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 Islam and Democracy (Re: degna)
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السلام عليكم الاخ الكريم
الاسلام باقي بحماية الله و نسيء نحن الي انفسنا بعدم اتباعه
اهديك هذا التحليل لكتاب
الاسلام و الديمقراطية
و يبقي السؤال قائما
من اساء للاسلام
مع شكري و احترامي
**********
> > > Friends,
> > >
> > > Professor Hassan Gardezi is Professor Emeritus at Algoma
> > > University of Canada, a prominent sociologist, with a keen eye on
> > > the politics of
> South
> > > Asia and the Middle East.
> > >
> > > Here he reviews Fatima Mernissi's book, Islam and Democracy.
> > >
> > > Commenting on her book, he writes, "Mernissi traces the roots of
Islam's
> > > decline and the sorry state of Muslims to the historically
> > > generated
and
> > > strategically fostered fears and phobias of the caliphs, imams and
their
> > > present day counterparts in authority, including their
> > > fundamentalist
> > allies
> > > and opponents. One by one she identifies the elements that were
> > > once
the
> > > seeds of life in Islam, but over the course of time have come to
> > > be
> > dreaded,
> > > demonized and veiled as alien and subversive to the faith."
> > >
> > > Read and reflect.
******************************************
> > >> > > Review Essay
> > > Hassan N. Gardezi> > >
> > > Islam and Democracy
> > > by Fatima Mernissi, Cambridge, MA,
> > > Perseus, 2002
> > >
> > > Over the past few decades death and devastation, dispossession and
> > > humiliation have become the lot of ordinary Muslims around the
> > > world.
In
> > > Pakistan today Muslims are massacred by Muslims on account of
> differences
> > in
> > > sect, gender and class. In India they pay the price for being a
minority
> > in
> > > the midst of a majority fired by militant Hindu nationalism. In
> > Afghanistan
> > > an erratic jihad instigated years ago by the United States in
complicity
> > > with the Saudi royal family and a Pakistani dictator has reduced
> > > the
> > Muslim
> > > country into killing fields with no end in sight. In the Middle
> > > East,
> the
> > > birth place of Islam, Muslim masses remain helpless victims of
> > > Zionist
> > fury
> > > and a resurgent imperialism, fueled in part by the region's own
> > > oil
> > wealth.
> > > The horrors of the recent high-tech invasion of Afghanistan and
> > > Iraq displayed on the TV screens for the whole world to watch have
> convincingly
> > > demonstrated the pitiable disarray in the world of Islam. As there
seems
> > to
> > > be no end to this tale of woes, one feels compelled to look for
credible
> > > explanations of the tragic phenomenon.
> > >
> > > Fatima Mernissi, a Moroccan scholar of Islamic history, well
> > > versed in
> the
> > > language and the message of Koran offers one such explanation in
> > > her
> book,
> > > Islam and Democracy. It is very likely that her analysis of the
> situation
> > > will be spurned by the patriarchal establishments within the world
> > > of
> > Islam,
> > > as it comes from a woman who also happens to be a professed
> > > feminist.
> But
> > it
> > > is her very feminist consciousness, sparked by her experience of
> spending
> > > her childhood in a Muslim harem (chadar aur chardewari as they
> > > call it
> in
> > > Pakistan) and her early education in a Koranic school, which gives
> > > her
a
> > > profound insight into the plight of her co-religionists.
> > >
> > > Mernissi traces the roots of Islam's decline and the sorry state
> > > of
> > Muslims
> > > to the historically generated and strategically fostered fears and
> phobias
> > > of the caliphs, imams and their present day counterparts in
> > > authority, including their fundamentalist allies and opponents.
> > > One by one she identifies the elements that were once the seeds of
> > > life in Islam, but
> > over
> > > the course of time have come to be dreaded, demonized and veiled
> > > as
> alien
> > > and subversive to the faith.
> > >
> > > A major casualty of this atavistic repression is democracy itself
> > > and
> its
> > > working principles. The Mu'tazila intellectuals, philosophers, and
sufis
> > > fostered the democratic ideals of freedom, equality, humanism and
> > tolerance
> > > within Islamic culture during the 9th and 10th centuries AD under
> > > the
> > early
> > > Abbasid rulers of Baghdad. Reason and private initiative triumphed
> during
> > > this period, making Islamic civilization synonymous with the
> > > flowering
> of
> > > philosophy, arts, mathematics, astronomy, engineering and
> > > medicine.
But
> > soon
> > > these caliphs too succumbed to the despotism characteristics of
> > > their Umayyad predecessors. Mu'tazila philosophers were hunted
> > > down and
> > condemned
> > > for polluting Islam with Foreign (Greek) ideas. Al-Hallaj, the
> > > sufi
who
> > > insisted that human beings can be repositories of truth, was
> > > burned
> alive.
> > > Freedom of thought and private initiative (ijtehad) was replaced
> > > with
> the
> > > cult of blind obedience (ta'a).
> > >
> > > Islamic history reveals two traditions of dealing with the problem
> > > of despotism. One is the rational tradition based on the use of
> > > reason
> (aql)
> > to
> > > challenge absolute authority, promoted by the Mu'tazila. Human
> > > beings,
> > they
> > > argued, are endowed with power to think and form opinion (ra'y)
> > > based
on
> > > reasoning. Therefore, they should have the right to chose their
leaders
> > > without being coerced to obey. This tradition was violently
> > > suppressed
> and
> > > silenced by the later day caliphs who invoked shari'a, stripped of
> > > its questioning dimension, to demand obedience and conformity.
> > >
> > > The second tradition of dissent is centered around subversive
rebellion,
> > > associated with the khrjites who first appeared on the scene of
> political
> > > Islam as the assassins of Ali, the fourth successor (caliph) to
> > > the
> > Prophet
> > > of Islam. With the effective suppression of the rational tradition
> > > of political Islam only the kharjite rebel tradition has survived
> > > and flourished. Interaction between "the violence of the caliph
> > > and the
> > violence
> > > of the subversive" became the pattern in Muslim history and
> > > explains
the
> > > modern reality." But seeking justice through violence and murder
> > > is no solution to the problem of despotism "because it removes the
> > > essential element from the scene, the masses and their will."
> > >
> > > After decolonization of the 1940s through 1960s the Muslim
> > > nationalist leaders, faced with militaristic, imperialist West
> > > took shelter in
their
> > > past, erecting it as a cultural rampart or boundaries (hudud) to
> > > fence
> off
> > > all sorts of real and imagined enemies. But the past they
> > > activated
was
> > not
> > > the rational tradition; it was the cult of obedience (ta'a),
entrenched
> in
> > > the caliphal Islam of the palace and the hangman. Democracy was
defined
> as
> > a
> > > "Western malady" and decked out in the chador of foreignness. The
"West
> by
> > > constantly talking about democracy, brings before our eyes the
> > > phantom
> > ship
> > > of those who were decapitated for refusing to obey," says
> > > Mernissi.
> > >
> > > It is tragic that while Muslims are cut off from the most
> > > important
> > cultural
> > > advances of recent times that have made the flowering of civil
> > > society
> in
> > > the West possible, their states continue to import Western arms in
> massive
> > > quantities. The billions of dollars raised through these sales are
used
> by
> > > the West in military research to boost its space and electronic
> industries
> > > giving it control over heavens through satellites, cruse missiles
> > > and stealth bombers. The Muslim East is by contrast weakened more
> > > than
ever
> > and
> > > reduced to "that crippled, powerless mass that Gulf wars spread
> > > before
> the
> > > world on television."(the book under review was written before the
> second
> > > and more devastating Anglo-American invasion of Iraq). The Muslim
> regimes
> > > "frightened alike by rationalism and by idea of democratic
> participation"
> > > are neither able to protect Islam nor Muslims," while the
fundamentalism
> > of
> > > their allies and opponents "lowers intelligence to the level of
> emotional,
> > > visceral reflexes. And any drop in intelligence bears within it
> > > the
> germs
> > of
> > > decay."
> > >
> > > Linked to the widespread fear of democracy among Muslim regimes
> > > and
> their
> > > Islamic establishments is the fear of freedom of thought. Why is
> > > it
that
> > > there is hardly a Muslim state where freedom of thought can be
> > > taken
for
> > > granted? Mernissi points out that freedom of thought is associated
with
> > > pre-Islamic jahiliyya, the chaotic pagan world before Islam.
> > > Freedom
of
> > > thought inevitably leads to plurality of opinion conjuring up the
vision
> > of
> > > plurality of gods worshiped by the jahiliyya Arabs.
> > >
> > > Thinking involves creation of different images of reality and the
images
> > > that the pre-Islamic Arabs created were those of idols. Therefore,
with
> > > triumphant monotheism of Islam creation of an image (sura) was
> > > slapped
> > with
> > > a ban. This was the beginning of distrust of imagination, the
> > > locus of
> all
> > > creation, innovation and improvisation. Imagination (khayal) is
> > > also
the
> > > refuge of individuality, "a person's little secret garden that
> > > escapes
> all
> > > censorship, all compromise. ... It is a place of freedom that the
group
> > > cannot keep a watch on," and what cannot be watched can put the
security
> > of
> > > the group in danger. "The fact is that for fifteen centuries the
> > imagination
> > > has been condemned to pursue its course beyond the hudud, outside
> > > the
> > walls.
> > > This presents no danger if our great minds are in Paris or London
> > > or
the
> > > United States." But whatever other purpose it may serve, the
> > > banishing
> and
> > > stifling of imagination, certainly does not serve the need of the
people
> > to
> > > live in security and peace in an electronic age. "It is absolutely
> > necessary
> > > that the umma (Islamic community) root its security somewhere else
than
> > the
> > > ban on free thought," concludes Mernissi.
> > >
> > > All Muslim states that are members of the United Nations have
> > > signed
its
> > > charter which gives their citizens freedom of thought, a law that
> > > is supposed to supercede the laws os the individual member states.
However,
> > the
> > > regimes that seek legitimacy on cultural and symbolic grounds
> > > rather
> than
> > > democratic principles have resorted to introducing shari'a laws
> > > which renounce freedom of thought and demand obedience (ta'a). The
> > > Universal Declaration of Human Rights incorporated in the UN
> > > charter since the founding of the world body says in part (Article
> > > 1 that "Everyone
> shall
> > > have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.
> > > This
> right
> > > shall include to have or adopt a religion or belief of his choice,
> either
> > > individually or in community with others and in public or in
> > > private.
> ..."
> > >
> > > This crucial article obviously calls for a secular state. If the
Muslim
> > > states had signed the UN charter in good faith and entered the
> > > modern
> age
> > > with grace, the least they could have done was to "initiate a
> > > debate
> about
> > > freedom of thought and the relationship between religion and the
state"
> > > within their countries. They could have used their government
controlled
> > > media and educational apparatuses to explain the UN charter to
> > > their citizens and its relevance to democracy. They could have
> > > addressed the difference in freedom of thought in its modern
> > > democratic context and freedom of thought during the jahiliyya.
> > > Instead the ######### of the
Muslim
> > > states chose to hide the provisions of the charter they had signed
> behind
> > a
> > > hijab and squandered their public revenues to promote the ideology
> > > of obedience (ta'a). In order to sit in the United Nation they
> > > chose to
> > present
> > > a modern face at the United Nations in New York, only to return
> > > home
to
> > show
> > > the "face of an Abbasid caliph to terrorize" their people with
shari'a.
> > >
> > > Mernissi rejects the idea that Islam can only succeed if it is
> > > imposed
> on
> > > the people in a totalitarian manner through the courts, as if
> > > Islam
has
> > > nothing to offer to a modern citizen who will quickly abandon it
> > > if
> state
> > > surveillance is lifted. "Islam can not only survive, but thrive in
> > > a
> > secular
> > > state, as has Christianity in secular United States, France and
Germany.
> > > The fears and phobias of those who head the Muslim states and
> > > their
> allies
> > > and opponents among the fundamentalists fall into a complex
> > > syndrome
> which
> > > explains the mutilated modernity of the world of Islam, devoid of
> > > the "democratic advances as well as the cultural and scientific
> achievements"
> > of
> > > the last century. Mernissi's analysis of this syndrome leads her
> > > to
its
> > > core, the fear of women. This fear is also strongly linked to the
> > jahilliya,
> > > "which Arabs have never taken pains to analyze coolly, as a first
> > > step towards moving beyond it."
> > >
> > > The most powerful of the 360 gods of Ka'ba were female goddesses.
These
> > > goddesses were also the most violent as they demanded blood
sacrifices,
> > and
> > > had nothing of the maternal about them. "Despite many gods of the
> > > pre-Islamic Arabs, it was the goddesses who reigned over heaven
> > > and
> earth
> > in
> > > Mecca," during the dark days of jahiliyya. They symbolized
> > > strength
and
> > > danger, just as the jahiliyya stood for disorder. Therefore, both
> > > must
> be
> > > veiled and made invisible, as it is only the strong and dangerous
> > > that
> is
> > > veiled. After the Ka'ba was cleansed of its idols, women were not
> > > to
> walk
> > > the streets again, had to be excluded from the Mosques and
> > > confined in
> the
> > > harem, the forbidden and protected space.
> > >
> > > The shrill calls for banning the mixing of sexes heard from
> > > Algeria to
> > Iran
> > > and Pakistan today are nothing new in Islamic political history.
> > > It is
> the
> > > caliphal tradition of tathir, the ritual purification of the
> > > social
> body.
> > In
> > > year 405 of the hijira when Egypt was faced with failure of crops
> > > due
to
> > the
> > > falling waters of the Nile, the Fatimid caliph, al-Hakim ordered
> > > women
> to
> > be
> > > shut in their homes and forbade manufacture of shoes for them.
> > > Those
who
> > > opposed his orders were killed. In year 487 faced with a similar
crisis,
> > al
> > > Mutaqi, the Abbasid caliph of Baghdad, exiled women singers and
> > > women
of
> > ill
> > > repute from the city.
> > >
> > > In due course this caliphal tradition was formalized as a theory
> > > of
> crisis
> > > by some Muslim historians. Mernissi notes that as late as the
> > > middle
of
> > the
> > > twentieth century, Ahmad Amin, an eminent historian contended in
> > > his monumental work on Islamic history that women have been the
> > > grave
> diggers
> > of
> > > dynasties; from the moment they became visible in society the
> > > dynasty foundered. The fundamentalists of today are just
> > > reactivating this
> age-old
> > > caliphal tradition in the name of shari'a. To quote from a long
> > > lament
> of
> > > Shaykh Abbas Madani, a leader of the Algerian fundamentalist
> > > movement,
> > "...
> > > mixing of sexes in schools, Lycees, and universities has led to
> > > the proliferation of #######s. Depravity has spread, and we see
> > > that women
> no
> > > longer cover themselves, but display their bodies with makeup and
naked
> > for
> > > all to see ... Where then is the dignity of the Algerian man after
> > > his
> > honor
> > > has been publicly flouted?" Is this not the same refrain that is
blasted
> > > into our ears in Pakistan from the Mosque loudspeakers every
> > > Friday?
> > >
> > > The sacred city of Islam is supposed to be a homogenized
> > > community, "carefully divided into two hierarchical spaces, where
> > > only one #######
> > manages
> > > politics and monopolizes decision making. The emergence of woman
> > > means
> the
> > > emergence of the stranger in the city." And the stranger
> > > personifies
> > danger.
> > > Islam's sacred city must be protected from anything that smacks of
> > > the disorder of jahiliya.
> > >
> > > But the boundaries, hudud, are crumbling now. Women are
> > > infiltrating
the
> > > forbidden territory in large numbers and the imams are alarmed and
> > furious.
> > > Over the last few decades women have drastically altered the #######
ratios
> in
> > > the universities, so much so that in some Muslim countries such as
Iran,
> > the
> > > proportion of women university teachers is now higher than in some
> > > of
> the
> > > Western countries. And that is why Imam Khomeini ordered in 1980
> > > to
make
> > > hijab compulsory.
> > >
> > > That is also why the conglomerate of religious parties in
> > > Pakistan,
the
> > MMA,
> > > is keen to legislate women back into hijab, and segregate them
> > > into
> > separate
> > > universities. And that is also why the Jamat-e-Islami of Pakistan
> > > is
> > taking
> > > the desperate step of building its own sacred city of Islam to be
named
> > > Qartaba, where women will once again be invisible and there will
> > > be no depravity and nakedness (fahashi aur uriani, as they call it
> > > in
> Pakistan).
> > >
> > > That seems to be the Jamat's solution to the problem of man
> > > created
weak
> > > because of shahwa (desire), But what protection it will bring to
> > > the
> > masses
> > > of Muslim men women and children around the world from being
> > > bombed massacred and starved by their fellow Muslims and others in
> > > another question.
> > >
> > > "The hijab is manna from heaven for politicians; it is not just a
scrap
> of
> > > cloth." Although it may have its other contextual functions, for
> Merssini
> > > "it is division of labor. It sends women back to the kitchen. Any
Muslim
> > > state can reduce its level of unemployment by half just by
> > > appealing
to
> > the
> > > shari'a, in its meaning as despotic caliphal tradition." The Saudi
> > > monarchy is the natural epicenter of all the fears and
phobias
> > > that afflict the despots who rule the world of Islam. From its oil
> > resources
> > > flow the billions of dollars that have created the
> > > "petro-Wahabism,
> whose
> > > pillar is the veiled woman." As the core of Islamic
> > > fundamentalism, it
> is
> > > promoted around the world to fight back equality, freedom of
> > > thought, rationalism and humanism, the working principles of
> > > democracy, and
> thereby
> > > blocks all avenues for the majority of Muslims to live peaceful
> > > and productive lives in the modern age.
> > >
> > > It is true that the story of tribulations of the world of Islam
remains
> > > incomplete if the role of Western imperialism, specially the
arrogantly
> > > resurgent US imperialism, is not taken into account. But there is
> > > no
> > dearth
> > > of incisive studies of this phenomenon that are continually being
> produced
> > > by progressive scholars both in the East and the West. The
> > > question is
,
> > can
> > > the Muslim East stand any chance of defending itself from the
> > rapaciousness
> > > of Western imperialism by taking shelter in its medieval past, by
hiding
> > > women behind the hijab and promoting the cult of ta'a, by its
> > > phobia
of
> > > democratic pluralism, by its fear of freedom of thought and by its
> > vendetta
> > > against reason? Those women and men who are involved in the
> > > struggle
for
> > > democracy , social justice and secular humanism in Muslim
> > > countries
can
> > take
> > > heart that Fatima Mernissi has boldly addressed these issues, even
> > > if
> she
> > > has a tendency to romanticize the revolutionary character of some
> > > of
> > Islam's
> > > intrinsic concepts, and the potential of the emergent feminist
movement
> to
> > > rescue Muslims from the calamities that besiege them.
>>
>
>
> > >
> > > ====================
> > > "Never have the armies of the North brought peace, prosperity, or
> > democracy to the peoples of Asia, Africa, or Latin America. In the
future,
> > as in the past five centuries, they can only bring to these peoples
> further
> > servitude, the exploitation of their labor, the expropriation of
> > their riches, and the denial of their rights. It is of the utmost
> > importance
> that
> > the progressive forces of the West understand this."
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