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Muslims expect Obama to indicate a real change of US perspective of Muslims and Islam. (Reuters Photo) |
As the time of US President Barack Obama's visit to Egypt approaches, and as he intends to give a speech about reconstructing US relationship with the Muslim World, it would be appropriate to shed light on one important aspect of this relationship; the West's understanding of Islam, and the movements that have Islam as a frame of reference.
I believe that reconstructing relations necessitates conceding US previous failed policies towards Arab and Muslim countries.
Furthermore, it necessitates changing many conceptions that American decision-makers have about Islam and Muslim movements. The most significant among these conceptions is Islam as a frame of reference and the role of Islam in creating environment of coexisting.
Islam as a Frame of Reference
| The scientific approach Muslims have reached is the one that enables man to make progress, to advance, and to create modern means for one's benefits. |
Firstly, although Islam plays a role in people's lives economically, politically and socially, it does not mean that Islam would lead its followers to the Middle Ages.
In fact, Islam is a religion which is regarded as not only a faith but also a way of life.
The vision of the Muslim civilization differs from that of the Western one in this respect. Islam does not only establish the bases of the creed of monotheism for its followers, but also provides them with basic principles and sublime values that guide their relationships with one another and with their rulers.
Furthermore, Islam guides the mutual relationships among peoples and nations.
Shari`ah does not control every single detail in man's life; in fact, it provides the highest frame of reference that grants humans the liberty to choose the political, economic, and social institutions and mechanisms which translate Muslim values into practicality.
Thus, in Islam, science and values have important roles in modernization.
The scientific approach Muslims have reached is the one that enables man to make progress, to advance, and to create modern means for one's benefits. The value system in Islam is the one that directs people's lives on earth, and guides the man-made institutions to achieve these values.
This is different from what is in the West; after putting religion, ethics, and values aside, the existing systems were charged with the task of creating alternative values that certainly came to serve their interests, as well as major companies and financial corporations.
As consumerism and profiteering have appeared; the value system in Western societies has been turned upside down. And, the words of contentment, loyalty and saving have retreated in favor of consumerism and the accumulation of wealth, regardless of the way it has been acquired.
However, two points have to be emphasized here: firstly, Muslim values and principles belong to all humans. They are values and principles for the protection of human dignity, freedoms, and rights in society, regardless of color, religion, race or language.
In other words, there is no discrimination among humans in Islam on any basis, including following Islam as such — which is contrary to what mass media propagate in the West. Secondly, most of contemporary political systems are based on a frame of reference of some kind.
For example, in the West, liberalism represents an ultimate limit not to be infringed by legislators and decision-makers; in China there is Marxism, and the like.
A Frame of Reference not Theocracy
| Since the 19th century, our Muslim societies have been witnessing attempts of revitalization trying to combine the principles of Islam with the modernity of the West. |
Secondly, Islam, as a frame of reference, should not be considered the way to a despotic, theocratic system.
A frame of reference does not mean the rule of religious leaders (the clergy) — as it was the case in the medieval period of Western Europe.
Even since its emergence, Islam has stood against rulers' injustice and oppression, the abuse of authority, and the monopolization of wealth.
It has been supporting the poor and the weak. It has established the bases of equality and social justice.
Since the 19th century, our Muslim societies have been witnessing attempts of revitalization trying to combine the principles of Islam with the modernity of the West.
Egypt was the arena in which these attempts took place as Egypt's then-ruler Muhammad Ali pasha (1805-1848) set a project for the modernization of Egypt at the beginning of 19th century.
Then Egypt, as well as other places in the Arab and Muslim world, witnessed intellectual debates and political dialogues for the sake of development and modernization.
Although Muhammad Ali adopted reform projects from the West in many sectors such as agriculture, industry, economy and education, he ignored two things.
He ignored developing modern political institutions, and enhancing freedom and rights. Muhammad Ali did not pay attention to the reform of Al-Azhar, and the role of religion as a frame of reference and a motive for those reform programs.
Unfortunately, post-independence governments in most Arab countries went on the same way.
Not a single democratic state has appeared in any way in the Arab countries — with the exception of Lebanon for short periods.
Combined together, Arab countries score lower than any other region on the indices of human and economic development.
It should be mentioned here that the United Kingdom devastated Muhammad Ali's programs.
As for post-independence Arab governments, they have been granted the support of consecutive US administrations in a way that makes Arab peoples believe that US policy in the Middle East is based on double standards.
What is more dangerous is the emergence of "Westernized" intellectual and political elites that think no way to modernity except that of the West.
The control of these elites, side by side with many Arab governments, over state institutions, media, educational institutions, and agents of socialization has two main effects.
The first is the polarization between the values of those elites and those of the vast majority of peoples who acknowledge the importance of social values and religion.
The second impact is the rising of protest movements, some of which have resorted to violence, because of the oppression of their regimes, as well as the social and economic retardation of their countries.
Violent protest movements' goals were to overthrow those regimes regarded as the source of oppression and retardation.
Modernization—as seen by these protest movements—does not mean Westernization. In fact, the rise of many contemporary nations such as Japan, India, Malaysia, and South Korea was based on combining their domestic values with Western modernity.
Coexistence not Confrontation
| As Obama himself said, in his inaugural speech, Western civilization is one in which Christians, Jews, and Muslims took part. |
Thirdly, Muslims' quest for Islam-based solutions for their economic, political and social challenges should not alarm the West or Western civilization in general.
In Islam, Muslims are required to set mechanisms, approaches, and legal, economic, and political systems, based on Muslim principles and the interaction with other civilizations — adopting from and adding to them.
This was the case during the early Muslim civilization which provided the world with many achievements in medicine, astronomy, philosophy, literature, ethics and other fields.
Muslim civilization also adopted and benefited from ancient civilizations which emerged before Islam, such as Greek, Persian, and Roman ones. Islam does not lead to a clash of civilization, as Samuel P. Huntington and others have believed. Millions of Muslims live as part of the fabric of American and European societies.
As Obama himself said, in his inaugural speech, Western civilization is one in which Christians, Jews, and Muslims took part. This is due to the enormous Muslims heritage in Western philosophy and its mathematical, medical, and social knowledge.
Moreover, the common moral and social values between Islam and Christianity represent a common ground for the coexistence of Christians and Muslims. Islam and Christianity even can be a starting point for dealing with all the challenges which the West faces in the moral and social aspects nowadays.
The values and ethics in Islam can contribute to rescuing humanity from many troubles, including consumerism, the lust for profiteering, the commodification of women (abusing and degrading their bodies for commercial purposes).
Moreover, Islam can end the opportunism of politicians before and during elections, the disintegration of families, the spread of drug addiction, violence, and environmental harms; and the destruction which can be inflicted by nuclear weapons, and the like.
Muslim civilization has been inclusive and cooperative, and has included many peoples, from China and Indonesia in the East to Spain in the West.
The nature of Muslim civilization — which is based on reflections, thinking, and the principle of the freedom of man to establish the systems and institutions compatible with every certain society and period of time — is the key to its success.
This is why this civilization was based on a foundation that went across various cultures, nations, races, and tribes.
The Millet system was what Muslims developed during the Ottoman Empire to establish a society in which many nations with different cultures, languages, religions, and races coexisted.
The retardation of Muslims today is partly attributed to the suspension the principles of individuality, rationality, and the defense of the freedoms, dignity and rights of people whenever they are.
The awareness of the essence of Islam and its role as a frame of reference for predominant Muslim societies will help achieve better coexistence between peoples.
It will also promote the rise of accountable, democratic governments in the Arab countries. The latter guarantees constructive and responsible interaction between the West and the Muslim world.
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