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Political turmoil, Islam and the West

Muhammad Zamir
***In recent times, a dangerous concept is sometimes being put forward. Confrontation and conflict is being assumed as inevitable between a resurgent, inflexible, fundamentalist, 'terrorist prone' Islam and others who believe in modernism. In this context, the struggle of people striving to regain their inalienable rights, to determine their own future, is being termed as rebellion, violence and terrorism.***
RELIGION has once again become a force to be reckoned with. Religion is no longer a marginal and private activity. It is a factor that is wielding its own influence on world events. Our significantly small world has revealed our inescapable connection with one another.
Only a few weeks have passed since two million Muslims assembled peacefully in Makkah to perform the ancient rituals of Hajj and to pray together. An ancient prescription was observed with due solemnity. This most important even took place against the backdrop of a possible war in that region. Contrary to the anxiety of many pundits, 'well versed' in the ways of Islam and the concept of 'sacrifice', there was no evidence of anger and terrorism either inside Saudi Arabia or in European countries.
I reflected on the alarm that had swept certain western countries and reports of possible terrorist attacks on their institutions during that period. Fortunately for Muslims, the image of Islam was not battered again and the spiritual aspects of the world 'sacrifice' were not tainted. Unfortunately however, it reflected once more the deteriorating status of Muslims all over the world and also the growing misconceptions about Islam in the West.
In these critical times, I feel that there is grave need for us to try and identify steps that need to be undertaken by Muslims as well people of other faiths to facilitate a more cooperative and positive approach in the understanding of Islam.
Currently, the following factors appear to characterize the prevailing psyche of the western mind towards Islam:
- that Muslims in general undertake terrorist attacks, participate in rebellion against established state machinery and are extremists in their opinions;
- that Islamic values, culture and civilization are rigid, inflexible and border on being reactionary in a liberal world;
- that Islamic culture is incompatible with Western or European values which are inherently universal in nature and
- that issues of democracy, freedom, human rights and the status of women are alien to Islam and contrary to its spirit and principles.
Some of the criticism deserve serious consideration by Muslims but most of the other unfavourable comments appear to be based on uninformed approaches and superficial attitude towards Islam. They seem to have been prompted more out of premeditated political motives and economic interests rather than civilization and culture.
Islam is universal religion and there is nothing aggressively oriental or anti-Western about it. Any indepth examination of Islam and its tenets as contained in the Quran and the Hadith will put at rest these criticisms. Islam, instead of being inflexible, accepts other past revealed religions, and takes mankind one step nearer to his Creator. Islam is a direct religion. It is a simple religion. A Muslim does not require an image, symbolical or metaphorical to establish the identity of his Creator. In Islam all are equal. Democracy has been practised in this religion since the death of the Prophet (pbuh). The selection process of the first Caliph was an example of that. In it human rights are assured for all. Women for the first time through Islam were assured a legal status with regard to inheritance. This modern religion repeatedly emphasizes learning and self-sacrifice for the good of others.
Nevertheless, in recent times, a dangerous concept is sometimes being put forward. Confrontation and conflict is being assumed as inevitable between a resurgent, inflexible, fundamentalist, 'terrorist prone' Islam and others who believe in modernism. In this context, the struggle of people striving to regain their inalienable rights, to determine their own future, is being termed as rebellion, violence and terrorism. This is done without taking cognisance of historical facts, and in denial of the principles of freedom and selfdetermination which are a natural right for people as stipulated in international conventions and treaties. I take this opportunity to mention this because Bangladesh came into being through the exercise of such rights.
The stigma of 'fundamentalism' is being ascribed only to Muslims in isolation. That is unjust. In this context, I refer to the interesting view of Karen Armstrong in her biography of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). She points out "that 'fundamentalism' has surfaced in most religions and seems to be a worldwide response to the peculiar strain of late-twentieth-century life. Radical Hindus have taken to the streets to defend the caste system and to oppose the Muslims of India; Jewish fundamentalists have made illegal settlements on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and have vowed to drive all Rabs from their Holy Land; Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority and the new Christian Right, which saw the Soviet Union as the evil empire, achieved astonishing power in the United States during the 1980s. It is wrong, therefore, it assume that Muslim extremists are typical of their faith. It would be just as mistaken... to dismiss the rich and complex tradition of Judaism because of the immoral policies of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane." She goes on the add that "to put Islam into an unholy category of its own or to assume that its influence has been wholly or even predominantly negative is inaccurate."
Similarly, most regrettably, the concept of Jihad in Islam is also at times being misrepresented and referred to as being synonymous with violence, coercion and compulsion. Jihad in Islam does not mean any of these things. It consists of striving with one's possessions and oneself in confronting injustice. It is a means of assisting the service of public good in all its forms. Believers in born-again Christianity should particularly understand that religious revival mistakenly represented as 'jihad' may be characterised by greater conservatism, but that does not mean that is a regressive step and against reform. Misunderstanding of this factor has quite often led to prejudice and intolerance against Islamic communities. Such communication gaps have been reflected at times in subtle forms of cultural, religious and racial discriminations based on doubtful standards.
Unfortunately, like in other faiths, there also exists in Islam extremists who are committed to their own agenda. Suicides by young and old are encouraged by them as a means of armed struggle, forgetting the principle that neither suicide nor killing of innocent civilians are condoned by the faith. Indiscriminate killing of civilians by Islamic groups in Algeria in recent times have affected the image of Muslims worldwide. This has resulted in cultural plurality becoming the first victim in France and goodwill taking the back seat.
These are singularly difficult times but could be worse in the near future. Saner sections amongst us have to take that extra first step. Discussion is knowledge in the making. We need that now, particularly as war looms in the horizon.
In the past two years while problems have multiplied, efforts have been made to create a dialogue. Sadly, this has been limited. This has principally been done through the active interest of some leaders and academicians in the West. They have targeted such inter-action mostly with countries from the Middle East and around the Mediterranean. This has probably been done on the mistaken assumption that if a dialogue can be initiated with the Arabic speaking Muslims the 'terrorism' can be controlled preemptively. It is being forgotten that nearly seventy-three percent of the Muslims are nonArabic speaking and resident in developing countries in Asia. This large population is also comparatively economically disadvantaged and hence more susceptible to unwelcome overtures from certain interested quarters. I believe that the current approach of focussing only around the Mediterranean is not the best.
However, one cannot just blame western countries. What about Asian states? What have we done? Except for Malaysia, there has been little effort on the part of other Asian Muslim states to engage in an international debate and dialogue on this subject. Are we really that resource starved? Do we always have to rely on western funding to explain our position?
It is this scenario and the growing polarisation in attitude that prompts one to suggest some steps that might remove growing misunderstanding and consequent finger-pointing. It might be useful in this regard if Islamic countries took effective measures to arrange workshops between professionals, influential journalists, diplomats, academics, representatives of law enforcement agencies, clerics and legislators of different faiths. Such colloquy could identify areas of mistrust objectively. Such meetings could also suggest means for resolving the problems. All discussions within this framework could be carried out on the basis of proven facts, statistics, reason and strictly without emotion and sentiment. Such a dialogue could even be held through the internet.
Muslim authorities, instead of just participating in a blame game, should also try to present in easily understandable form, for the common man from the West, the true Islamic concepts of peace, tolerance, coexistence and brotherhood. This attempt should take into account the various opinions arising out of different intellectual, cognitive and cultural standards. It would also be useful in this context to present some of the common elements of faith that exist between Islam and other religions as practised in the Western world.
The Organisation of the Islamic Conference can also play an important role in this regard. The Organisation should encourage incorporation of the study of Islamic culture in the educational curricula of western institutions, in countries, which today have a large number of migrant Muslims as permanent residents.
Similarly, those expatriate Muslims who are living in a nonMuslim environment, should also be encouraged to understand the ethical aspects of other religions, so that they can co-exist better with the host population. This might require the provision of additional resources (but that should be found), for publishing more Islamic books in English, German, Russian, Spanish, Italian and French. Web pages should also be created in all major languages so that people can access to such sources for explanations (not technical or overtly narrow in religious connotation) on controversial issues pertaining to Islam.
This aspect is assuming special importance because tens of thousands of Muslim students are travelling to the West for higher education and are quite often faced with questions from their fellow students who want to clarify points regarding Islam. CDs could also be prepared containing not only information but also visual materials which can expand the horizon of knowledge about Islam and about its rich cultural heritage. Islamic countries have a lot to do with the image of Islam and that needs to be done now.
Muslims living abroad in non-Islamic as well as in Islamic environment should also take some time to interact with members of the non-Islamic community, particularly at the family level. They should not confine themselves only within their own ethnic religious groups. Common elements could then be highlighted and misunderstandings removed. We must not forget that suspicion and insufficient knowledge are the breeding grounds for intolerance, unfairness and bigotry. This in turn creates chauvinism and narrowmindedness. Muslim communities living abroad instead of staying away should also try to share the joy of people of other faiths when they celebrate their own religious festivals. This will then encourage the non-Muslim host community to seek to understand the blessings associated with Islamic rituals. They will then be less suspicious. We must not forget that (although principles of any religion are ethical and moral in nature) religious festivals include many cultural elements that can help break down barriers and promote goodwill and understanding between communities.
Today as Muslims, we could do with some soul-searching and try to understand why we are being painted in darker shades. We must ask ourselves whether it is possible to have an internal debate as to how to foster closer cooperation amongst ourselves in the first place and then with others.
We must understand that killing innocent civilians -- women and children in the name of politics --, will not win friends for our causes. We must desist from throwing acid to permanently disfigure a person and restrain ourselves from issuing discriminatory fatwas. These actions harm the Muslim profile.
We have to learn to listen to the concerns and arguments of the other side. Such action will enable us to occupy a higher moral ground and show others that Islam believes in peace, tolerance and in the upholding of the rights of others.
The international media might be controlled by non-Islamic interests, but in these troubled times, it is in our power to build a better image in the West not only of Islam but also of us as Muslims. Muhammad Zamir is a former Secretary and Ambassador.