Conflict
Question:-
I am puzzled by what is going on in Iraq
and no doubt so are many other people. Why are these insurgents bombing,
killing, mutilating and causing destruction and chaos when Muslims assert that
terrorism and killing and injuring innocent people is forbidden in Islam? Have
you any explanation?
Comment:-
To tell the truth, I do not know what exactly
they have in mind. They do seem to be in a minority but still form a formidable
force. But the attempt of a minority to impose its will on the majority by
force cannot be condoned in Islam. Though this is religiously and morally
wrong, this is what Politics generally tends to do.
I have no doubt
that the present violence in Iraq
is the result of a mixture of motives. There is religious sectarianism and
bigotry, regional self-interest, backlash and vengeance from those who belonged
to the former regime or benefited from it, and the desire of followers of Sadam Hussain and his Baath party to restore its power or control and modify the
new political system. But this cannot be said about Al Quida
or the numerous foreign insurgents who have entered into Iraq from many countries and
probably outnumber the local fighters. These appear to be motivated by an
Islamic ideal as they see it.
But control through
violence sets a bad example which leads to the establishment of a tyranny and
is counter productive. It militates against the growth of personal
responsibility, initiative and creativity.
The present
conditions can be seen as being merely a continuation of past unresolved
conflicts. No improvements can be expected until these conflicts are resolved.
This has never happened owing to foreign invasion. There have always been civil
wars and internal revolutions to settle matters. But revolutions bring to power
inexperienced people who are as power hungry as those they depose. Therefore
they make things worse not better for a time until more experience is gained,
especially when untested new ideologies are to be introduced.
However, the fight
is not so much about establishing an Ideology as fighting off domination by an
alien culture and retaliation against evil, injustice, oppression.
Let me put it this way:-
If your country was invaded by a foreign
power what would you, or some other of your citizens do? What would you say
about those who ordered the invasion? What would you do if these invaders set
up a Puppet Government in your country to serve the interests of that foreign
power? What if you thought that these invaders were spreading corruption and
depravity into your country destroying its values and ideals?
How would you regard the people who
collaborated with the invaders and the officials of the puppet government that
asked the invading force not only to continue to occupy your country but also
to hunt down and kill the patriots? How would you deal with these? And if some
friendly country or its citizens wished to help and liberate your country, what
would you say about the head of the foreign invaders who hypocritically
asserted that no one else but he had the right to intervene? Would you laugh or
cry or be disgusted if he asserted that there was no justification for
terrorism when he himself had perpetrated and promoted it.
If you were fair and just what would you say
to those who hold nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, large
armies and arsenals for self-defence that other nations including your own had
no right to such weapons for self-defence specially against these invading
aggressors that have them? What do you think of regimes that capture and then
imprison and torture for years hundreds of patriots who tried to defend their
country against the invaders? Are these humane and civilised though they claim
to be? If you were a freedom fighter would you wish to be captured by them?
Do you think world problems can be solved by
this kind of State Hypocrisy and Terrorism? Can the world improve when people
keep electing and supporting deceiving and self-deceiving, morally corrupt
Psychopaths with criminal tendencies as their leaders? Should there not be a
struggle against this evil? In fact, there is no anti-terrorism campaign, else
the perpetrators of the invasion would have been tried and punished. There is
only a war between two sets of terrorists.
Question:-
I see your point. But despite their
sacrifices and the suffering of reverses and failure to make any headway these
terrorist elements continue to persist. Is it that they think they are
succeeding?
Comment:-
Killing, or harming
non-combatants, and those innocent of crimes, especially fellow Muslims is
certainly regarded as evil in Islam. Such acts are, therefore, only justified
in the eyes of those who think that the victims are not innocent and not
Muslim, but traitors, collaborators with the enemy. True that Muslims should
not indulge in evil, but Muslims are not supposed to be blind to evil, nor to
succumb to it or condone it. Certainly they are not required to present evil as
good as the invaders do.
The assessment of Success or Failure depends
on the purposes and aims people have. It also depends which side of the
conflict you are speaking about.
It should be realised that neither side think
they are terrorists. These insurgents believe they are striving on the side of
righteousness against State terrorism. They are succeeding in this endeavour
whatever the outer outcome. But they are also succeeding in another sense.
These same regimes that practice and promote terrorism against others also use
the terrorism they have provoked against them as an excuse to impose
increasingly greater control over their own citizens eroding their rights and
freedoms of speech, action and organisation, increasing state surveillance and
spying, banning opposition which then goes underground, festers and grows more
extreme. In fact, there is a process of creeping tyranny. This also absorbs
increasing amounts of effort and resources that create obstructions and
compound the problems when, in fact, more intelligent policies could have been
used to solve the problem. But this is not possible when the people are unable
to choose, elect and follow more intelligent, wiser and able leaders, but
instead are manipulated by those who hold the power. But the same is true about
the insurgents also. Each provokes and supports the other.
When there is a conflict of interests, then
because each side feels justified in its actions against the other, very
rarely, and only when suffering reaches sufficient strength, do the opposite
forces sit down to negotiate and reach an agreement. However, it is often the
case that though the people suffer, those who have control do not. Far from
having an incentive to settle matters, it may well be against their interest to
do so. Indeed, the state of conflict may serve their purposes.
Question:-
Western Politicians claim that these Muslim
insurgents want to destroy Western Democracy and Freedom. Can this be true? Is
Islam opposed to Freedom and Democracy?
Comment:-
Everyone wants freedom, including criminals
and perverts. Freedom simply means to have the power to fulfil desires, good or
bad. It is the desire, motives and purposes that make freedom good or bad, and
that depends on Value Systems. Why do we have restricting laws? Does any nation
allow freedom to criminals? A person can be a slave to his own appetites,
addictions, obsessions, prejudices and fantasies. As long as human beings have
limitations and are inter-dependent, one freedom is obtained by sacrificing
another. Real freedom comes from Knowledge, awareness, ability and
self-control. A distinction has to be made between self-indulgence and ideals.
From the Muslim point of view, the Western ideal appears to be to allow
self-indulgence to those who can obtain the wealth and power, usually at the
expense of the majority who have little. The Insurgents have their own Ideals,
but they are not allowed the freedom to establish it. No one wants to listen to
them or negotiate with them, but only to fight and suppress them. They do not
see any way but to fight back. There is a war between ideals.
No, the aim of these fighters is unlikely to
be the destruction of Western Democracy, but it is a struggle for the freedom
to establish their own Ideal
State. Their action is
retaliatory. No doubt, they will leave others alone, if they are left alone,
free from foreign interference. But there seems little doubt that their values
are feared by others and it is these others who want to suppress and destroy
them.
In so far as those who resist the invasion or
fight for freedom are Muslim, even if their methods are questionable and indeed, condemnable, their ideal is a community that Submits to God and,
therefore to Truth and Virtue. Democracy is an abomination to them for several
reasons. It is unjustifiably based on the supremacy of fallible and limited
human beings, creatures that are mixture of good and evil, truth and falsehood.
This prevents the existence of an ideal and the possibility of progress towards
it. If Democracy means the will of the majority then we have the tyranny of the
majority against all minorities, and everyone will find himself in some kind of
minority. But those of the highest abilities and quality are always in a
minority. In fact, people are unequal and the majority in all nations are
controlled by power groups that are able to manipulate and exploit the people
for the formers own interests, profits and advantages. The same small group of
people that control the Industries also control the government and spend enormous
amounts of money in advertisement, propaganda, publicity, bribery and mental
conditioning techniques, manipulating information by suppressing, lying, promoting
fantasies and bias.
The only way of running a community in a
tolerable manner is if it is based on a just and impartial Law that establishes
rights, constraints and duties and protects individuals against each other and
the abuse of power. Even Democracy cannot exist but for the supremacy of Law.
But in Democracies Law tends to be made by the power holders or their agents according
to their self-interest, prejudices or whim and the expediencies and vagaries of
a power struggle rather than on objective considerations of truth or virtue.
And its administration depends on the qualities of the people. As the Political Parties are
hierarchically organised where control comes from the top, seldom can someone
be elected that does not obey and conform to the Party line. Both the legislation and the administration,
fortunately, is modified by the existence of Value Systems that derive mainly
from Religion. But this happens to an increasingly weaker extent as the
influence of religion declines. It seems reasonable, therefore, to assert that
human welfare is best served when the community is based on a Spiritual Value
System that makes provision for human development.
Unfortunately, in order to establish such an
Ideal, the fighters are dependent on an apathetic majority that does not share
their values but has departed from Islam to various degrees. This is
particularly true of the intelligentsia that has been conditioned by a Western
secular material values, which holds the power and resources and whose interest
are linked with the West. Their opinions and judgements therefore, support that
of the invaders, leading to a desperate struggle. This, however, must
inevitably modify both sides.
An American:-
Muslims are
supposed to submit and not fight. Bush knows better what Islam is about because
he walks with God (Mahmoud Abbas
has verified this). Real Muslims
don't hate President Bush or want to destroy the American government. Real Muslims like America and also Europe because of their kind,
unselfish policies in the Middle East, and because they understand that America is
about freedom and democracy. That is why America never invades other
countries unless those countries need to be liberated from other invaders e.g.
from the Nazis or Iraqis. Liberating countries from invaders is always a good
thing since it brings about freedom and democracy. True Islam is about
celebrating America
whose bombs never kill women and children, because they are good bombs.
Comment:-
Very humorous! Good
satire! Or is it propaganda on behalf of Bush! Or is it that ignorance is
bliss! This certainly sounds like the kind of ideas US
government, with the help of the US press and media, indoctrinates
its own citizens with and tries to propagates around
the world.
True that Muslims
should not indulge in evil, but Muslims are not supposed to be blind to evil,
nor to succumb to it or condone it. Certainly they are not required to present
evil as good.
Why is it not known
that President Bush and his family have shares in the Oil industry, and that
there was an oil pipeline to be built through Afghanistan. And there was oil in Iraq? That the present Puppet
Government in Afghanistan is
headed by a person appointed by the USA, one that belonged to the same
Oil Company? That the Taliban leaders were invited to the USA as friends, while they fought the Soviet Union. That the Bush family and associates have
benefited from the Saudi Arabian Rulers to the tune of some billions of
dollars. That the US
government set up, supported and financed many terrorist organisations
world-wide, including Al Quida? That some of the leaders in the Iraqi
puppet government set up by the USA
were terrorists? That the US
led Invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq
murdered several hundred thousands of Afghans and Iraqis, men, women and
children, mutilated many more, creating thousands of orphans and destroyed
property and livelihoods and created social chaos? That through the CIA and other secret
services as well as by their political and economic bullying policies, the US
has committed subversion and mischief, political, economic and social, in many
countries throughout the world, creating poverty, misery and devastation. That
the USA
has the biggest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear, biological,
chemical and mechanical, invented and developed by themselves,
and keeps military bases throughout the world to intimidate and control foreign
nations. That their military has bombed or sent expeditionary forces into
scores of countries. That the US
military with the collusion of the US government keeps in prison
without trial hundreds of people in isolation many of whom are tortured. That
they are one of the worst abusers of human rights, and have opposed
international agreements to uphold human rights. The US Government has opposed
or sabotaged almost all International conferences that were designed to tackle
world problems to improve world conditions on the grounds that it would damage
their Economy, though they are the richest nation. Most certainly, the US
Government is or runs the greatest and most well organised global terrorist
organisation ever known.
The US
government or its agencies had mutually beneficial dealings with tyrants and
many vicious organisations. Among these are Bin Laden and Al Qaida; Sadam Hussain,
(the Iraqi Dictator), Suharto (the Indonesian
Dictator), Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia
that massacred over 2 million people; General Pinochet, the Chilean Dictator,
who overthrew the democratically elected regime in Chile and instituted a reign
of terror; General Galtieri, head of the Military
Junta that ruled in Argentina; various terrorists in Bolivia, Guatemala and El
Salvador; the kingdoms of Saudi Arabia; the Israelis in their tyranny against
the Palestinians; the oppressive regimes in Algerian and Columbia, helping
these to suppress democratic movements there. They invaded Vietnam,
killing and mutilated thousands, committing many atrocities and destroyed the
country with chemical weapons. They helped set up the "Democratic"
regime in Haiti
that allowed American businesses to plunder and impoverish the people. The USA
invaded Columbia on the pretext of breaking the Drug trade while the USA is the
biggest consumer of these drugs, and the CIA made a great deal of its money
from the drug trade.
However, it could
be argued that they may not be any worse than any other Regime in the world if
it had the resources and power. The fact is that Humanity is still in a
primitive state of development and has become a great danger to itself because its power has far outstripped its morality.
A Christian:-
I agree that anyone
who supports American or Al-Queda terrorism is
evil.
Comment:-
This applies also
to any other kind of terrorism by individuals, groups, organisations,
communities or states against individuals, groups, organisations,
communities or states.
Terrorism to
various degrees is not confined to groups or states but even neighbours do it
to each other and commercial companies do it to each other or to individuals.
It is a widespread
disease.
American:-
With every barrel
of oil we buy, we Americans support oppressive regimes. Our citizens demand
cheaper fuel, our industries require it, our Oil companies and their
shareholders want to increase Profits.
What is a practical solution?
Americans aren't going to stop buying oil. Americans aren't going to
release their power in the world. The more the insurgents push, the more America will
push back. Have any Muslims thought
about a realistic solution?
Comment:-
The solution lies
in quite a different dimension than that in which people ordinarily think. Yes
each side provokes the other. It seems only logical to each side that they must
fight the other.
The solution lies
in education for human development rather than for material success. But there
is no incentive for such a change.
Things only change
when problems accumulate and the degree of suffering reaches a point where an
increasing number of people begin to wake up and transcend the vicious circle.
However, the ability to tolerate suffering depends on how much the mind is
conditioned and indoctrinated and deprived of its intelligence and
adaptability. This can only be countered by an opposite set of ideas and
education.
It is, however,
necessary to understand that retaliation against evil is most certainly taught,
even though the evil doers think they are a paragon of virtue. It is the
tension so set up that is the only hope of transformation. But the retaliation
must be sincere, intelligent and appropriate and not self-defeating and
counter-productive as it often is, thereby playing into the hands of the
opposition. It is necessary to transcend the situation.
"And of all
things have We created pairs, that you may reflect (or
receive instruction). Therefore flee unto Allah; surely I am a plain Warner to
you from Him." 51:49-50
Critic:-
You say that the
assessment of Success or Failure depends on the purposes and
aims people have. It also depends which side of the conflict you are
speaking about. But as Muslims, isn't there always the 'neutral' alternative?
Do we have to choose between "Success or Failure"
Comment:-
I was speaking about the assessment or judgement of
what is success or failure - that obviously depends on the individuals
concerned. Success means the fulfilment of a purpose and failure means its
non-fulfilment. It depends on purpose. One
can, of course, judge things to be both a success a failure, each to different
degrees and may refer not just to the specific purpose but to various other
consequences in the wider context. Or one can simply admit ignorance and say
one does not know or be indifferent to either and work from impulse, habit,
obedience or principle.
As for actions from
the Islamic point of view, we are required to do what is good and avoid what is
bad. This judgement depends on intelligence, effort at study and understanding
and purity of motive.
But the results of
actions do not depend only on our action, but also on other things in our
environment which we must take into consideration as far as possible. But we do
not have all knowledge. Therefore, we do what is required of us as far as we
understand it and leave the consequences to Allah. These
consequences Muslims do not question, though we can learn from them.
Whatever Allah Wills is the good.
Even apparent
failure has consequences that may be good from another point of view, and
apparent success has consequences that may be bad from another point of view.
Things in the long term and in a more comprehensive context may be the reverse
of what they seem in the short term or smaller context. This can be seen from
the consequences of the battles described in the Quran.
The Quran defines
Success and Failure in terms of inner changes, noy
outer ones.
"And the soul and Who fashioned it, and
enlightened it with what is wrong and right for it! He indeed is successful who
causes it to grow (or purifies it)! And he indeed is a failure who corrupts
it!" 91:7-10
"So it is
those who believe in him and honour and help him and follow the Light which has
been sent down with him - it is they who are the successful (or shall
prosper)." 7:157
"Therefore,
keep your duty to Allah as much as you can, and hear and obey and spend, it is
better for your souls; and whoever is saved from the greediness of his soul,
these it is that are the successful." 64:16
Critic:-
Conflicts occur
because people use religion or the misinterpretation of religion to justify
their actions against each other.
Religion does not appear to make any difference to people. They could be
praying over long periods, without that showing any obvious improvement in
their spiritual state. They could giving to charity and yet no improvement in
their character and behaviour can be discerned.
Lets be honest, our
worship and obedience to Allah will not add anything to His Glory, and our
deviance and sins take nothing away from His Majesty.
Look, an unread
Arab man in a cave has the attention of Allah and receives the guidance. And a
lost cold Hebrew man facing a burning bush has the attention of Allah and
receives the guidance. No books or databases or authentication for either one.
How come we with all this written knowledge of all religions, including Quran
and Hadith, cannot even pray or fast properly?!
Comment:-
Is it your contention
that the Messengers were sent for nothing? This sounds very much like what
another silly writer wanted about religion - "an observable criterion that
can be measured".
Conflicts occur
because of differences in opinion, purposes and self-interest when these affect
each other. These differences arise because of different partial views and
limited conditions, each of which excludes the other. A more comprehensive view
or condition of life can accommodate them all.
Religions claim to
bring spiritual development, and expand comprehension, values and behaviour.
But as the Quran tells us it makes some people worse because they misinterpret
it through ignorance or according to their whims and desires. It is not
sufficient to read the Quran, it is also necessary to carry out the discipline.
The Quran not only tells us what is to be done but also how it is to be done,
as do the Hadith. Mere ritualism, institutionalism or dogmatism does not make
any difference. There is a distinction between outer physical ritualism and
true spiritual practice which refers to inner states. However, even mere ritual
is practiced with some piety and this has its cumulative effects.
Religion is for
sinners and there are sinners of many levels. They are judged by their inner
qualities. How do you know whether someone is praying or fasting properly or
not. Certainly people have difficulty with distractions and greed and various
desires and impulses to various degrees. But it is the effort that counts,
without which there is no transformation. Not that the effort itself produces
change, but that Allah rewards efforts. (e.g. 8:24).
One person P1 may
seem outwardly worse that another person P2, but we do not know what struggles
either of them is undergoing. P1 might well be the better person because he is
making greater efforts than P2. The arrogant self-righteous person no matter
how clever, virtuous or knowledgeable he seems is most probably a worse person
than a simple, apparently ignorant man with real humility. It is only possible to
compare a person with himself inwardly before and after he accepts and
practices his religion.
However, it is
always a good thing to expound or teach how things should be properly done
whether it is praying or fasting or giving in charity, and then leave it to
people to do their best.
As the Quran says:-
"O my people! Act according to your power;
verily, I too will act, and you soon will know on whom comes a doom that will
abase them, and him who is a liar. Watch then; verily, I am watching with
you." 11:93
"And that man shall have nothing but what he
strives for, and that his striving shall be seen." 53:39-40
"Guard yourselves against the day when you
shall return to Allah; then shall each soul be paid what it has earned, and
they shall not be wronged." 2:281
"He who accepts guidance (or does right),
accepts it only for his own soul: and he who errs, errs only against it; nor
shall one burdened soul bear the burden of another. Nor would We punish until
we had sent a Messenger (with warnings). " 17:15
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