Muslims must face up to challenge of globalization<\/p>\n
Ahmad Syafii Maarif, Chairman, Muhammadiyah, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, Islam and globalization has come to be seen by
\nsome as a lethal combination that poses a serious threat to the
\nWest and to human civilization. Therefore intensification of
\ndialogue and greater contacts to foster deeper mutual
\nunderstanding between the two civilizations becomes imperative.<\/p>\n
As the presence of Islam in Southeast Asia is also large, and
\nMuslim countries in this region are also experiencing the uneven
\nprocess of globalization, would it not pose a threat to the U.S.
\nand to the Western civilization too? Will Southeast Asia's Islam
\nbecome a hotbed for terrorist organizations?<\/p>\n
Individuals, communities, and nations in post-colonial world,
\nincluding the Muslim world, have expressed their discontent with
\nglobalization. It has been blamed for the widening of the
\npoverty, and the reason for the growing disparity.<\/p>\n
Globalization is embraced and seen by regional countries with
\na degree of suspicion. Some believe it to be a form of global
\nconspiracy of the West aimed at undermining Islam and the Muslim
\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
It is seen as a challenge to syariah; a concerted effort of
\nthe West to secularize Islam, pushing it to the realm of the
\nprivate and the spiritual, and removed from the earthy world. The
\nend goal of this process, some believe, is re-colonize Islam and
\nturns it into an appendix of the Western civilization.<\/p>\n
Such suspicions have not developed in a vacuum. It emerges out
\nof a specific social, political, economic, and historical context
\nprimarily within domestic political order, and also within the
\nglobal order. In Southeast Asia, for example, more than 70
\nmillions Muslims continue to live in extreme poverty. They often
\nfind that justice is not for them, but for those in upper places
\nwithin the society.<\/p>\n
They are presented with a new way of life on daily basis.
\nWhile some send their children abroad for better education, tens
\nof millions of others struggle to buy even a simple book for
\ntheir children. Millions of Muslims cannot understand why
\nhedonism and consumerism, with all its consequences for morality
\nand ethics, are allowed to flourish unabated by the state.<\/p>\n
Globalization has come to be seen as a direct challenge, if
\nnot an assault, not only to the identity and way of life of a
\ncommunity, but also to the very existence of that community
\nitself. The forces of change, which sweep before their eyes and
\ninfiltrate their private and public live, have not always been
\neasy to be understood and comprehended, let alone controlled.<\/p>\n
When the imperative of change becomes a dominant and
\nintimidating narrative, presents itself as an inevitable
\nphenomena, and leaves no alternative but to be on board or left
\nbehind, the capacity of some people to make an informed choice is
\nsignificantly reduced in the absence of a level playing field.<\/p>\n
When the pressure strengthens in the absence of
\nglobalization's real progress for the deprived, they soon feel
\nconfused, alienated, and forced into a \"precarious retreat.\"<\/p>\n
A chain of self-transformation, that forces an individual to
\nquestion his\/her rights and place within the society, is in
\norder. First, when the deprived see that the state and the
\ngovernment have not come to their defense, they feel abandoned.<\/p>\n
Second, when they see the problem becomes a waiting game
\nwithout a clear end, they get frustrated. Third, when they see
\nthe state becomes an accomplice in maintaining the uneven
\nprogress, they get angry.<\/p>\n
Confusion, frustration, despair, and anger would soon find its
\nexpression in many forms, some through violent means, initially
\naimed at what they see as injustice, moral decadence, and
\nreligious bankruptcy within a domestic order.<\/p>\n
Then you have a breeding ground for growing radicalism. In
\nsuch societies any religion becomes a refuge, as a source for an
\nalternative mode of defense mechanism against the effects of
\nmodernity and the janus face of globalization. The state often
\ncomes in as catalyst that forces the deprived to resort to
\nviolent acts through regime's policy of repressing political
\ndissent and denying political participation.<\/p>\n
What went wrong?<\/p>\n
One of the greatest problems faced by some within the Muslim
\ncommunity is the tendency and habit of placing the blame
\nelsewhere, often looking at the post-colonial global structure as
\nthe only reason behind the plight of Muslim countries.<\/p>\n
True, the unjust international order also contributes to the
\nproblem. However, the wide-spread injustice in their society is
\nlargely caused by the absence of good governance and wide-spread
\ncorruption, exacerbated by the absence of democratic political
\ninstitutions.<\/p>\n
The second problem is the preoccupation of some elements in
\nthe Muslim world with a historical exercise that rejects all
\naspects of \"modernity project\" -- including democracy, human
\nrights, state based on rule of law, and nation-state -- on the
\nbasis of a strong belief that Islam is consisted of a unique and
\ncomprehensive social-political system.<\/p>\n
The arguments that Islam is not compatible with democracy
\nwould certainly sustain the irony of injustice, corruption,
\noppression, despotism, and authoritarianism so pervasive in many
\nparts of the Muslim world.<\/p>\n
In the hands of such advocates Islam has become an excuse to
\npreserve despotism. The Koran and Hadiths (the Prophet's
\nsayings) are full of references to the principles of democracy
\nand pluralism, and the importance of human rights. Islam strongly
\nemphasizes the principles of nasiha (advice), shura
\n(consultation), ikhtilaf (airing and resolving disagreements),
\ntasamuh (tolerance) and hisbah (public accountability and
\nombudsmanship) in governing the relationships between the ruler
\nand the ruled; all refer to what we now call democracy.<\/p>\n
Islam even teaches that a Muslim should accept an atheist as
\nhis\/her neighbor. Unfortunately, some in the West also dismiss
\nthe possibility for the compatibility between Islam and the idea
\nof freedom. According to the Der Spiegel daily, \"freedom of
\nthought is, like every other human rights in Islam, unIslamic.\"<\/p>\n
The third problem is the obsession with the glorious past.
\nThis period of the 8th century to 13th century often dismisses
\nthe fact that the Islamic civilization during this period did not
\ndemonstrate political justice; it was often marked by inter-
\ndynastic rivalry that led to the destruction of the civilization
\nitself.<\/p>\n
Islam still lacks a conscious and coordinated movement aimed
\nat reformulating its understanding of the doctrine in a
\nfundamental way. Muslims need to engage in an all-encompassing
\nattempt to reformulate its theology, philosophy, sufiism, law
\nsystem, social principles, economy, politics, science and
\nknowledge, and art, with the Koran as the most importance and
\nhighest reference.<\/p>\n
The above is an excerpt of the writer's address to the
\nTrilateral Commission Meeting in Washington, D.C. which took
\nplace on April 5 to April 8.<\/p>",
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