the bohras are fully convinced about the mass corruption and extortion by kothars, the sad part is that they are unable to express themselves due to social/family pressures.

Now how to increase the reach of our message.

We can verbally invite people to this forum as although this is the most viewed bohra site but still some bohras are unaware of it. We can ask them to register themselves on this forum and thereby present their individual viewpoints and have a debate.

[humanbeing]

Hi Friends

Excellent suggestions .. asad, stranger, ana bohri, sbm very happy to read your POVs. During the discussion with friends and family, I do promote this website, but only to those who are open to listening and have some sense of logic and reasoning left. I live in a very orthodox surroundings, relatives, friends and family, so need to be careful what I recommend as this website is unleashed when it comes to expressing opinions. But that is what is the good part on this forum. No Orthodox website provides even a small window of discussion. Even if some Kothari watchdog is observing forums here, and implements a forum in any of the websites, it would be heavily controlled and only thing you can share is praises and whereabout of sayedna sahib next visit and glorifications.

What I suggestion to admin is, open one more section in the forum, where members can share details of needy (if possible irrespective of religion, caste, creed or color) education, medical help, etc. etc. Atleast Name, contact number and watan is provided, then interested person can take efforts to reach out and help the needy directly.

[anajmi]

For those who wish to donate, go to this website

http://www.islamic-relief.com

They do work that no kothari will ever do. There are many Islamic organizations that serve people pretty much every place that you can think of that needs help. Needy are not to be searched. We need to search for those who will help the needy. If you want to help individuals by yourself, then the first people that you should start with is your family. If you believe everyone in your family has been taken care of, then start with your neighbours. This website isn't going to list your neighbours and the prophet (saw) has said that "The man is not from me who sleeps contentedly while his neighbors sleep hungry."

[SBM]

Br.Anajmi
As a matter of fact Zakat Fund India also does a lot of work in India irrespective of any school of thoughts. The beauty is that contribution is tax deductible in US
But in this case poor DBs who are being brain washed not to go to AULA MIYA BHAI are deprived. If as reformists we can reach out to them and let them know that it is Bohras(and not AULA MIYA BHAI) who are helping you, they would accept it. I have tried in the past thru Khidmatguzar Org which posts MUSSAWAAT on message board and got the information of the needy people sent to me directly and thru personal contacts arranged for direct help without going thru Kothari Goons and letting them know that help came from some concerned person and not KOTHAR or AAMIL.