Islamic societies - Term Paper Example

Take Home Test While some Western scholars believe that Islam is on a collision course with West and is inherently inimical to the modern age we live in (Huntington1993, 1996, Armesto 1995; Fukuyama 1998; Kepel 2002; Lewis 2002), other scholars (Muslims and non-Muslims), Noorani, Tibi, Bloom & Blair, Seyyed Nasr, and John Esposito suggest that Islamic societies-like other world cultures influenced by traditional religions- are reacting to the global transformation taking place. The reaction is a mixture of anger, denials, and social tensions. Like Christianity or Judaism, Hinduism or Buddhism, Islam has been adopted for many causes, from modernism to traditionalism, liberalism to conservatism, which may have nothing to do with its original transcendent message of unity and equality before God.  a) At this critical period in the Islamic history what issues should be explored or followed by the Muslim societies to bring programmatic changes  With the events unfolding after 9/11, Muslims found themselves being blamed or held to questioning everywhere. The resulting negativity and hostility that was shown to Muslims and their religion, and is still being shown, makes it clear that Islam is at a critical period in its history, and that steps are needed to be taken to prevent further misunderstanding and a supposed clash of civilizations. There is great need for the Islamic community in general and Muslim societies in particular to look within themselves first to find solutions to the problems they are facing now. Muslim societies, especially Muslim majority states, need to address certain issues within themselves if they expect the attitudes of the West to change regarding them. One of the foremost issues that the Muslim societies need to address is the religious intolerance that is found within them. Even though it is true that the so called “clash” with the West is actually caused by a few extremists in Islam, however, on closer inspection it is surprising to find just how many people support these extremists. While it is true that most of the members of Muslim societies do not engage in violence against others (whether non-Muslim westerners, or their own Muslim or non-Muslim countrymen), however, this is also true that a large number of these members actually find excuses for the violent acts, or condone them. This attitude actually results from the sense of deprivation that most of the Muslim societies have. Most of the Muslim societies are living under extreme unjust economic conditions, causing them to feel isolated. This, in turn, results in a sense of outrage deep within them. It is actually this sense of outrage and the economic isolation that causes a lot of the members of Muslim societies to turn to religious extremism or intolerance. Another factor that plays an important part in this regard is the lack of education. Many of the Muslim societies do not provide easy access to education to its members. Therefore, the people are either completely illiterate or are educated only in religious texts. This also makes them vulnerable to extremism, because not only do they feel isolated because of the lack of opportunities given to them, but they are also easily manipulated by influential speakers or religious extremists. It is actually also because of a sense of injustice that prevails in the people that such violence erupts, making the Western world think and feel that Islam is to be blamed. Muslim societies, in this regard, have to establish justice within their countries and communities. The judicial system of most of the Muslim societies is either in ruins or exploited by the rich and influential. The poor normally do not have any option but to be further burdened. The injustice, therefore, also needs to be addressed in this regard. An interesting factor in this regard is the fact that most of the Muslim societies have bad human rights track record. There is a great need to improve that. Whether it is rights of women, or rights regarding minorities within the Muslim societies, or the rights of the poor or low classes of the Muslim societies, most of the Muslim societies need to improve their attitude with regard to how such people are treated. Even though this has more to do with their governments than with their religion, however, since most of this is done in the name of Islam, it is necessary that Muslim societies try their utmost to end the human rights abuse. For this it shall be necessary for such marginalized classes of people in the societies to be given equal rights, and steps to be taken to bring them back into the mainstream. Moreover, there is a great need for Muslim societies to create religious plurality within them. This includes not only acceptance of people of other faiths, but also accepting people of other sects within Islam. This can only be established if there is tolerance amongst the members of the Muslim societies, especially its Muslim members. The much needed tolerance can be spread by various means, one of the most effective means would be to spread the message not only through education but also through mass media – there is a greater need to exploit the mass media to spread tolerance. When the citizenry is more informed, they will also be more tolerant regarding the views of others. b) Explain in your own perspective of whether the Islamic world is at the surge of clashes with the West or otherwise. It is easy to believe, from what we hear, read and see on the mass media, that Islam, or the Islamic world, wants nothing better than to clash with the West, or that the Islamic ideal wants to bring the West down, however, the truth is not so harsh or evil. There are many factors that have contributed in bringing the Islamic world and the West towards a surge of clashes; however, it will be wrong to think that it is because either of the two wants it this way. There is a sense of deprivation felt by the Islamic world, especially when it contrasts itself with the West. While it is true that most of the Islamic world was, at one point or another, a colony of one or another power of the West during the past, this is also true that today the colonization is occurring on another level, where most of the Islamic world feels that its labor and raw materials are being exploited by powerful Western corporations. The resulting poverty of the Islamic world in contrast with the riches of the West is given as proof that the Islamic world is being exploited. While some of it may be true at one level or another, however, the reality is that corporations act in their self interest and do not represent any country or any ideology. The interesting point here is that as the Islamic world is caught in its own problems, with dictators and autocrats not willing to let go of their power causing the population to suffer poverty and hunger. To distract the population from the real problem, or in order to hold on to their own power structures, those in power, either themselves or by appointing “religious” spokespersons for themselves, try to make the West their scapegoat. The so called religious leaders inform the dissatisfied and power masses that everything that is wrong with their lives is because of the West’s exploitation. This, of course, causes resentment and anger, not to mention hostility, in the masses towards the West. Since the masses are either uneducated, or have state controlled information available with them, it is easy for them to fall prey to these lies. The Islamic world is caught in a kind of vicious circle which it cannot get out of, it seems. On the other hand, there are those in the West who, for want of a scapegoat or to distract their population from real issues, end up questioning the motives and acts of the Islamic world. The poor, angry masses of the Islamic world are used to give rise to a sense of fear in the Western populace. The clerics in the West, too, use disinformation for their own agenda, trying to prove to the population that the Islamic world is to be feared as it wants to take over their way of life. Moreover, political leaders also exploit this fear of the Islamic world to distract their masses from the real issues that concern them. By adding fuel to the fire, these political leaders try to distract the masses from their own shortcomings and failures. This fear also breeds hate, as the masses are led to believe that the Islamic world wants to destroy their way of life, as well as their lives. Constantly they are being told that the members of the Islamic world want nothing more than to take over their land and make the West their own dominion. It is, therefore, natural for the West then, to feel threatened by the Islamic World. The resulting misunderstanding is what causes most of the people, in both the Islamic world and the West, to think in “us against them” terms. The misinformation spread by those in power on both sides, for whatever purpose, causes the illusion of a clash between the two to be seen as a reality. Whether it is to divert the attention of the public from real issues, or finding a scapegoat for their own mistakes and injustice, the elite, both of the West and the Islamic World, in an effort to hold to their power bases, go out of their way to cause fear and hatred to spread within their respective populations. The truth is that there is no surge of clashes between the Islamic world and the West, as neither of the two wants to take over or defeat the other in reality. Read More