The Faculty of Islamic Economics and Business (FEBI) State Islamic University (UIN) Alauddin Makassar in collaboration with the Postgraduate Program and the Faculty of Da’wah successfully held a public lecture entitled “Reconstruction of Contemporary Da’wah Thought and Global-Based Politics” on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at the FEBI UINAM Hall
The main speaker in this public lecture was the President of the Nusantara Foundation and the Grand Imam of the New York Mosque, Dr. H. Imam Syamsi Ali, M.A. The event began with remarks by the Director of the Postgraduate Program of UIN Alauddin Makassar, Prof. Dr. H. Abustani Ilyas, who emphasized the importance of da’wah that follows the times. According to him, da’wah today is not only through the pulpit, but must also utilize modern communication media, including digital media.
The Rector of UIN Alauddin Makassar, Prof. Hamdan Juhannis, Ph.D., in his speech stated that Islamic teachings are a blessing for all nature (rahmatan lil’alamin). Therefore, Islamic messages must be conveyed in a polite manner and adapted to the characteristics of the millennial generation and Gen Z. Digital technology is an important means of delivering da’wah that can be accessed anytime and anywhere.
Imam Syamsi Ali, in his presentation, outlined the da’wah strategy in the United States. He explained that da’wah about Islam must be delivered with gentleness and ethics, considering that Westerners generally have high emotional sensitivity. Therefore, the delivery of Islamic teachings needs to be done with a smile and a subtle approach. The harsh approach of da’wah is unfamiliar and less accepted by young people in the West, especially in America.
