Stop propagating Jahiliya
Saturday, 11 April 2009
Ameer Hamza
Ever since the Western media started using the word 'fundamentalist' to describe the fanatic fringe within one or the other religious faiths, we seem to have totally forgotten its original meaning. Isn't it supposed to apply to someone who is an adherent to the basic principles of a given faith? Yet today, the word, applied more often to Islamic groups, evokes an image of an intolerant, self-righteous bigot, rather than a virtuous, peace-loving believer in the religion preached by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Dispassionate scholars of world religions, mercifully, do not hesitate to vouch for Islam as one of the most reasonable monotheistic faiths the world has ever seen. And yet, the impression that has been relentlessly portrayed as 'Islamic', up until now, is one that is irrational, misogynistic and regressive. Thanks to the deplorable politics of some of the groups professing to be Islamic, this distortion has gained far more currency than the actual creed. And this misrepresentation has been made worse by the proliferation of so-called religious institutions that trawl up the children of the poor and teach them virtually nothing but prejudice.
It is time this damaging media offensive is countered with the informed opinion of scholars and seekers of truth. This is essential if we are to stem the tide of obscurantism and bridge the gap (perceived ) between Islam and secular humanism. But for that to happen, our secular intellectuals also need to shed their own prejudices to be able to delve deep into the nature and purpose of all human religions, the Semitic faiths in particular. One must recognise, understand and appreciate the power of true faith in order to be able to fight the changelings in its midst.
They would be well advised to also watch wherefrom the saboteurs draw their strength. It is curious that so much that is un-Islamic--such as the Taliban's banning of girls from schools and women from working--are projected as 'Islamic fundamentalism' despite the fact that the Prophet had declared specifically: 'The acquisition of knowledge is a duty incumbent on every Muslim, male or female.'
Self-respecting intellectuals and genuine Islamic scholars have a duty to resist the distortions of extremists and fight falsehood with the right information and interpretation of the Quran and the Hadith. Nuggets of wisdom from the Prophet's own life should suffice to show up the obscurantists for what they are--moronic mercenaries. Mark you, religion can be abused like any other human activity, if ignorance and intolerance (both anti-Islamic) hold sway. And traditions too can become ossified enough to prevent spiritual growth, if followed mindlessly.
But who are the dubious funders of these remnants of Jahiliya (Age of Ignorance), and why are their kind proliferating in virtually every Muslim-dominated region in today's world? Who gains if the youngest and fastest growing monotheistic religion is projected to be so medieval? Some critics of Islamphobia have suggested that this chimera (Taliban, for example) might be a calculated creation of vested powers and was initially sponsored to be used against communism (which was projected as atheistic). Assorted fanatics are now proving useful for all kinds of low-and-high-intensity conflicts, as and when required, to safeguard the interests of those vested groups who created them in the first place. There may be more than cynicism or paranoia in this surmise.
We hope exponents of universal secular values would help see that Islam is not the alien creed that many Westerners imagine it to be, no matter what extremists do and say or are made to do and say. The scholar Karen Armstrong believes, Islam's values actually translate into a broader humanism that encourages honest inter-faith relations. Given a chance, these values could truly humanise human relations and usher in an era of sharing and caring and lasting peace.
Ever since the Western media started using the word 'fundamentalist' to describe the fanatic fringe within one or the other religious faiths, we seem to have totally forgotten its original meaning. Isn't it supposed to apply to someone who is an adherent to the basic principles of a given faith? Yet today, the word, applied more often to Islamic groups, evokes an image of an intolerant, self-righteous bigot, rather than a virtuous, peace-loving believer in the religion preached by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Dispassionate scholars of world religions, mercifully, do not hesitate to vouch for Islam as one of the most reasonable monotheistic faiths the world has ever seen. And yet, the impression that has been relentlessly portrayed as 'Islamic', up until now, is one that is irrational, misogynistic and regressive. Thanks to the deplorable politics of some of the groups professing to be Islamic, this distortion has gained far more currency than the actual creed. And this misrepresentation has been made worse by the proliferation of so-called religious institutions that trawl up the children of the poor and teach them virtually nothing but prejudice.
It is time this damaging media offensive is countered with the informed opinion of scholars and seekers of truth. This is essential if we are to stem the tide of obscurantism and bridge the gap (perceived ) between Islam and secular humanism. But for that to happen, our secular intellectuals also need to shed their own prejudices to be able to delve deep into the nature and purpose of all human religions, the Semitic faiths in particular. One must recognise, understand and appreciate the power of true faith in order to be able to fight the changelings in its midst.
They would be well advised to also watch wherefrom the saboteurs draw their strength. It is curious that so much that is un-Islamic--such as the Taliban's banning of girls from schools and women from working--are projected as 'Islamic fundamentalism' despite the fact that the Prophet had declared specifically: 'The acquisition of knowledge is a duty incumbent on every Muslim, male or female.'
Self-respecting intellectuals and genuine Islamic scholars have a duty to resist the distortions of extremists and fight falsehood with the right information and interpretation of the Quran and the Hadith. Nuggets of wisdom from the Prophet's own life should suffice to show up the obscurantists for what they are--moronic mercenaries. Mark you, religion can be abused like any other human activity, if ignorance and intolerance (both anti-Islamic) hold sway. And traditions too can become ossified enough to prevent spiritual growth, if followed mindlessly.
But who are the dubious funders of these remnants of Jahiliya (Age of Ignorance), and why are their kind proliferating in virtually every Muslim-dominated region in today's world? Who gains if the youngest and fastest growing monotheistic religion is projected to be so medieval? Some critics of Islamphobia have suggested that this chimera (Taliban, for example) might be a calculated creation of vested powers and was initially sponsored to be used against communism (which was projected as atheistic). Assorted fanatics are now proving useful for all kinds of low-and-high-intensity conflicts, as and when required, to safeguard the interests of those vested groups who created them in the first place. There may be more than cynicism or paranoia in this surmise.
We hope exponents of universal secular values would help see that Islam is not the alien creed that many Westerners imagine it to be, no matter what extremists do and say or are made to do and say. The scholar Karen Armstrong believes, Islam's values actually translate into a broader humanism that encourages honest inter-faith relations. Given a chance, these values could truly humanise human relations and usher in an era of sharing and caring and lasting peace.