FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK
Islamic Fanaticism and the Modern Age
The Islamic phenomenon call it by any name, Muslim Revivalism, Islamic upsurge, Muslim Fundamentalism. Militant Islam, Muslim Fanaticism, along the self-appointed guardians of Islam at the turn of the century have made their way to the center-stage. Islamic activists are operating at various levels, national, and international even in Muslim minority states, they have adopted various techniques: polemics, rhetoric, political activity and even terrorism, they use many platforms: social, religious, political and academic.
Islamic activists demand the foundation of the State on the basis of the Shariat i.e. the Holy Quran and the Traditions of the Holy Prophet; the unification of the Muslim States from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the re-establishment of the Islamic Khilafat as a super-power, the gradual expansion of the Islamic Khilafat to cover the entire world, inclusion within its area of influence of the Muslim minorities in non- Muslim majority states, either with a view to protect their interests or perhaps even to treat them as the citizens of the 'Islamic state' as members of the indivisible Ummah, temporarily living in diaspora or Dar-ul-Harb. They look upon the twentyfirst century as the century of Islam. All this rings a sympathetic chord in many a Muslim heart, torn between his romantic view of Islamic glory of the past and the decay and degradation of the present. For them Islam is not only a religion but a political ideology; it is not quest of piety but pursuit of power.
One can appreciate the Muslim aspiration for a Islamic polity in a Muslim-majority state, so long as the methods adopted by its proponents are democratic and peaceful, because even the best of systems cannot be imposed on a people against their will. But such appreciation creates for a Muslim, who looks upon himself as a citizen of the world, a moral dilemma because of obvious adoption of double standards. Why should not the Hindu-majority of a country like India swear by Hindutva and Hindu Rashtra and dream of a Hindu State or a Christian majority country like the UK, the USA, France and Germany declare itself a Christian State? That they may not take such a step for a variety of reasons goes without saying but certainly the Muslim has no right to make an issue of it or criticize it, if they do!
Significantly no Muslim ideologue has yet granted the right of equality to the non-Muslim citizens in an Islamic State, particularly the right to participate in policy-making or even in decision making. The non-Muslims can at best be an honorable 'trust' (Zimma) of the Islamic State, enjoying freedom to profess their religion and running their religious institution, including those related to the administration of the family code, to claim exemption from military service on payment of JIZIYA in lieu thereof and, in other matters, political, economic and social, keeping a low profile, generally behaving themselves, accepting the superiority and dominance of those who profess Islam and thus reducing themselves to the status of second class citizens! A non- Muslim is barred not only from becoming the head of the State or the Government, but even from the membership of the Majlis-e-Shoora, from the command of the armed forces, from high judiciary, from positions of authority. A non- Muslim may be consulted but largely in matters relating to himself or affecting his community, he may even be appointed a paid official of the government but always subject to Islamic authority. The question is whether the same disabilities and limitations are acceptable to Muslims. in non-Muslim majority States.
ISLAMIC IDEOLOGY IN THE AGE OF DEMOCRACY AND SECULARISM:
Fortunately we are living in the Age of Secularism and in practice the State power is being disengaged from the service of Religion and vice versa. The State does not operate in the religious domain. On the other hand, thanks to the hollowness of human existence in the industrial age. Religion is staging a come-back but it does not seek State support or assistance and does not identify itself with the State or vice versa. Thus on one hand, human society has moved a long way from the classical concept of Secularism, as the State is no longer a rival or an adversary of or hostile to religion but recognizes its legitimacy as a social institution as an irrepressible inner longing of the human spirit but the state does not align itself with any particular religion - professed by the majority or the minority or any of the minorities. Religion is no longer dependent or state recognition. Call it spirituality or religiosity, it persists through the individual and permeates through the society and elevates it, gives it character, generates fellow-feeling and compassion and affects the performance of those who are in office or hold positions of responsibility or are charged in political and economic management. At least, such has become the goal and purpose of Religion in Modem State.
Muslim fanatics denounce both Democracy and Secularism because it would be illogical for them to espouse one and denigrate the other. They wish to impose Islam as they understand and define it, in both Muslim majority and Muslim-minority state and eventually combine them to transform the world order into an Islamic world order-the Khilafat. Little do they realise that the Muslims, in all their denominational variety added together, still form a minority of
the inhabitants of the globe. The Muslim fanatics do not spell out how they propose to achieve their goal: whether they shall subjugate the non-Muslim states or liquidate or convert by force the non-Muslims in such States. The problem for them lies is that the medieval concept of Dar-ul- Islam was based on the factor of Power and not on the relative number of various religions (or linguistic or racial) groups which inhabited a part of the earth. This assumption is
no longer valid or tenable. No minority group can force its way nor can it dominate the State, to the exclusion of others. Human spirit shall no longer tolerate dominance or subjugation or slavery.
Muslim fanatics will tell you that the Islamic model will serve mankind as a whole; that it shall treat the non-Muslim generously and equitably and that all they ask for is that non- Muslim states should treat the Muslim minorities equally well. Thus they would be quite willing to accept reciprocity In the matter of religious minorities. Quite apart from the fact that these self-appointed guardians of Islam have not consulted the Muslim minorities, logically a Hindu or a Christian State would also make similar claims; indeed they do ("the Hindu state shall be a genuinely Secular State") and suggest re-construction of the world on the basis of reciprocity. So, finally, the right of religious minorities shall be reduced to that of the lowest common denominator - nullifying the essential concept of equality among the citizens, irrespective of religion or faith. One can only imagine the tragedy and turmoil that would characterize such a world, with each State divided along religious lines and all of them in perpetual conflict with each other!
MUSLIM MINORITIES AND ISLAMIC IDEOLOGY:
Even if the religious right of the Muslim community to maintain and safeguard its religious identity is granted, as it must be, even if the linguistic right of those Muslims, whose mother-tongue is different from the principal language of the State or the region, is granted, even if the aspiration of the Muslim community for adequate representation in public employment is legitimized and guaranteed, the national society, economy and polity cannot be bifurcated into Hindu and Muslim or Muslim and non-Muslim components. Muslim India, Hindu India and many other Indias are intertwined and interpenetrate each other and are interparable in space. Muslim Indians cannot have a parallel economy. live and function in isolation from the rest of the national society or have their own 'government', 'administration' and 'parliament'! Separatism cannot be a viable option; it is simply not feasible when the Muslims are dispersed in varying proportions throughout the length and breadth of this land of ours.
The Muslim fanatics even aspire to install, in this age of Democracy, an 'Islamic' Government in a State in which the Muslims form a minority; their counterparts even in the USA and the UK plan to establish Muslim rule and 'restore' the Khilafat which would once again divide the world into perpetually hostile camps of Islam and Christendom and Hindutva. Amazing though it is, the bugle is sounded and the rhetoric is diffused in a Christian country because no Muslim country would allow them such freedom!
THE WEST AND ISLAMIC UPSURGE:
Even since the collapse of the communist system the West is looking for an adversary to sharpen its claws. Muslim fanaticism, real and exaggerated, comes in handy to serve its strategic objective and tactical interests. Perhaps even unknown to themselves, such fanatical forces are being supported by the West through propaganda build-up, magnifying their role, through freedom of action on its own territory, through financial assistance, direct or indirect. This does not prevent it from coming down heavily on occasions where it faces a real threat to its interests as in Algeria. Strategically Islam is being publicized as the 'green peril', as threat to human civilization, as a danger for world peace, as inimical to international cooperation, as a retrograde force breaking the forward movement of mankind.
Islam, Muslims should know, is the Religion of Peace and Compassion, the Holy Prophet is described in the Holy Quran as the Rahmat-ul-lil-Alamin, Islam is the last Word of Allah to mankind. Islam is universal, independent of Time and Space. So, Islam must be capable of taking into account, must be flexible enough to accommodate, the systemic changes in the organization of mankind and the management of human society Islam cannot be reduced to a fossil; it cannot be out of step with the march of mankind towards Peace and Freedom, towards a world order based on Democracy and Secularism; Islam cannot be hostile to Human Rights, Islam cannot condone aggression; it cannot accept colonialism or neo-colonialism or imperialism or neo- imperialism. Islam is a charter of liberation - a force to liberate mankind from all forms of oppression and dominance, the yoke of false gods as well as of human tyranny. Islam prohibits violence and coercion for its propagation and Islam envisages a multi-religious world and can coexist peacefully with other religions, within a multi- religious state or world order. There is no place for militancy or terrorism or warfare in this vision of Islam. There is space for sober discourse and civilized dialogue and not for violent conflicts.
Islam not only envisages a multi-religious world but sees it as the natural order. This rules out all forms of violence- Social injustice or economic disparity or political coercion and all manners of inequality but also terrorism and warfare as instruments for constructing or reshaping the social order.
Fanaticism is not orthodoxy. The model of human perfection in Islam is piety nor power. It is the degree of piety one practices which takes man closer to his Creator, not the degree of power which he wields over his fellow human beings.
Islam does not stand for escapism and does not counsel monasticism or retreat into the forests, Islam urges all human beings to enter the world of action, in faith and good conscience.
The dilemma before the Muslim society can be resolved only by wholeheartedly embracing the principles of Democracy, the goals of a Welfare State and the concept of Neo-secularism (which is neither irreligious nor anti- religious), and by stopping to chase the mirage of the Hukumat-e-llahiya or unification of the Muslim Ummah and the restoration of the Khilafat. Instead, the Ummah should try to build a model modern State at least in one Muslim- majority state which would combine democracy and tolerance with modern technology and Islamic morality, which would give equal treatment to its citizens, which would respect human rights and which would import austerity and accountability into governance, which would guarantee a life of dignity for all and reduce socio-economic disparities to the minimum.
This is the only permissible form of D'awa in the modern world, for Islam to emerge as the hope for mankind on the eve of the Twenty-first century and not the ill- conceived Jihads for 'liberating' the Muslims from the subjugation of the Kafirs or for expanding the horizons of nominal Islam.
New Delhi
1 February, 1996
(SYED SHAHABUDDIN)
