Reflections from Canada has a good post exploring “modern” and “moderate” Islam, in part she says:
Islam needs to be safeguarded from Muslims themselves before anyone else.
and continues
Extremism, intolerance, spendthrift, slander, backbiting, imbalance, disunity, vulgarity, you name it, are all behaviors that have been repeatedly condemned and prohibited in the Holy Quran. Unfortunately, however, these activities are not rare in the Islamic world; in fact they are very common, to the point of becoming habits and norms, both on an individual and society level. That’s very saddening. It’s a shame when the Quran says “be not divided among yourselvesâ€? and we see Shiites and Sunnis disqualifying each other and disintegrating. It’s a shame when the Quran says “fight against those who fight against you, but do not transgress limitsâ€? and we see Islamic militias exceeding all plausible limits in their acts of violence. It’s a shame, when the Quran says, “squander not your wealth in the manner of spendthriftâ€? and we see Muslims doing just the opposite. It’s a shame when the Quran says “do not commit excess in your religionâ€? and we see Muslims in ALL sects exaggerating in the manifestation of their belief. I can go on and on and the point remains that we make no effort whatsoever in obeying the word of God whom we worship, yet we keep emphasizing our Muslim identity and many people take it even a step further by doing what they do in the Name of Islam and for the Love of God. It’s ironic…
Comments
Muslims on the defensive
Hmmm. Fabulous post. Leaves you in a dilemma. Agree from experince and feel reactionary. Diasgree and not be true to yourself. It hit the nail on the head for me after 12 years in the Gulf working day to day with locals, but I still don’t feel entrely comfortable AGREEING with it. Wish we could have more thought provoking posts like this…
Muslims on the defensive
Bahrain’s experience of parliament is that it has given a platform to these religious extremists to move politics rightwards – banning this, blocking progressive legislation and sending their thugs onto the streets. And this with the Shia extremists boycotting the polls.
If Al-Wefaq gets 40% of the seats next time round they’re not going to be taking them off Asalah in Muharraq, Isa Town or Riffa, but most probably the non-aligned and left MPs representing constituencies outside these areas. The bleakest result could very well be a Shia-Sunni extremist split in parliament.
I’m not saying this invalidates democracy, but I think there’s a need for caution in seeing it as anything but a long term answer. Democracy doesn’t work unless the values of tolerance, individual freedom – including that of religion and speech – and respect for the rule of law are taken on board too; principles which have so far been anathema to Islamic extremists.
Re: Muslims on the defensive
Mahmood, I don’t want to inter into the ongoing discourse in here but I would like to bring to your attention that Shikh Ben Baz did not make that fatwa in the way you presented it. To have any credibility in the future, it would be better to have some certainty about the stories and news we carry around and to cite them from credible sources.
Re(1): Muslims on the defensive
Sheikh Ben Baz’s comments were taken “out of context”? Care to elaborate on exactly what he meant by the earth being flat?
Re(1): Muslims on the defensive
How out of context can this be? Well, here’s a link which you might want to explore. I’ll continue to search for the original fatwa and post it here as well, so that we can all be certain.
While we’re at it, let’s dig out the fatwas banning women driving cars (but not motorbikes?), banning tv, phones (not just ones with cameras) and other gems.
Re: Muslims on the defensive
It’s going to happen whether we like it or not. And only time will sort it out, as you implied, tolerance takes generations and should never be taken for granted as it is the base of every democracy. Having said that, I’m unconvinced that Al-Wefaq will be worst than what we have now with Al-Asala and Co. Anyone is better than Al-Saidi, Al-Moawdah, etc.
Re(1): Muslims on the defensive
I’d agree they’re better than Asalah in the same way that Iran’s a better place to live than Saudi Arabia or Taliban Afghanistan.
If you look at where each parties’ power bases lie, you’re not going to get a choice between Al Wefaq and the salafists for seats, but between Al-Wefaq and centrists/left candidates. This is a very problematic issue for 2006, and unless moderates get organised parliaments going to move further rightwards.
Re(2): Muslims on the defensive
Better between two evils I know, but like you said, the moderates needs to organise themselves better. But it’s not happening as far as I can see. I’ve been to the Al-Muntada seminar a few weeks ago and it was glaringly obvious that they’re not ready although they have potentially quite a number of business leaders present and potential members. Although they were talking about liberals and their interdependence on businessmen and traders, when asked directly if they (Al-Muntada) are going to go into the next elections or at least field/support people who would, they refused to commit. That was further strengthened by an interview with their board of directors in Al-Wasat a few days later.
The other moderates are the National Democratic but they’re one of the boycotters and it doesn’t look hopeful that they’ll end their boycot and enter the elections.
What’s left? Why is the centrist movement absent from the Bahrain political scene? Why can’t Al-Muntada and others like it organise themselves and come out NOW with a clear agenda and enter the fray?
Muslims on the defensive
My dilemma is as follows:
If the Saudi disaffected youth are using Islam as a cover to ask for reform, albiet violently, then I can see why they are using that paradigm since that is all they know and all that they have available to them. (i.e. no parliament, no free press, so opposition can only be tolerated in the name of religion in a country that derives its legitimacy from religion).
However, what I cant get my head round is that some of the 9-11 hijackers and some of the terrorists in Iraq are ‘foreign fighters’. Some of them lived decent lives in Europe – and made decent money. Hardly the profile of a destitute, angry, misrepresented youth.
They are looking for integrity and honor and self respect. They are misguided in how they choose to claim it. But – I think it is becoming harder and harder to dismiss them all as being ‘deviant’. The numbers are significant, their organization is significant, and the end game is nowhere in sight.
I think the fundamental problem does not lie in Islam, per se. I think it lies in the fact that most of our societies do not allow for a meritocratic rise through the ranks where someone with a good head on his shoulders can become a millionaire with ease. We dont have the academic insitutions, the regulatory environment or the institutions to do so.
So, people get frustrated. And this increases with time. And it becomes worse and worse with each generation since the majority of the population in the ME is young. The young and the restless. And the very disaffected.
Enter a ‘new’ leadership. From the streets. Using Islam as a cover. And we have the Al Qaida Crazies.
How to diminish their pull? Their power emerges from ability to recruit a seemingly inexhaustible supply of young people. In the name of Islam. So, to really kill their cause, either we offer this youth better leadership and governance and allow them institutional outlets to be able to develop themselves and generate better lives. Or, we fight a battle of hearts and minds and portray why their methods are unIslamic.
The first point means that the current leadership and governance in the ME will have to start performing to new standards. The second point will entail a Reformation in Islam. Both will take time and guts and a solid understanding of what the cost of doing nothing is.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the Al Qaida Crazies are getting stronger and stronger.
I don’t know that either of these can be done in time to ward off the increased threat in time. I think the Moslems are going to be ‘on the defensive’ for a while …
Re(1): Muslims on the defensive
It’s worse than I thought. The article first appeared in Al-Siyasah newspaper in Kuwait, then Al-Musawar and various other publications. The Bin Baz site is full of articles refuting the charges that he ever said that the earth was flat, but as you can see here he’s asserting that the earth is indeed spherical BUT that it IS the centre of the universe and NOT the sun and he uses about 30 sources in the Quran and Sunna to assist in his assertion. Of course, he categorically brands anyone who says that the sun is actually the centre of the universe as a kafir.
The http://www.binbaz.org.sa is quite an entertaining and informative site to read….
Re: Muslims on the defensive
However you look at it JJ, it boils down to a grab for power. Islam to their leaders is just another weapon in the arsenal and they have demonstrated time and again that they use and abuse it to their own ends.
But let’s look at their leaders here, in 1985 their grand mufti (Al-Baz) declared that the Earth is NOT spherical but flat, and went ahead and classified anyone who believes otherwise is a kafir, unbeliever. It took another Saudi to go to space, come back and have a chat with the honourable mufti to absolutely confirm in a face to face meeting with Al-Baz that he saw with his own eyes from space that the Earth was indeed spherical. What did that grand mufti do? He recanted the punishment and allowed whoever is to believe the Earth is flat, a disk or sphere!
With Muslim leaders like these and the hordes who “graduate” every year from the Imam University in Riyadh, there’s no hope for reformation of Islam. Anyone who asks for it will immediately be branded as kafir and his/her blood is forfeit.
Riyadh, we have a problem!
The struggle though is not just one thing, it’s not just Islam, it’s not just its narrow interpretation, and when the chips are down it’s nothing to do with Islam, their struggle and declared intent is to topple the regimes of this part of the world, thus creating chaos that will extend to 10s if not 100s of years. Continuing to brand these thugs as martyrs on one side, and Zionists on the other is only going to exacerbate the situation.
Everyone needs to wake up from their stuper, royals and commoners and insurgents to solve this issue.
How do you counter these forces and at the same time ensure the continuing reign of the ruling families in this area must be the top question on every ruler’s mind.
The answer could be simple, but it requires vision and guts: Democracy and Transparency.
Are our leaders sure enough of their positions to democratise their rule? In Saudi’s case the answer so far seems to be a resounding no. In the Emirates the question isn’t even asked, while Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman they seem to have “gotten it” and enacted a sort of democracy, not complete by any chance, but at least it’s the first baby-step. With this step however they have secured their families future for probably the next millennium.
The Saudi royals cannot afford to go to that road although the people of Saudi are more than ready to decide for themselves how they want to proceed, evidenced by the multiple petitions submitted by luminaries of Saudi society to their royal court.
Historically since 1744 the Al-Sauds and Ibn-Abdulwahab have ruled in the name of religion by force under the guise of reformation of Islam. On their road of reformation they have executed some 40,000 of their people and amputated more than 300,000 limbs (The House of Bush and the House of Saud – Unger). Now that has come back to bite them. I guess its what goes around comes around.
That’s not the problem however. The problem in my mind is that if the House of Saud falls, what will replace it? Even more fundamentalists who want to surpass the teachings of Mohammed ibn Abdulwahab himself? After they massacre the “infidelsâ€? in the Kingdom, they will surely turn on everyone who opposes them or even appears to. This time I fear it will not stop at 40,000 deaths, it will more like be 4 million.
You’re right when you mentioned in your other post that what happens across the bridge has a direct impact on not just us here in Bahrain, but the whole Middle East and beyond.
I do share you dilemma, and all the answers are painful:
1. get rid of all the ruling families
2. live with the chaos that will bring to the whole area for years
3. reform the ruling families
4. remove all grants and give-aways and rights of royal family members and limit that constitutionally to the King and the Crown Prince only, and even then declare how much they get – a-la UK.
5. reform Islam to be interpreted more moderately
6. remove Islam or any other religion from local constitutions
7. increase transparency
8. initiate and entrench democracy
9. ensure complete freedom of speech
All of these things are extremely difficult to enact on the ground in our cultures, and there is no magic formula in my mind other than if the royal families want to continue their reigns then they must embrace, encourage and support full constitutional democracy.
Islam has nothing to do with the mess we’re in. It’s just used as a tool by some imbeciles to gain the higher ground.
Re(3): Muslims on the defensive
You know Mahmood .. the hungrier you are, the harder you fight. I dont think Al Muntada or the centrist scene in Bahrain are hungry enough to fight for their vision. Or at least, not as hungry or as driven to be as organized as Al Wifaq and Al Asala.
Great post by the way. Lots of food for thought.