Chasing a Mirage (2008)
The tragic illusion of an Islamic State
The tragic illusion of an Islamic State
Author: Tarek Fatah
Islam has not been receiving a good report card of late. It needs rebranding and an exercise in an improvement of public perception. Tarek Fatah, a vocal advocate against the militancy in Islam and their return to the so-called 'glory days of Islam', is famous for spreading the idea of rational thinking when it comes to religious practices. He opposes unquestioning loyalty to the ulamas and the man-made laws in the guise of religion. Unfortunately, his voice together with the same minded intellectuals like Parvez Hoodbhoy and Hussain Haqqani who call for ijtihad (using the mind to reason) are muffled in the ever loud yells of the radical-minded bigots who are hellbent to infuse their brand of religion to the masses.
Even though many disillusioned Muslim citizens from Muslim dominated countries migrate to non-Muslim countries for a better life, their umbilical cord to their old practices are not really severed. They seem to have a chip on their shoulder, thinking that they are special and demand special brand of justice and special treatment by virtue of their faith. Fatah tells them that they are not special and need to assimilate into their new country.
Fatah tells the preachers who glorify the good old days which they label as 'The Golden Era of Islam' was anything but peaceful. In quite elaborate details, he covers the evolution (or rather failure) of politics and governance in many major Islamic countries, Pakistan (his native country), Saudi Arabia, Iran and Palestine. Pakistan, a country carved out of one the richest states in India, with the wealth of culture and agriculture, built to be a model nation based on the principles of Islam has ended up as a failed state and bedrock for terrorist activities. Saudi Arabia is a feudalistic country run by a family which never had any free elections. Its laws are misogynistic and tribal at best. Iran has a Surah council which must be composed of leaders of Arab descent even though Persians make up Iran. Palestine is a 70-year old problem with no solution in sight. Fatah reiterates that the infusion of Islam is political in nature. Rather than trying to live in a state practising Islam, these radically minded peddlers of extremism want to create an Islamic State (IS). Even equality among Ummah is the cornerstone of the religion, a hierachial order is very much alive based on gender, race (with the Arabs in the highest pecking order) and skin colour.
The author narrates at great length the history of Islam from the time of Prophet Muhammad all through the various Islamic Empires. Even though IS wants to bring the world back to the 7th century, which it describes as the Golden Era of Islam, there had been turmoil all through that time. Even after the demise of the Prophet, there have been major unrests over the succession. From time immemorial, people have been using the religion for political power and control over the masses.
The Caliphs had been brutally slain and the history of the Islamic is filled with gore, spilling of blood, vendetta, double crossing and desert tribal justice. The teachings of the religion of equality of races and gender fairness almost went out of the window after the Prophet's passing. Even founders of Islamic schools of thought were imprisoned or brutally killed for failing to keep up with the whims of the rulers of the day.
The only time that there is a semblance of civilisation is during the reign of the Abbasids in Persia in the 9th century when philosophy, music and the Islamic culture reached its zenith. It was the time when it was the place where everyone wanted to be, with its coffee bars, music, art and a kind of open-mic stage for intellectual discourses. Still, war and infighting went on.
Hence, the author suggests that instead of reminiscing the past, we should be in tune with the present and be able to face the future, keeping up with the rest of the human race.
He also has a bone to pick with the implementation of the Sharia Law, the unnecessary loss of lives in the name of jihad. There is a concerted of the jihadists to create a siege mentality amongst Muslims that the non-Muslims' world wants to bring them down. There is a hidden agenda to suppress women by insisting that hijab should be a pre-requisite for a lady to show her Islam-ness. What he fails to understand is what have the Arabs contributed to mankind that Muslims are willing to part their own age old culture and traditions to ape the Arabic way of living and dressing!
Tarek Fatah can be described as a rationalist just like the Mu'tazilites in the 9th century who were eager to argue intellectually on the topic of Divinity. Just like the Asharites who literally pulverised their movement, the members of Islamic State want to shut down any decent discussion on religion but to follow their Man-made laws! There is a difference between a state with Islam and an Islamic State.
Islam has not been receiving a good report card of late. It needs rebranding and an exercise in an improvement of public perception. Tarek Fatah, a vocal advocate against the militancy in Islam and their return to the so-called 'glory days of Islam', is famous for spreading the idea of rational thinking when it comes to religious practices. He opposes unquestioning loyalty to the ulamas and the man-made laws in the guise of religion. Unfortunately, his voice together with the same minded intellectuals like Parvez Hoodbhoy and Hussain Haqqani who call for ijtihad (using the mind to reason) are muffled in the ever loud yells of the radical-minded bigots who are hellbent to infuse their brand of religion to the masses.
Even though many disillusioned Muslim citizens from Muslim dominated countries migrate to non-Muslim countries for a better life, their umbilical cord to their old practices are not really severed. They seem to have a chip on their shoulder, thinking that they are special and demand special brand of justice and special treatment by virtue of their faith. Fatah tells them that they are not special and need to assimilate into their new country.
Fatah tells the preachers who glorify the good old days which they label as 'The Golden Era of Islam' was anything but peaceful. In quite elaborate details, he covers the evolution (or rather failure) of politics and governance in many major Islamic countries, Pakistan (his native country), Saudi Arabia, Iran and Palestine. Pakistan, a country carved out of one the richest states in India, with the wealth of culture and agriculture, built to be a model nation based on the principles of Islam has ended up as a failed state and bedrock for terrorist activities. Saudi Arabia is a feudalistic country run by a family which never had any free elections. Its laws are misogynistic and tribal at best. Iran has a Surah council which must be composed of leaders of Arab descent even though Persians make up Iran. Palestine is a 70-year old problem with no solution in sight. Fatah reiterates that the infusion of Islam is political in nature. Rather than trying to live in a state practising Islam, these radically minded peddlers of extremism want to create an Islamic State (IS). Even equality among Ummah is the cornerstone of the religion, a hierachial order is very much alive based on gender, race (with the Arabs in the highest pecking order) and skin colour.
The author narrates at great length the history of Islam from the time of Prophet Muhammad all through the various Islamic Empires. Even though IS wants to bring the world back to the 7th century, which it describes as the Golden Era of Islam, there had been turmoil all through that time. Even after the demise of the Prophet, there have been major unrests over the succession. From time immemorial, people have been using the religion for political power and control over the masses.
The Caliphs had been brutally slain and the history of the Islamic is filled with gore, spilling of blood, vendetta, double crossing and desert tribal justice. The teachings of the religion of equality of races and gender fairness almost went out of the window after the Prophet's passing. Even founders of Islamic schools of thought were imprisoned or brutally killed for failing to keep up with the whims of the rulers of the day.
The only time that there is a semblance of civilisation is during the reign of the Abbasids in Persia in the 9th century when philosophy, music and the Islamic culture reached its zenith. It was the time when it was the place where everyone wanted to be, with its coffee bars, music, art and a kind of open-mic stage for intellectual discourses. Still, war and infighting went on.Hence, the author suggests that instead of reminiscing the past, we should be in tune with the present and be able to face the future, keeping up with the rest of the human race.
He also has a bone to pick with the implementation of the Sharia Law, the unnecessary loss of lives in the name of jihad. There is a concerted of the jihadists to create a siege mentality amongst Muslims that the non-Muslims' world wants to bring them down. There is a hidden agenda to suppress women by insisting that hijab should be a pre-requisite for a lady to show her Islam-ness. What he fails to understand is what have the Arabs contributed to mankind that Muslims are willing to part their own age old culture and traditions to ape the Arabic way of living and dressing!
Tarek Fatah can be described as a rationalist just like the Mu'tazilites in the 9th century who were eager to argue intellectually on the topic of Divinity. Just like the Asharites who literally pulverised their movement, the members of Islamic State want to shut down any decent discussion on religion but to follow their Man-made laws! There is a difference between a state with Islam and an Islamic State.
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