WE NEED YOU
Why this mobile movement?
The Mobile Minaret,
with a profound message at its core, is vital to counter what is currently
dominant in cyberspace on the Quran. It is best suited to carry the message of understanding
HOW the Quran itself teaches critical thinking and I need your help to do
it.
Through the Mobile
Minaret we move the minaret or “lighthouse” from its frozen-in -time
architecture to the open mobile space calling to Muslims to wake up because it
is not our faith that has been seized, but the radical interpretation of the
Quran.
Critical thinking is
known as discernment (furqan) in the Quran. Quranic thinking becomes critical
when it evaluates the reasoning of a verse or sign (ayah): Such evaluation
must, however, as Islamic scholar, Mohammad Hashim Kamali, points out,
“be carried forth in a constructive manner. The purpose of critical
thinking is to achieve understanding, evaluate viewpoints, ask questions and
solve problems. In general, our thinking is likely to become critical when
concrete learning experiences precede abstract thought, that is, when there is
thinking wedded with wisdom (hikmah).”
We best develop
Quranic critical thinking skills through dialogical learning, learning that takes
place through dialogue. Through dialogue with the Quranic text with neighbors,
with classmates, with a teacher or mentor, through a sharable video, a Facebook
page, through a Twitter message or SMS text message, our goal is take back the
Quran
You can help by contributing what you can and by joining our movement against radicalization:
Discovery and Design phase (April-August)
1
Approach the problem
from a human-centered perspective.
2
Engage Islamic
scholars
3
Engage technology
partners
4
Identify goals and
challenges and iterate.
5
Design a solution
with capacity for social change.
We need you to help us to spread the word to hit this goal!
We have an awesome range of perks available including EARLY ACCESS TO THE SOFTWARE before anyone else, be able to be first to try it in your
school or community.
We don’t just want you to back the movement against
radicalization though, we want you to join
our community and be a part of making history.
7 ways in which you can help our campaign
today!
Launch the Mobile Platform
1
Train
2
Market
3
Digital engagement
4
Media outreach
The Impact
Join Our Community
Community is at the heart of the
Mobile Minaret campaign and we are building a global community that will work
together to help this incredible opportunity to bring active thinking in Quranic
studies to people across the world.
We don't just want you to support the
campaign by getting a perk, we want you to be a part of making history. We have 7 awesome ways in
which you can help our campaign today!
With just a $250 donation, you can get the
opportunity to have EARLY ACCESS TO THIS
SOFTWARE before anyone else.
See the perks!
Explore More
We Need You • The Perks • Where the Money
is Used
Join Our Movement • 7 Ways to Help • FAQ
Featured In
Religion News Service
http://www.religionnews.com/2016/02/26/mobile-minaret-is-mightier-than-the-sword-facebook-twitter-youtube-snapchat-periscope/
Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/a-mobile-minaret-is-mightier-than-the-sword-commentary/2016/02/26/3a4fe1d8-dc98-11e5-8210-f0bd8de915f6_story.htm
www.religionnews.com/.../mobile-minaret-is-mightier-than-the-sword- facebook-twitter-youtube-snapchat-periscope/
www.religionnews.com/author/lbakhtiar/
www.religionnews.com/series/combating-online-hate-speech/
www.religionnews.com/tag/islam-2/
www.religionnews.com/tag/isis/
HOW YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE
We’ve put together an exciting set of perks around
our movement. Show your support of the Mobile
Minaret:
WHERE THE MONEY IS USED
Every dollar that you pledge will go
towards producing and marketing the Mobile Minaret movement to ensure it is as
successful and impactful as possible.
The money will be used in four
primary areas:
•
Wider
testing with more Muslim students in more towns and communities – we want to ensure the software created by teams
gets as much testing and feedback in the field as possible. Your contribution
will fund the development of the youtube videos, software and a popular game in
more towns and communities.
•
Helping
teams to be successful –
the success of the teams that compete in this campaign are critical to our
overall success. Your tax deductible contribution will help create an
environment for teams to be successful, including development resources and
more.
•
Creating
a global Mobile Minaret community –
beyond the teams that are participating, we are trying to face the grand
challenges of our time. Your contribution will help create this community by
providing tools and more. Come and join us at mobileminaret.org!
•
Creating
Quranic educational technology –
the proposed mobile multimedia devices will create a remarkable educational
foundation for Quranic studies. Your contribution will be an investment in this
education, as well as ensuring that the technology can live and grow as we
continue to get feedback.
Importantly, your
money will NOT be used in the following areas:
•
Rent or
Non-project Expenses.
•
Fundraising
activities and events.
If you have any further questions or
queries about how the money is spent, feel free to share your questions
on mobileminaret.org
Join Our Community
Community is at the heart of the
Mobile Minaret campaign and we are building a global community that will work
together to help this incredible opportunity to bring active thinking in
Quranic studies to people across the world.
We don't just want you to support the
campaign by getting a perk, we want you to be a part of making history.
We are building a community of
advocates, developers, teachers, scientists, business-people, artists,
designers, translators and more. This community is coming together to bring
their skills and talents to the table; we believe that everyone can put their
brick in the wall to eradicating passive Quranic thinking.
We have only just started, and we
already have a global spread:This community is forming on a brand new forum that helps
us to get to know each other, brainstorm, collaborate on projects, and more! It
is a shared family, passionate about bringing real, practical change to the
world.
7 WAYS TO HELP
There are many ways in which you can
play an essential role in the success of the Mobile Minaret campaign:
•
Contribute! A great place to start is to buy one of our awesome perks.
Scroll up to find out more!
•
Join
the Community: Come to
the website mobileminaret.org and share ideas, brainstorm, and collaborate around new
ways to introduce the learning experience.
•
Refer
Friends so they can participate in this
remarkable adventure.
•
Create
and Share Digital Content: We
are encouraging authors, developers, content-creators and more to create
content that will spread the word about Quranic critical thinking, and more!
•
Share
and Tag Your Top 5 Children's Books:
Which children's books have been the most memorable for you? Share your Top 5,
complete with a link to mobileminaret.org and tag 10 friends to share theirs too! When
using social media, be sure to use the #mobileminaret hashtag.
•
Create
Your 'Learning Moment' Video:
Record a video and share on a video website (such as YouTube) about how
learning has really impact your life. Give the video the title “Mobile Minaret:
My Learning Moment". Be sure to share your video on social media too with
the #mobileminaret hashtag!
•
Organize
a Local Event: Create a local
event to share the Mobile Minaret initiative.
•
Remember,
if you have questions, be sure to join the Mobile Minaret community at mobileminaret.org
$150,000 STRETCH GOAL
Build the Mobile Platform (August-December)
1 Write and produce Quranic critical thinking content for mobile
2 Design and develop code
3 Build and test a prototype with the community
4 Design analytics and metrics for success
$400,000 STRETCH GOAL
Launch the Mobile Platform
(expected January 2017)
1 Train
2 Market
3 Digital engagement
4 Media outreach
FAQ
Why are you doing
this?
This Indiegogo campaign is designed
to further enhance the community, team collaboration, practical field-trials
and testing, and other areas that are part of the Mobile Minaret initiative. We
believe the power is in our community, but not just in the teams who create the
technology to develop this project, but many other people who want to play a role
in solving this grand challenge.
Crowdfunding is a great way in which
the general public can help contribute towards making the Mobile Minaret as
successful as it can be both in terms of raising resources as well as raising
awareness. We believe that everybody, from our backers on this campaign, to
teams, to members of our new community, can make a real difference.
Why the $63,900
figure?
After breaking down the costs of the
many moving parts associated with deploying, testing, and tracking this technology
as well as with establishing an infrastructure, and platform, our team
determined that this money will cover many of these initial costs.
This is really just the first step.
The more we raise, the more we can do – let’s raise 10x that this amount so we
can further facilitate success of this the Mobile Minaret Movement. Help us
spread the word!
How do we know this
will be successful?
The team has consulted with a global
team of experts in structuring the requirements for how the Quran teaches
critical thinking. This process takes into account the growth of technology,
where we expect technology to be in the next five years, the extent of the
problem (e.g. how many Muslims do not know HOW the Quran teaches critical
thinking), and how attractive this would be to prospective teams.
With these exhaustive considerations
accounted for, we are very confident that the Mobile Minaret is going to net
incredible results. If we didn't have confidence in this, we wouldn't launch it
in the first place.
How much money from
the crowdfunding actually goes to Mobile Minaret campaign?
With the exception of the
Indiegogo/FirstGiving fees, every dollar goes towards the campaign.
What payment
methods do you accept?
We accept major credit cards.
Can I donate from
outside the USA?
Absolutely!
When will my perk
prizes be delivered?
We are currently estimating shipping
in January 2017.
I love what you are
doing! How can I help?
Great question! Go and see the 7 ways
in which you can help, all listed above. Also be sure to come and join the
community at mobileminaret.org and find out more.
Is shipping
included in the perks?
Yes.
Can I write-off my
contribution with my taxes?
Yes. You will receive a letter
confirming your donation.
I am a celebrity or
public figure and would like to endorse the movement or help in some other way.
How do I get in touch with you?
Please email Laleh
Bakhtiar, our Sr. Dir. Community who can
discuss this further with you.