For the last fifty years, Arab Muslims have made no
notable inventions or discoveries in science, medicine, and technology or
in humanities. Islamic fundamentalists oppress women, and place
restrictions in art, literature, philosophy and discussion on
transcendental spiritual topics other than Islamic dogma. No Islamic
nation has taken the path of secularism, rationalism, democracy, pluralism
and human rights. From
Morocco
to
Malaysia
, Muslims follow dogmatism, Islamic fundamentalism and religious
intolerance.
Dilemmas and Directions
It is doubtful whether fundamentalist Muslims can
last much longer without identifying with the changing values of
pluralism, democracy, secularism, tolerance, co-existence and freedom.
Muslims must accept the fact of change and difference. They have to escape
from the closed dogmatic, imperialistic ideology and tolerate, and accept
and genuinely respect those who differ from them. Their vision of the
world and other religions is fragmented, distorted and their approach to
problems is misguided. Because of their narrow reductionism and
mechanistic framework of the world, they mistrust the non-Islamic world
and rational, open, and democratic concepts and ideas. The closed paradigm
of fundamentalist Islam and the will to interpret matters on the rigid,
narrow-minded, bigoted and dogmatic Islamic term is the main reason for
the present crisis, violence and terrorism that we experience.
A solution for the Islamic crisis can be found. The
solution must begin with the identification of the problem. What we need
is a fundamental change in Islamic thought, perception and values. The
gravity and intensity of the crisis created by Muslims warrants refocus of
their dualistic, rigid framework. For Muslims, problems are interpreted as
conflict between infidels and faithful. Islamic fundamentalists declare
that there is no solution for the
Middle East
problem except through Jihad. According to Koran, Jihad is a war against
the non-believers. Sura (1:4) says, “those who disbelieve and
hinder (men) from the path of Allah, their deeds will Allah render
astray…. Therefore, when you meet the unbelievers, smite their necks, at
length, when you have thoroughly subdued them, build a barrier against
them, thereafter (is the time for) either generosity or
ransom, until war lays down its burden”. Thus Islam views the world as
though it were divided in two opposing camps…Darus Salam (Muslims) and
Darul Harb (Infidels). Again Sura (8:39) says “and fight until there
remains no more infidels or until they remain submissive only to Allah”.
Many liberals misconceive the reasons for Islamic rage, violence, unrest,
brutality, beheading, arrogance and terrorism. What Iranian Mullahs, Iraq
Jihadis, Al-Queda, Hamas, Muslim mob burning flags of democratic nations
and Muslims kidnapping journalists are certainly displaying a patterns
rooted in the Islamic dogmatism. The violence, intolerance,
non-compromising attitude, and thinking errors are an integral and
inseparable part of the total Koranic message. The violence, terrorism,
and hostility will be continued ruthlessly and relentlessly against
non-believers until final victory is assured. The strict adherence to the
closed thinking, rigid paradigm and the dualistic Islamic concept of
believers and non-believers has disastrous consequences. The crisis and
terrorism we witness in the Middle East,
Afghanistan
,
Pakistan
,
Iran
,
Iraq
and other Islamic countries is due to interpretation of reality, distorted
conceptualization and mechanistic problem solving model practiced by
Muslims.
Looking Toward the Future
In the changing context of modern technology and
pluralism, Muslims cannot survive in a closed system. They have to
interpret, analyze, examine and accept the social, political, cultural,
scientific and technological developments taking place around the world.
Islamic society should undergo a planned change and learn to coexist with
non-believers and accept rational and free _expression of ideas.
Islamic scholars, thinkers, political leaders and
media persons have an immense opportunity, responsibility and obligation
to generate new knowledge, ideas and strategies based upon a rigorous and
disciplined assessment of the present crisis. Islam needs a reformation
and Muslims must embrace change, democracy, pluralism, coexistence,
religious tolerance and freedom of _expression. Creative and systemic
problem solving strategies would reduce the possibility of future crisis
and conflict with the civilized world. Introduction of integral humanism,
secularism, and creative thinking can be an instrument for reform and
reformation in the Islamic world. This would encourage Muslims to free
themselves from the trap of absolutism, and the rigid reductionism. The
institutionalization of such broad, eclectic knowledge is a prerequisite
for world peace and harmony. To face the future, Muslims must show the
discipline-indispensable to the task of building a new order.
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