...This is not to say that Islam abhors modernization and the adoption of advance social and scientific developments.
On the contrary, Islam encourages furtherance of knowledge and scholastic achievement.
| "That's why the Islamic states are the most prosperous and technologically advanced in the world!" |
However, Islam does have a distinctive outlook on how to channel such a knowledge and how to control the negative connotations that could spoil the ability of the down to earth Moslem families to keep vice and social corruption out of the family and eventually out of the community.
| "Nope. Nope. Don't need none o' that vice and social corruption!" |
This does not necessarily entail an unbreakable attachment to crude or medieval practices, which regrettably many westerners seek to portray in the way Moslems view the right social conduct for themselves.
| "I mean, it's not like we're unbreakably attached to violence against furriners and each other! It's a sentimental thing..." |
However, it is partially due to the misrepresentations by Moslems themselves of the social norms that their faith really teaches. This misrepresentation was further expanded by the rise of the radical elements that sought to fill the vacuum of religious codes withered away by years of oppressive colonial and later home rule that sought to keep traditional organized religious activity under tight control for fear that it could incite rebellion or insurrection.
| "Tut tut. And tut. Mere misrepresentation. Nothing to it!" |
Surely, it is impossible to disassociate politics from Islam, because Islam actually rose as a rebellion against all forms of repression and transgressions.
| "... and foreigners. And infidels. And heretics. And apostates..." |
In modern political philosophy what this really meant was Islam is indeed a force of liberation, that most Moslems view the only hope for reestablishing their rights and reaffirming their dignity.
| "You can clearly see that in every country that's ruled by shariah law..." |
Yet, the so called modern fundamentalists have also failed to take note of the strong politicizing influence of Islam and went on to rely themselves on their own methods of suppression.
| "Orf wif their 'eads! An' hands! And... and.. elblows!" |
Their strict adherence to ceremonial religious practices and their rejection of different sectarian interpretations was also another factor of their alienation from serving the hopes and aspirations of most grass roots Moslems and thus one will see little mass appeal to these radical renditions.
| So why do you think the rubes are really lining up for jihad? |
Their access to funds has been the major source of their strength, but even that has little effect in convincing large masses of the Moslem constituencies where they have managed to operate freely.
| It convinces them long enough to get shariah implemented, and all the kiddies into madrassahs — the boy kiddies, anyway. After that, it doesn't matter. |
In the next issue we will continue this discussion and see what Moslems need to do at the country, regional and international level to reassert themselves as a dynamic modern social force to be reckoned with.
| Start with hanging a few imams. |
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