Islam

by Tamim al-Barghouti,
courtesty The Daily Star, Beirut

When there is colonial encounter, there are natives who believe in the colonial promise; this is an attempt to remind every contemporary King Lear with his predecessors.

In the first statement of the Arab Revolt of 1917 against the Ottomans, Sharif Hussein, the ruler of the Ottoman province of Hijaz and leader of the Revolt, did not dispute the right of the Ottoman Caliphs to rule over Muslims, nor did he portray the Ottoman presence in the Arab world as some form Turkish occupation.

To the contrary, he asserted his devotion to the authority of the caliph. However, he argued that the Caliphate had come under the control of the relatively secular Committee of Unity and Progress (CUP), which neglected the teachings of Islam, and whose policies, on the eve of World War One

Due to practical reasons like social status, job, income and security of one's family and person, a person may have to work with an oppressor or a colonial power. This work can be related to one's profession or just as a worker, soldier or clerk.

However, once this relationship has been established, the 'collaborator' finds himself making decisions that are questionable to his/her conscious mind. Even if the conscious mind is not paying much attention, the sub-conscious is busy at work trying to justify one's actions. This is known to psychiatrists as {find term} - a kind of mechanism that keeps the internal balance intact. In some cases, this results in an active hatred of one's own social group, religion, nationality - to justify the actions that one has to do.

The renaissance of Islamic World, and as it emerges as a world leader, requires a lot from Muslims. It is no longer sufficient to only contribute or participate, Muslims have to 'live' the renaissance. For this to occur, certain baggage from th past has to be let go.

Dr. Robert J. Lifton’s Criteria for Thought Reform
Excerpted from: Thought Reform
And The Psychology of Totalism, Chapter 22, p420 (Chapel Hill, 1989)

"These criteria consist of eight psychological themes which are predominant within the social field of the thought reform milieu. Each has a totalistic quality; each depends upon an equally absolute philosophical assumption; and each mobilises certain individual emotional tendencies, mostly of a polarising nature.

PUTRAJAYA: There is a vital need for meaningful and reliable information directories for intra-trade to flourish among the 57 member countries of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.

The Prime Minister said information directories like the OIC trade directory, released in conjunction with the on-going 10th OIC Summit, could serve the purpose of being the agents of demand and supply.

New religious movements often border of being 'cult-like.' They have to keep a measure of transparency to escape the general definition of one.

Fork in the Road:
The most crucial turning point for the Ahmadiyya was 1974. Before the watershed events of that year, recent memories of the followers, the personality of the leader, general acceptance within mainstream Muslims and a lack of united opposition kept the movement coherent – painfully careful to stay within Islam, while closed and guarded.

Periods of Upheaval - defining moments:
Nations, religious groups and ethnic groups exist - there is no denying that. Such groups go through upheavals - also known as moments of truth. African-Americans lived in oppression for 400 years, and the few years between 1963 and 1967 were their defining moments. Russians in 1917 and 1989, Americans in 1776 to 1786, India in 1857 and 1947, etc. Living through these moments of upheaval is risky business - the uncertainty is palpable and comfort zones are violated. Some members of the group get depressed and go negative, while others go forward into uncharted territory. In India between 1857 and 1947, we can see the initial reactions of Sir Syed and Hali and we can see the reactions of Iqbal and Jinnah towards the end of this period. We can see both of these forces at work in these people. The creation of Pakistan was a miracle and for better or for worse, the creation of Pakistan altered geo-political balance - but it was the vision, conviction and seizing of opportunity at the right time that made it happen.

The barrage facing Muslims in the Western world:
One successful political PR strategy is repetition. Take a message and repeat it, ad infinitum. Yes, people may become sick of it, but keep repeating it. Using a careful re-definition of the terms and concepts, just keep repeating it. Academic references are in the appendix.(footnote 8) but recent examples will make the point clear

Recently, a question was posed: Have religions failed or have the followers?
This statement defies an either/or answer. My reply is neither -- both are healthy -- and victims of the evils of tyranny,oppression and exploitation. But first, what is the perspective in which this question is asked?

This is the corollary that comes to mind: It would be grossly unjust to ask a victim of bullying or abuse "Is it caused by who you are, or is it caused by something that you do?" At times, religion has been bullied and abused to fulfil the needs of tyrants and oppressors; while at other times, religion has provided the empathy and healing to cure the ills and problems that could not have been cured otherwise.

Collaborative book on Modern Islam