IAW @ USyd

IAW= Islamic Awareness Week (which is next week).

Ishi wrote up a little about the pre-IAW forum, but I don't quite agree with some of the detail, and I would like to add some more. The Reverand was very good, and he obviously has some knowledge about the Quran. When Muslims began to suggest he read up more on the Quran, I completely agreed, but at the same time, I thought: How can we Muslims ask him to acquire knowledge of the Quran, when we are so lazy about doing so ourselves?... and I doubt there are many Muslims out there who have even a superficial idea of what the Bible contains (Flynn included). So I say, unless you're willing to put in the hard yards and gain knowledge of your own deen, don't go around demanding people of other faiths to do so. It borders on hypocrisy, does it not??
This may all be well and good, but there are a few things I am, as yet, very unclear about (concerning Christianity and their "theological" perspectives). The reverand kept repeating that God is Love, and that God is there to serve us, not that we are there to serve God. He made it seem as though submitting to the Creator- whom we believe is worthy of our worship- is somehow not very appealing to the Christians. Is it that Christians believe that they should or need to be served, and by their Creator, Master, Maker, no less?? What can be so repugnant or disgraceful about submitting to the One you clearly believe has every right to ask- even demand- your worship??
The other thing the reverand kept emphasising (which I obviously have problems comprehending) is the fact that in Christianity, God is Love, but that "evidently" this "Divine Love" was missing in Islam- i.e., the God of Islam has no Love, or somehow lacks "Love" (astaghfirullah). There's no need to try to make you see why this is so very wrong a perspective to take. The point is baseless, since the Love that Allah has for his creations is shown through the very fact of our existance.
I could ramble on for eons and millenia about the forum, which I found to be very thought provoking, but I shall stop now.

For the moment, I'm looking forward to IAW, but not with too much enthusiasm and zeal. Someone suggested that I not stand at the Da'wah table as I might be attacked (perhaps not physically), but I thought that was a bit of a ridiculous thing to say. What's a little verbal bashing compared to the sacrifices made and sufferings endured by the Companions? Moreover, how can I help to spread the awareness of Islam if I don't stand at the Dawah table?? Sort of defeats the purpose of the week, does it not?

Right-o, this shall be the end of yet another long and hopefully not so tedious post. I shall keep you all updated (and so, I hope, will Ishi) on the up's, down's, the happenings and the no-happenings of IAW. I request that you all make Du'a for the SUMSA (Syd Uni Muslim Students' Assoc.) members to be able to impart at least a tiny grain of positive Islamic knowledge to the student body in general.