Which way forward for Muslims?

[abdulhakeem]

Talking Point
Sunday, January 4, 2004
By BILLOW KERROW

Alija Ali Izetbegovic, the former President of Bosnia, in his great book, Islam Between East & West, propounds the difference between Islam and other faiths. He argues: "There are only three integral world views; the religious, the materialistic and the Islamic. All ideologies can be reduced to one of these three basic worldviews.

The first takes as its starting point the existence of spirit; the second the existence of matter; and the third the simultaneous existence of spirit and matter. If only matter exists, materialism would be the only consequential philosophy; If the spirit exists, then man also exists; Islam is the name of the unity of spirit and matter, the highest form of which is man himself.

The human life is complete only if it includes both the physical and spiritual desires of the human beings. All man’s failures are either because of the religious denials of man’s biological needs or the materialistic denial of man’s spiritual desires".

In these words, Alija reinforces our understanding that Islam encompasses the religious, political, social, and economic aspects of our lives. Muslims today are at crossroads. The ideological attack against Islam by the West is not new, but uses a new arsenal, a new world order, that seeks to pervert the true image of Islam. Yet, this vigorous effort to suppress the revival of Islam has reinforced the Muslim’s resolve to express their identity and overcome the creeping weakness that has taken root.

Our relationships with communities we live with are defined within the bounds of our faith. However, the emergence of Western democracy has placed Islam and Muslims on a pedestal of rivalry and heightened competition for the heart and minds of humanity. The West does not recognise Islam as a way of life, ‘a democracy in which exercise of authority is more of a duty than a privilege, and the assumption of power more agonising than gratifying’. The negative profiling of Islam in the West has however not succeeded in assimilation or isolation of Muslims.

Since the collapse of communism, America has used ‘weapons of mass deception’ to equate Islam with radicalism and terrorism. The events of September 11 provided it with the perfect opportunity to wage war against Islam as an ideology.

For 40 years, we have stood by Kanu, a party that had neither advanced the cause of Muslims in Kenya nor denied it the status quo. In the Kenyatta regime, Muslims were largely irrelevant politically. Moi had no love for Muslims but used them - ‘scratch my back, I scratch yours’ situation. To the West, Moi was pro-Islam, pro-fundamentalism because he entertained Muslims.

The Muslims now believe that the Kibaki regime has accepted to exchange the constitutional rights of Muslims for financial support from the US government. The Suppression of Terrorism Bill is an effort at not only curtailing the freedom and civil rights of Muslims but also undermining the future of Islam in this country. Equally disturbing is the proposed funding of Madrassahs by USaid in North Eastern and Coast provinces through the Ministry of Education. Muslims are worried its singular aim is to dilute the teaching of true Islam.

In recent years, a number of Muslim charities from the Gulf countries have been forced to close down on security grounds. Yet, some of these institutions operate more actively in the US. Currently, there is concern that other international Islamic charities in the country may be de-registered and closed down. The evidence of US ‘gunboat’ diplomacy is clear for all to see.

Last year, at the height of the pre-Iraqi war euphoria, USAid visited North Eastern and announced it had funding for projects in the area, and that the intention was to ‘drain the breeding grounds of terrorism’. The funding was suspended when the war ended abruptly as there was no further need for public relations. Is it surprising then that the people of North Eastern recently rejected a medical camp organised by armed US Marines? Clearly, there is no love lost between Americans and Muslims.

To survive and be relevant, we must enhance the capacity of our institutions and leaders to influence positive change that will channel our resources, the energy of our youth, the wisdom of our elders and resilience of our men and women towards promoting and protecting Islam, and contributing to the greatness of the country we live in. Muslims must seek opportunities and forums to engage and chart a future based on respect for other communities, justice, equality, freedom of belief and worship. The prevailing political transition should be an opportunity for positioning the community to facing these challenges.

Mr Kerrow is the MP for Mandera Central.

http://www.nationaudio.com/News/Dail...401200416.html

[AbuMubarak]

interesting