| JuryFury.com
A New Issue Every Monday ! SUBSCRIBE NOW !! Online School of Politics |
|||
| Areas of Interest THE USA American Foreign Policy US House and Senate US Presidents State & Local Politics Regional Politics Politics of China The British Commonwealth Indian Subcontinent Middle East The European Union Africa Latin America ASEAN NATO United Nations The Non-aligned Movement Eastern Europe New Nations of the 20th Century General Topics Constitutional Law Human Rights Nuclear Disarmament & Treaties International Warfare Environmental Law Peace Treaties Economic & Social Alliances International Organizations Journalism & Media Racism and Democracy Women in the Workplace Family Law Courts and Practices The Judicial System Higher Education Education and Government Health Care & Insurance Rights of the Disabled Copyright & Working Online Legal Representation Legal Insurance Pornography Domestic Violence Religion & Law Workers Rights Employers Rights Prison & Life after Social Organizations Welfare & Poverty Taxation and Democracy Third World Aid Programs Space Exploration Alternative Energy Petroleum Industry & Cars Nuclear Power Programs for the Arts Sports Education Policing the Internet Privacy and freedom Immigration Food and Regulation War on Drugs War on Pharmaceuticals Public Housing Pollution and Control Sexual Harrassment Discrimination Electoral Process Consumers Rights Investors Rights Abortion Death Penalty Social Security Gender & Sexuality Grassroots Organization ACLU World Watch Oxfam UNICEF United Negro Fund Ford Foundation (suggestions welcome at our chatsite) Law of the Economy Join I-Traderschool, our sister magazine, for debates and news. |
Role of Islam in Globalization
Muslim Clerics gather to discuss Role of Islam in Globalization Forwarded by Craig Johnson Here's the link http://groups.yahoo.com/group/QuietPolyJuryFury/message/1956 re: Craig Johnson's forwarded article by Sophia Barkat Islam is a decentralized religion. We have no head like the Pope, no organization like the Vatican, Church of England. A such you cannot really hold anyone accountable for it's failures other than the very people who follow it. After 911 there has been a need in the West to point fingers at someone for the 3000 deaths in the World Trade Center incident. After all, for Americans and non-Americans it would mean a turning point for the worse as far as civil rights, national security and international peace. The questions on many people's minds are "How is Islam to blame for 911? How does Islam compare to the West? Is Islam threatened by Western values? What are Muslim values and how do they value from Islamic Values? Should the West tolerate Islam?" It seems that while the West is pondering it's relationship with Islam, Muslim theologians and scholars are doing the same on the other side. "How does Islam fit into the ideology of globalization?" Well to answer that will require us to answer many questions. What is Islam for one and what is "globalization" for another. As no scholar of Islam, I cannot provide a very theological answer to any of those questions. However, as one who was born to a Muslim culture and raised in both Bengali and Muslim traditions I'll try to answer some of the questions: 1) Islamic values come straight from the Koran and the Hadith -- life example of the Prophet. 2) Muslims in general do not concern themselves with strict observance of Shariat. Many demographically Muslim countries follow secular laws. In such countries people observe socially acceptable levels of Shariat, but do not enforce it, understanding that it was written hundreds of years ago and cannot be as socially applicable as secular laws. 3) Some countries are run by Shariat Law. As such it is important for all to observe ethical behavior dictated by the Shariah -- or "Code of Conduct". In most such countries despotic and monarchic rule press down on democratic governments. Civil rights, as we know them in the US, are in many respects absent -- as is the case of women in some Middle Eastern Countries. In such countries, the general populous fights back with Western ideals of democracy. Funnily enough despotism and monarchy are not acceptable forms of Caliphate -- the only true form of governance in Islam -- though no one seems to point that out these days. Caliphate is a government chosen by leaders of the people. It is not some tribal lord's ascension to royalty having found oil. If such rulers impose Shariah, they cannot be the Caliph. In most monarchies that have imposed Shariah on the people, the problem has been multifold. Instead of proving to be equal, Shariah law is imposed selectively on the weaker sex, and poorer masses, while people in power are not accountable. This is not a problem of Islam but of the law enforcement and clergy who impose Shahriah. No current despot or monarch would give up their power in the Middle East for a single Caliphate to run their nations. 4) Islam believes in equality. While the Caliph is chosen by his/her predecessor, he or she is never equivalent to a god or emperor as in Ancient Rome. Rather he or she is one bestowed to make sure that the rule of Shariah endures over all Muslims equally. The Caliph is not outside of the law either. All people are equal in Islam. Muslims only bow their heads to Allah, the creator and sustainer of the World. It would be interesting to see if Muslims -- women and men -- are equal in Islam as preached in the Qu'ran. But before that we must understand what equality means. Equality, is to me, a Hobbsian concept. Citizens are equally powerless to the state. Rich are not more powerless than the poor, nor women more than men. In Islam, the Ruler is Allah -- the same god as that of Abraham and David, Moses and Jesus, as claimed by Mohammad. Hence equality means powerlessness in the eyes of God. As such, the Islamic system is in many ways egalitarian. All Muslims pay the same tax rate of 2.5% or Zakah which goes to supporting the poor, though you can be exempt if you are poor. All Muslims are required to believe in God, pray five times a day and fast thirty days of Ramadan. Men and women alike must observe proper ways of dressing to avoid inflaming desire in the opposite sex. (Koran) All must look after their parents in the same way they were taken care of as children. All are equally accountable in this life and the hereafter for their sins and good deeds, and heavens door is open to those who are heedful, as well as hell for the heedless. All are advised equally in the ways of the Shariah, which is inspired by the Koran and all books before the Koran - Torah, Injil (Bible) etc. 5) Economic and Political Inequalities But then again men may marry four wives! And women may not have four husbands! And daughter may inherit only after sons do and also after male cousins and uncles have done. So, is the Shariah fair? In the time of the Shariah it was fair as women were not seen as wage earners, as many are still not. Men bore the brunt of raising a family and therefore got as much of inheritance as possible. A woman got from her son, siblings, parents and from her husband. She also got a fair dowry. In most Arab countries many men are single as they cannot compete for a bride -- dowries being so steep. 6) Market Economy Islam was born to one tribe amongst many who traded spices and textiles between Europe and Asia. They were hagglers. They hated taxes. And they rarely stayed in one place enough to consider themselves part of a nation. This is the Bedouin culture to which Mohammad was born. He was one himself, working for Khadija a wealthy businesswoman fifteen years his senior, whom he would later marry. Arabia as we know it is united by Mohammad on a spiritual level, but remained like a fluid. It is this nature of Arabia that is documented in history. The heritage continues. The Middle East remains a market economy. Most of the Middle Eastern Muslim countries, have headed for westernization that the West is familiar with. Large malls, KFC and McDonalds -- these are the present-day Arab way of life. The countries that are not oil-rich have not had the opportunity to take part in this American-style consumerism. African countries like Somalia, Ethiopia, or countries in Asia like Pakistan and Bangladesh have a different experience when it comes to westernization. At the bottom of the food chain, they have been faced with greater economical questions: poverty alleviation, population control, illiteracy. The only signs of westernization are the urban areas marked by a history of Western Imperialism. The judicial systems and intelligentsia are influenced by Europe. The airwaves and youth aspire for consumerism and democracy. Islam remains in everyone's life as a connection to tradition and ethics but often not social expression. Local cultures have a greater influence on how one expresses oneself. 7) Islam in daily life. The Ten Commandments are part of every Muslim's life. In addition: An average Muslim should pray five times a day, fast during the month of Ramadan, pay Zakah, do the Hajj if they can afford it or are fit, and must believe in God and in Mohammad. This much is the basic requirement. I doubt most fulfill any of those, though most will believe in God and Mohammad. Growing up one is most usually taught how to pray by one's elders and keeps the fast with one's family. Religious festivals are colorful and enjoyable. Charity is given to the poor, who are many. Mosques are primarily a place to meet for quick congregational prayers. Sermons are rarely interesting and are most attendees will acknowledge that the Imam -- prayer leader -- has not read anything other than the Koran and probably has learned to read the Koran literally. The 'azhan' or call for prayer is usually made on a loud speaker. People rush to prayer on hearing the call. They pray on any clean surface, themselves having gone through a "Wadu" or washing ritual to make sure they are clean for prayer. Cleanliness is a part of the prayer process. 8) Centralizing Islam In his time, Mohammad had been a political figure and had successfully defending Arabia from Romans and infidels. The Caliphs that looked over the Muslim State were generally not interested in conquest and expansion though that gave way as Ottoman Turks took over. At one point the Caliphate of Islam stretched from Spain to India, converting as many by the sword that it's founder would ever allow. But inbetween Mohammad and the Turks, Islam had a blossoming effect on Science, Mathematics, Philosophy, Art and Literature, thanks to Sufism, a central force in Islam. Not particular to Islam it was a renaissance of the Middle East/Mediterranian that would enamour Muslim-Judeo-Christian scholar alike. This would be known as the Golden Age of Islam, and find it's central force in the elite. It is not where Wahabi Islam would find it's roots. For the last hundred or so years, Wahabi Islam has dominated the Middle East, and taken over much of the Islamic world, laying down the Koran more literally than ever, and calling for a centralized governance of the Muslims by uniting people against oppression. The popularity of Wahabism is not in the educated elite as is Sufism but in societies of sharp income disparity and social inequality. It is this Islam that exists in the folds of rebellion against monarchs in many parts of the world. Whether you're tired of a Soviet despot or of a Chinese Despot or of your own Muslim Monarch, Islam is a way for people to feel equal and to unite. Jihad, or perseverance, is a must in Islam. Thus it has become the religion of the poor and the illiterate all over the world. 9) Illiteracy and Globalization Muslim countries have the highest illiteracy rate, a factor that usually signals wide income disparity and a clash of values. The poor are more likely to know a story about the Prophets that they are to read or write. It is important to be a good Muslim and to know the life example of Mohammad than to learn how to read or write. Up until the 70s female Muslims from Asia were more likely educated in home-economics and the Shariah than sent to schools. Madrasas and home-schooling were the socially acceptable ways. This trend has subsided in urban areas though the relative inexpensive cost of Madrasa education and it's social acceptance in rural life, still makes it a strong contender against non-religious public education. The benefits of Madrasas are that they are usually free and mostly funded by Islamic Charities, often giving away free food and clothing alongside to the poor. This makes Madrasas and people with connection to religiously funded charities very influential in rural areas. Here is also where Islam plays a global role. Like all other religions, it enters your house via charity. It regulates what happens in a village. If you committed adultery, it may not have your head for it or stone the woman but it will make sure you are disowned by your family and village, and must move to the cities. Thus, Islam works on a grassroots level. Since the advent of Wahabi Islam, the same mode of transportation -- the Madrasa -- has been used and fueled with oil-rich money. That's how Osama bin Laden or any other charitable figure can have an effect on people millions of miles away. It is this idea of Charity that has allowed for much support for bin Laden all over the Muslim world, which sees the West -- embodied by Imperialism -- as a workshop of the Devil. Muslims whoo do not know how to read or write in Arabic are well versed in the history of Christianity and can tell you that Christians of today are not really followers of Christ but disciples of a culture that murdered Jesus, thereby stealing his religion from under his feet. So, it's not to say that the illiterate are totally ignorant. But they have been fed a language of hate by the local clerics more often than not. And this hate may be rational or it may be illogical, but the opposition to the West is real. 10) Where Wahabism fails Extremism fails in urban areas where more people are educated in a wider variety of disciplines and nations are secular, offering people to practice their religions in peace. This can be found in urban areas of demographically Muslim states. The socially acceptable model is still Islamic -- there is no drinking, debauchery and people are looked down upon for morally unethical conduct such as lying, killing, stealing etc -- but the State stays out of your life as long as you don't destroy private or public property. A moderate Muslim city is therefore more likely an ideal secular state. A place a Christian will have no problem living and may find it spiritually more fulfilling, the excesses of consumerism absent from society. It is a place of change and reform, not Wahabi Islam, and is therefore a clear failure in the eyes of rural clerics. 11) Uprooting Wahabism The only reason people fall prey to religious charities is because they are poor. To uproot extremism you have to provide a financial alternative. But one religious group should not replace another. Wahabi Madrasas should not be replaced by the Jehovah's Witness, for e.g. It should be replaced by State regulated funds for education and poverty alleviation. In many poorer nations governments follow the Keynesian basics of Government-funded production -- building roads and bridges etc. In many nations countries are too poor to invest in the people. When nation-building is taken seriously, I believe the predatory influence of religious organizations in rural life can be uprooted. 11) Towards Globalization The question at the heart of this is, "What is Globalization?" I am not sure what it is? I'm sure the east would like to say that Globalization is multinationalism and consumerism -- aggression of Western Values. Others may see it as the shortening of distances between China and the US by means of more interaction, faster communication and sharing of beliefs and ideas. The sharing part is going to happen thanks to radio, television and now the internet. And more people will undoubtedly travel the world than a hundred years ago thanks to airplanes, trains, buses and ships. In light of such developments one can hardly claim that Islam is not part of the globalization. A religion that has traversed many a continent, it is the fastest growing religion in the US. It is part of the dispersion of ideas and traditions that get shared with the migration of people, with the prevalence of social inequalities and with a passion for learning. It would be therefore equally important for the Muslim community, decentralized though it may be, to oversee that Sufism and not Wahabism is allowed to prosper. That extremists who do not tolerate diversity are given competition from the core values of Islam -- tolerance and perseverence. 12) How to change Islam? To change Muslim perception of the West and of Western perception of Islam, one must allow for growth of mutual confidence. Politicians in the West have not done that post-911. Instead of addressing the political grievances that Muslims have with the West and acknowledging the wrong-doings of many of their past and present Administrations the US and UK have answered violence with a greater call for violence. Bombing of Iraq and Afghanistan are examples. No one can ever take the side of bombing an already obliterated nation to dust and claim to be humanitarian. Likewise many Muslim and non-Muslim despots have used this opportunity to hand over political dissidents, naming them as "terrorists". This is not assurance of goodwill towards Muslims. What then should be done? Just the opposite. 13) If you cannot change it destroy it? The West, whether it's the Coalition, or Europe seem to be on a war path with Islam that has yet to end. It's the only chance they will get to take over oil-rich Middle East and Africa it will do it. Reforming Islam may be on their lips, but hardly is it an agenda on their minds. One wonders if there will ever be a better opportunity as this. In fact, I fear that Wahabi Islam will always persist where there is income and social inequality. |
Become an Activist Join an Organization Get Volunteerism Alert Write Letters to a local Politician Start your own Group Applied Politics Projects Suggest a Project Start your Yahoo Groups Get Internship Credit Funding for Projects Encourage Discussion Join Juryfury Chat Promote Juryfury.com Join online discussion Groups Be In the Spotlight Let us Interview you : Authors of political books Activists Journalists Lawyers Law Enforcement Politicians Politican Scientists Archives Be A Columnist Get Internship Credit Write twice a Month Get Heard Start a Yahoo Group Advertise with Us Books (Free) Our Staff & Contributors Our Magazines Quietpoly.com I-Traderschool Juryfury.com The Company Our Address: QuietPoly Inc. 240 W. Saunders. Dr. (#146) Flagstaff, AZ 86001 Tel (928) 214-7365 quietpoly@yahoo.com Our Affiliations MoveOn.org MediaChannel.org IndyMedia.org |
|