Islamism has become a common and widespread word, often thrown around by media and individuals within society alike. The universally accepted definition is that Islamism is the adoption of Islam as a political ideology, and thus the ism, very much along the lines of Capitalism, Socialism, Communism et cetera.
The question which has been on my mind for some time now is “Can one be a non-Islamist Muslim?”
First, allow me to raise some reservations about the term Islamism; in the words of some thinkers, a term that simultaneously defines the Taliban and the AK party in Turkey is by default a meaningless one!
The question is then, what is Islamism?
If Islamism is the embracement of political Islam and enforcing it on the populace, then surely many Muslims are not Islamists. Fundamentally, “there is no coercion in religion” and thus no human has a right to coerce another or others to follow his/her own interpretation of Islam.
On the other side of the spectrum, if Islamism means the desire to apply the laws of Islam, i.e. the Shari‘ah, then how can a Muslim claim to be a non-Islamist? Surely, one of the axiomatic requisites of embracing Islam is that you accept the laws it sets out.
A noticeable dilemma faced by Muslims these days is that certain groups within societies claim to be the sole holders of the Truth, they are the only ones who can interoperate Islam’s laws properly and thus they are the Islamists!
In my humble opinion, all Muslims are, or must be Islamists. In order to achieve such definition we must not allow the monopolisation of the “what is Islamic” realm. A so-called secular Muslim (another terminology which causes a lot of contention) may possess a better understanding of Islam’s laws then that of a self-professed “Islamist”.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
The End is Nigh!
“The United States is developing a proposed $20 billion, 10-year arms sales package for Saudi Arabia, a senior administration official confirmed on Saturday.” (http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/07/28/saudi.arms/)
When was the last time Saudi Arabia went to war? In fact, let us the rephrase the question; when has Saudi Arabia ever gone to war? And is it likely to do so anytime soon?
Why do the Saudis need such a huge armament deal anyway?
“This is all about Iran," said the official”
Oh yes, the evil Iranians! They’re the ones who have sent over 220,000 of their military personnel to US shores. Or was that the other way around?
And guess who’s not happy about this US-Saudi deal? Yes, the Israelis. They’re furious, how could the Americans sell $ 20 billion worth of arms to the Saudis. I mean OK, this is good for the US economy and all, and I’m sure the arms industry will be happy about the deal. But hey, don’t forget us, we poor Israelis also want a piece of the action.
Sure. Not a problem. To keep the Israelis happy, the very next day the US announces that it “is planning a significant increase in military and defence aid to Israel.” (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6920988.stm)
$30 billion over the next decade. Very significant indeed.
“Mr Olmert said the increased support was a sign of US commitment to maintain Israel's military "advantage over the Arab states".”
Oh good, so we’re all happy. The Saudis get their weapons (to arm them against the evil Safavids!!!!), the US arms companies get their money and the Israelis get $30 billion worth of free weapons, just for being nice people.
And they all lived happily ever after!
Well, until the Third World War broke out.
When was the last time Saudi Arabia went to war? In fact, let us the rephrase the question; when has Saudi Arabia ever gone to war? And is it likely to do so anytime soon?
Why do the Saudis need such a huge armament deal anyway?
“This is all about Iran," said the official”
Oh yes, the evil Iranians! They’re the ones who have sent over 220,000 of their military personnel to US shores. Or was that the other way around?
And guess who’s not happy about this US-Saudi deal? Yes, the Israelis. They’re furious, how could the Americans sell $ 20 billion worth of arms to the Saudis. I mean OK, this is good for the US economy and all, and I’m sure the arms industry will be happy about the deal. But hey, don’t forget us, we poor Israelis also want a piece of the action.
Sure. Not a problem. To keep the Israelis happy, the very next day the US announces that it “is planning a significant increase in military and defence aid to Israel.” (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/6920988.stm)
$30 billion over the next decade. Very significant indeed.
“Mr Olmert said the increased support was a sign of US commitment to maintain Israel's military "advantage over the Arab states".”
Oh good, so we’re all happy. The Saudis get their weapons (to arm them against the evil Safavids!!!!), the US arms companies get their money and the Israelis get $30 billion worth of free weapons, just for being nice people.
And they all lived happily ever after!
Well, until the Third World War broke out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)