SECULARISM VERSUS ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM? By: Dr. Abdulwahid Mahmoud Isse ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM: Islamic Fundamentalism is simply applying the puritanical method of Islam, exactly as in the tradition of the prophet in every aspect of a Muslim's life. Islamic Fundamentalism has nothing at all to do with violence besides promotes peace. It is just a definite renaissance of upgrading or elevating a Muslim's life to the way exactly outlined in the Quran and Sunnah, but never vice versa. Never vice versa here means any blasphemous attempt to update and reform the infallible word of Allah (the noble Quran) to match our modernist mean desires. Within academic circles, the term fundamentalism is generally used in a precise manner. Author Karen Armstrong defines fundamentalist movements as "embattled forms of spirituality, which have emerged as a response to a perceived crisis" - namely the fear that modernity will erode or even eradicate their faith and morality. That concern is shared by Fundamentalist Muslims, Jews, Christians, Sikhs and others. Within Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and other faiths, the media generally use the term to refer to the most conservative wing of the religion. For example, fundamentalist Christianity is often described as the most conservative wing of Evangelicalism. The question which poses itself is, if fundamentalism is a wider phenomenon, not confined to Islam only, why does it become distinctive and yet an issue only in Islam? The answer is in the same definition of Fundamentalism within the concept of purity and originality which reflects on the socio-political realm of the Fundamentalist's life who holds it as an article of faith that, since Islam is a religion which covers and encompasses all aspects of life, success therein can only be achieved by going back to its pure fundamental teachings and application. This does not necessarily mean that Islamic Fundamentalism denies modernity in its entirety, nevertheless Islamic Fundamentalism sponsors the faith-compatible and morally sound thereof. However Christianity should not suffer such accusations as leveled against Islamic Fundamentalism where, the Church has agreed with the secular world in a non-interference of affairs policy in the treaty which has then become known as, what is God is for God and what is Caesar's is for Caesar. In Christianity, secularism developed as a result of the revolt of the people in the advent of science and reasoning against the dogmatic and irrational grip of the Church. What is God's is for God and what is Caesar’s is for Caesar has been the latest reconciliation after lengthy and exhaustive adversary and rebellion between the Church and the State. Whereas the Church obstinately denied scientific discoveries, Galileo was burnt alive to have explained the earth is round; Islam encouraged the scientific findings and urged scientists to explore more of the universe with object to contemplate the omnipotence of its only creator. The French scientist, Maurice Bucaille in his book: the Quran, Bible, and Science points out to the fact that Islam directed the intellect of man towards the exploration of the universe which leads to knowing the only creator, which in turn was the cause of the Islamic civilization in Muslim Spain which later fluxed into Europe. Only now Science started to admit a Super intelligence being behind the creation!. With full support from the country's military elite, the liberalist secularists and opponents of the Islamic system of governance in Turkey, after years of brainwashing and extensive orientation by Kamal Ataturk's legacy of secularism, made one of the thousands in Turkey's latest pro-secularism demonstration say: We do not want Islamic religion to rule Turkey, we want to go on with the way of Attaturk (Father of Secularism in Turkey). In Turkey, Ataturk introduced secularism by even banning women wearing the head scarf in government offices and girls should take it off on entrance to schools, he even changed the Arabic writing to Turkish Alphabet and further dared sweeping insidious reform to render the call to prayer into the Turkish language. It was not so amazing that demonstrating supporters of secularism argued: The Labour and Welfare party candidate Abdullah Gul's wife and daughter wear scarf that is why we do not want him to come to power. Let us now have a look at what Secularism is: SECULARISM: The word secular means "of this world" in Latin and is the opposite of religious. The term secularism was coined by George Jacob Holyoake in 1841 and he originally used it refer to the practice of the ethics of freethought. Holyoake did not believe that secularism and atheism were related, but at the time Charles Bradlaugh argued that atheism was a prerequisite for secularism. Holyoake wrote the following about secularism in his 1896 English Secularism: Secularism is a code of duty pertaining to this life, founded on considerations purely human, and intended mainly for those who find theology indefinite or inadequate, unreliable or unbelievable. Virgilius Ferm in his Encyclopedia of Religion, wrote that secularism is: A variety of utilitarian social ethic which seeks human improvement without reference to religion and exclusively by means of human reason, science and social organization. It has developed into a positive and widely adopted outlook which aims to direct all activities and institutions by a non-religious concern for the goods of the present life and for social well-being. According to Bernard Lewis: The term "secularism" appears to have been first used in English toward the middle of the nineteenth century, with a primary ideological meaning. As first used, it denoted the doctrine that morality should be based on rational considerations regarding human well-being in this world, to the exclusion of considerations relating to God or the afterlife. Secularism can, however, be used in a much narrower sense when conveying the idea that government and public policies should be "secular" therefore not reflect any religious ideals - in other words, a strict separation between church and state.Yet again a clear reason as to why Islamic Fundamentalism opposes secularism. ETHIOPIA VERSUS THE UIC: If any reader were expecting the TNG versus the Islamic Courts in this section, in reality it was Ethiopia backed by the US versus the Islamic Courts. The TNG involvement is no more than a catalyst role. I should declare in advance that I am hereby referring to the Islamic Courts by the very religious spirit and principles upon which it was founded, regardless of its pioneering individuals. Amid the instability and chaos which has demolished the capital for over a decade, arose the UIC forces in an attempt to prove to the world that stability can be restored to the world's most troubled regions by introducing in practice the fundamentals of Islam. According to the British royal institute for strategic studies, Chatham House, recently published report titled the rise and fall of the Islamic Courts described it as following: • The standing of the Islamic Courts was damaged by their defeat but the s ubsequent disorder has served to make their time in control appear as a ‘Golden Age’. • Support for the Courts has been fairly consistent for over a decade and is unlikely to melt away. • Multilateral efforts to support Somalia have been undermined by the Strategic concerns of other international actors-notably Ethiopia and the United States. • Security in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, has severely deteriorated since The US-backed Ethiopian intervention in the country. • The Islamic Courts, which were ousted, had strong support in the Country but fell victim to the influences of ‘extremist elements’ within the Country and an Ethiopian power eager for the Courts’ downfall. The disagreement of Islamic Fundamentalism with Secularism owes to the concept that Islam is not separated from the outer world; rather it is a vital source of heavenly guidance without which corruption is inevitable. Individually, family life, both in community and broader social relations, in politics as well as in economics, Islam presents an adequate code of conduct and practice which outlines in detail all perspectives of life. In principle, the UIC has been motivated and set out from this point of view in mind. Ceasar and what is Caesar's is for GOD, in other words, the Islamic response to the Christian state and church separation. Monasticism is prohibited in Islam as the Mosque, in the time of the prophet functioned both as a centre of spiritual guidance (a place of worship) and an academic institution. Statements and reports on social relations and policy, military strategy planning and foreign affairs (International Relations) were issued in the Mosque by the prophet. Many unfortunate factors accumulated in prompting the sudden disappearance and dispersal of the UIC power of which, its emergence from a region (Horn of Africa) already on the spotlight for previous suspicions as a safe haven and possible launch pad for operations inciting, what is termed as, clash of civilizations. The second man in AlQaeda, Ayman El Zawahiri Call for Jihad against the invading Ethiopian forces in Somalia added more weight to the evidence that the UIC forces have links with Al Qaeda. Despite the UIC forces totally dismissing it in an official statement. The volatile inter-clan and sub-clan rivalry whose trail was still hovering in mid air could also be easily exploited. Certain procedures undertaken by the UIC forces in an effort to implement the fundamentals of Islam could be deliberately negatively interpreted as seeking personal or clan dominion. The UIC forces have also plunged into issuing hasty and unstudied statements, partially due to the absence of structured hierarchy centralized command system, in addition to the underestimated assessment and miscalculation of the negative repercussions its globally echoed Islamic Fundamentalism motto may consequently have, was another major precipitating factor. The UIC forces were ideologically mobilized by the ideal system of Islamic Fundamentalism but soon caught up into emotional expansion and muscle flexing without careful planning. Had the UIC forces acknowledged the magnitude of conspiracy, hostility, accusations and assaults the Islamic system they attempted to implement would attract, they would never have acted under the influence of emotions. Even those countries which shed crocodile’s tears for the flagrant aggression of Ethiopia would do so just for sheer political or strategic reasons. Never for being sympathetic for the Islamic Courts. It was a global network of conspiracy, by friends and foes alike, conniving to rescind the assiduous efforts of the Islamic upheaval in the region. Otherwise how could it be feasible that friendly countries struggling to either uproot or curb Islamic movements in their own countries help establish one in Somalia?. Even if the UIC succeeded in depicting its pacifist intention with its neighbours and the whole world, with the type of Islamic Fundamentalism albeit peaceful it adopted, it could never survive from the hostility and daring stifling of its below mentioned guaranteed rivals; in this century where in the world did it ever happen?: The Neo-Conservatives --Herald the global campaign against Islamic Fundamentalism Even if it is peaceful, oppose any implementation of pure Islamic state anywhere in the world. They are at war with fundamental Islam, friendly and strongly support moderate, compromising bogus and mischievous Islam with secular tendency like that of the TNG. The Neo-Colonists --Support their secular stooges to easily exploit the country’s resources, Islamic Fundamentalism fights corruption and blundering of resources, blocking their parasitic nourishment on the servitude of their ex-colony. The New World Order–Imposes and introduces American ideologies and values to the rest of the world, carried out by its Neo-Conservative founders and other agents. The Secularists --Strongly reject any religious involvement in the socio-political affairs. The Communists --Repugnant to any religion as their leader said: Religion is opium. The Imperialists – Thrive and strengthen on the absence of Islamic Fundamentalism which enlightens the imperialist’s potential ignorant victims, hence resist Imperialism. The Marxists – Bitter opponent and hostile to all religions, especially Islam. Remnants yearn for the restoration of the socialist teachings of their idol, Karl Marx. The Liberalists–Call for the modernization and update of Islam and permissiveness towards all immoral values in the name of freedom of choice and Democracy. The Dictators–See to Islamic Fundamentalism as the only major threat to their Demagogic, totalitarian, brutal, ruthless, one man, one family, one clan, one party rule.
The Tribalists
–Local tribalists
are nourished by
injustice and social
corruption, Islamic
Fundamentalism
addresses equal
opportunities.
Majority would find
the ideal justice of
pure Islamic
Fundamentalism as
digging their own
graves with their on
hands. These miscellaneous international and locally represented forces, apart from the majority of the local public sympathetic to the Islamic renaissance in the region, reserve strong international support and political lobby within the International Communities. The UIC would have either compromise with its rivals and moderately overlook some of the Fundamentals, in which case it would be no more Islamic Fundamentalist, or face a political and economic isolation but keep the tenets of Islamic Fundamentalism implemented and aloft. As Ethiopia’s target mission blessed by the US was to get rid of the UIC and create a secularist client regime in Somalia. On the contrary, the TNG lead by the secularist warlords will try to obediently enforce above listed categories demands and dictations, but shall find it very complex serving God and Mammon at the same time, when the public awareness to the peaceful global Islamic Fundamentalism is at its optimum. The TNG shall have no other option than acquiesce to and carry out the procedures in combating Islamic awareness and fundamental practice of it. They have already started fighting Islam by proscribing wearing the veil as the TNG backed by Ethiopian troops are removing women’s veil with gun point in the streets of Mogadishu. This plot has been carefully planned by the US, Ethiopia and the TNG. Among clandestine plan, there are very sensitive and crucial points known only to the American sponsors of the fight against Islamic Fundamentalism (The Neo-Conservatives or the Hawks in the White House), major part known to US and Ethiopia only, hidden from the TNG, yet there is regional less sensitive part known to Mr. Yusuf and Melez only but not Gedi and the rest of the TNG. Likewise does the interest of each vary from the other. The Neo-conservatives are pursuing Islamic Fundamentalism, the Ethiopians are frustrated to nightmare by the presence of Islamic movement upheaval in Somalia, Mr. Yusuf is paving the way for a clan dominion and building an empire of his own at any cost, even against Islamic faith. The part which is well known to all of them including the US is that a stabilized Somalia, once again linked to the international community after over a decade of isolation, would be built. Somalia which is not branded as safe haven to Fundamentalists, open to all above mentioned organizations, institutions, schools of thought and elite decision making officials, which the world recognizes as “Terrorists”. The UIC forces, poor enough, are unaware of the global conspiracy. It is all interconnected, the Arab countries such as Yemen, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia which hosted them, the Eritrean president Afeworki, are fighting Islamic movements to varying extent. Now that the US and Ethiopia are undertaking negotiations with the self-styled state of northern Somalia (Somaliland), diplomacy and donations allurement will be big test for the Somaliland leaders, will the third choice be the tanks and fighter jets of Ethiopia?. The US demonstrated its double standard clearly in its backing of the Ethiopian genocide in Somalia. A blind eye turned for the aggressions of the Ethiopian army and its puppet TNG in Mogadishu and elsewhere in the South. Who is doubting that the UIC forces have been fallen into an international trap? Afewrorki of Eritrea cooed them on one side, Afeworki was following indirect instructions from the US via Mossad based in the red sea, if anyone could remember sometime this month, on an interview with AlJazeera, the host TV broadcaster asked him a question about his country's ties with the Zionist entity, in which Afeworki muttered with other excuses. If the TNG initiates is not put peacefully put to halt, there is long term conspiracy to transmute Somalia to secular country. Any upcoming national reconciliation would find it a very successful solution considering the introduction of a peaceful Islamic Fundamentalism, at least as the last resort whereby both Communism and Imperialism got the Somali people hitherto nowhere. Written by: Abdulwahid Mahmoud Issa |
