Pakistan Launches Operation

Against its Red Mosque &

Secularism in Islam

Sona Kanti Barua

Introduction:

Being a Muslim is a state of universal mind. Some are locked in war raging around political, ethnic identity and in July 2007 Pakistan launches operation against radicals in Islamabad’s Red Mosue (Lal Masjid), seeking to end a month-long stand off that has turned bloody in recent days. Unfortunately talks on peaceful ending apparently stall. The government had earlier been hoping to pressure the students to leave the Red Mosque peacefully, but those negotiations appeared to have been broken down. Those who were killed are innocent students who were for getting Islamic education in the Red Mosque. The Taleban, Al-Quida or the Islamic fundamentalists should understand that the triumph over prejudice and ignorance is a triumph for us all.

Humanity is like the ocean. Radical Islamic clerics or nobody could divide it in the name of religion or Islam, thinking “I will glorify my own Islamic religion by using bombs and violence in destroying others.” In doing so he or she injures his or her own religion more gravely. Greed and hatred are the roots of many problems of human beings. To solve these problems it is necessary to bring greed and hatred under control. Some white-supremacists delve deep into Islamic and Asian philosophy, ethics and civilizations not for edification, but for destructive criticism and disparagement. But the universal minds show, “Truth or Allah alone is victorious.”

The Islamic tradition is rooted in thought and debate, a tradition going back to the prophet Muhammad himself. Today’s Muslims like other people who live in Muslim societies pay only lip- service to the notions of piety and faith as well as they often disguise materialist greed with religious face and fashion. In course of time Muslims have been victimized by colonialism, political Islam and its fundamentalists create wall of division and rule. Concerning the secularism Professor Talal Asad explained, “The word (secular or almaniyy), yields the abstract noun almaniyyah to mean secularism or laicism.” 1

Professor Talal Asad, M. Mutahhar, Asghar Ali Engineer, Hasan and other Islamic scholars’ articles indicated very well about the glimpses of Islamic values and scriptures including the Shariah or the code of law. Islam was started with the secular idea that human beings are representatives of the almighty God. In Islamic political thought, the rulers are the Khalifas or successors of the Prophet Muhammad. Concerning secular ideas Prophet Mohammad declared, in his last sermon “There is no superiority for an Arab over a non – Arab nor for a non – Arab over an Arab.” 2

History of Secularism in Islam:

Medieval Europe was enthralled by Muslim civilization. Islam has been encouraging its followers by preserving classic philosophy, promoting science, mathematics and rational thought. They were : Averroes (Ibn-e –Rushd), Avicenna (Ibn –e – Sina)Alkhwarizmi (famous for Algrithms), ibn –e – Haitham and Ibne- e – Khaldoun were Muslims among a long list of philosophers and secular thinkers. It is also remarkable that one of the greatest medieval geographers Al Idrisi was not only an Arab Muslim, but also a citizen of Sicily.3

A Muslim does understand there is spilt between the secular and spiritual. Professor Talad Assad explained ijtihad concerning the secularism comes into operation precisely in the Islamic world. Are there reasons for Muslims to support secularism? Not as an absolute. Sensitivity to the unnecessary suffering that human beings on fellow men has been characteristic chiefly of people who are also unusually sensitive to the evil of imposing such suffering on other people.

Great scholars including Hasan’s notes on Sharia, faith, promise etc will provide several good materials for the pulpit of the general rights from the declaration providing references from the traditional Islamic scriptures. But there are actions and reactions are equal as writer Demi’rel explains so highly of Ataturk’s push to secularization in Turkey. Relating to maturity of religion subordinates this determinism to the omnipotence of a God acting outside of time and space. One appeals exclusively to reason, the other to feeling. Even early Medieval Spain also cites Muslim tolerance, which was true in its day.

Unfortunately, the authors could not find freedom in Muslim countries. But Islam’s principal messages, however, are of justice and peace. The authors have surveyed the Muslims in confronting democracy and communalism that have led them back to the Qur’an. There is the identity crisis in the Muslim society the Muslim countries. Change has come from within. Until that happens, many of the bullies, the bigots and the bad of the world will listen to the cries of Islam. God does not involve with time and space. Human beings are limited by time and space. There is a visible body and invisible mind. Universal love is a religion.4

After violence and destruction secular minds have been developing in the Muslim community. Several scholars observed that for Muslims, every thing must be viewed through the prism of the Qur’an. But Talad Asad mentioned, “Even though Islamism is situated in a secular world – a world that is presupposed by, among other things, the universal space of the social that sustains the nation – state – Islamism cannot be reduced to nationalism.” 5 It is also most remarkable that when Islam is secure, independent and confident, so are its nation. The ideal government in a Muslim country mirrors the fate of Islam.

Secular ideas in the Qur’an:

The secular nature of humanity is underlined in the Qur’an. God’s blessings and compassion take in everyone, all creatures. God or Allah can’t be only for any particular religion and community. Even the Qur’an declared, “You can’t abuse other religion (6:109).” But many Muslims and non-Muslims abuse other religion. The Qur’an warned. “No religious place should be demolished. (22: 40).”5 There are problems in understanding the universal Islam and sectarian Islam. There are big Islam and little Islam. Little Islam creates trouble between state and church. Therefore, The Qur’an may t5 be understood in numerous ways. Universal principles apply to societies through time and space. Spirit of the Qur’an is universal and its study is both challenging and elevating.

Human traditions and civilizations are fleeting and illusory, God alone is real. So the Qur”an proclaimed, “ Everything is perishing but His face.” (28 : 88) Men who act both God’s perfect God servants and His perfect vicegerents. Concerning the Secularism the Qur’an explained, “… God loves not corruption. (2 : 205).”6

Europe Against Islam: Islam in Europe pages 159 - 181

Professor Talal Asad wrote a famous book entitled “Formations of the Secular.” There is the writer’s (Talal Asad’s) article : Europe Against Islam : Islam in Europe. There are two major points are given below:

(1) As we read in this chapter entitled “Religious Criticism in the Middle East”. Islamic societies are now in crisis. Therefore, Islamic tradition is in crisis. When that crisis is characterized by radicalism of many Islamic political movements in recent times, it is not a product of mainstream historical tradition of Islam. It is a product of the modern politics and the modernizing state whose project is the transformation of the totality of society through the process of continuing industrial, technological and corporate production.

(2) There was a state in the Muslims countries but not in the modern sense of the term in Islamic history (or pre – modern history). There were princes and dynasties (dawla is extension of the classical Arabic word for dynasty) whose headed institutions that secured law and order and that collected tax etc. However, their was no state in the modern sense of a sovereign structure that stands apart from both those who govern and those who are governed which is the governments duty to maintain. Muslims and the western orientalists who are calling for an Islamic state take it for granted that politics and religion were indissolubly fused together during the rise of Islam in the seventh century and that later Muslim history has fallen away from that model. This is wrong. The prophet Muhammad did not seek divine authority for all his political actions. Many of his followers argued with him and they were not called apostates. He relied on his ability to persuade them and on personal loyalty to keep his followers because he did not possess coercive state institutions that enforced or framed his political actions. According to the Islamic history it was Abu Bakr who was first turned against fellow Muslims in a military way and then insisted that they had to be subordinated to a centralized political authority in the form of an Islamic prince. But the principle of subordination to an Islamic prince does not constitute an Islamic state in the modern sense.

Talal Asad gives the example of how Europeans have picked up on the division of the world of into the “House of Islam” and the “House of Unbelief or of War” that is found in the Islamic legal tradition. Europeans have used this as a way to question how loyal Muslims in Europe can be to non - Muslim government and non-Muslim political structures. In other words, that European Muslims can be loyal to the European states in which they live. Talal Asad makes these points in arguing against the association of Muslims’ politics with an essential or original politico – religious Islam.

Referring to this example of legal tradition (that of the division of between the House of Islam and the House of Unbelief or war) in order to question the loyalty of Muslim European citizens implies several things.

(1) That Muslims are going to be guided by ancient legal tenants (Shari’a) even if have no institutional backing in Europe.

(2) That Muslims are not open to reinterpretations of these tenants or principles even though the Christians have been able reinterpret their legal traditions. (3) It ignores the fact that large numbers of colonial Muslims in Africa and Asia have lived as subjects of European governments. And only very rarely has their opposition to these governments invoked these doctrines.

(4) Any attempt to demand the absolute and exclusive loyalty of Muslim immigrants by European Nationalists ignores the bankers, trade – unionists, intellectuals, scientists and artists that have personal and professional attachments that transcend the borders of the nation state. Jews and Catholics and recent immigrants all have loyalties that are not completely contained by the constitutional demands of the nation state. Why should Muslims in Europe be different?

Formations of the Secular: Christianity, Islam & Modernity. Pages 181 - 205

Talal Asad remarks that Muslims are present in Europe and yet absent from it. What does he mean? The incorporation of Muslims in European society (even to U.S.A. or North American Society) is thought be very difficult because Muslims are brought up in a culture that is foreign. European nationalists believe that Muslims cannot commit themselves to the values of modern Western principles because of their attachment of Muslims to Islam. For example, this belief has been aggravated by the following three examples:

(a) The Islamic rejection of the principle of secular republicanism the kind of secular republicanism that is present in France, which is most vividly exemplified by “ I affaire du foulard.”

(b) By the Islamic rejection of the freedom of speech as exemplified in the Salman Rushdie Affair.

These events have led even the most liberals who stand for tolerance and for an open society; to question whether Muslims can indeed by accommodated into European society. So how can contemporary Europe represent a culturally diverse society in which Muslim migrants are now taking on an increasing role?

To answer this question we have to understand first how is Europe defined and represented by those who consider themselves to be authentic Europeans and what kind of universe does Europe represent to Europeans. There are some contradictions in Europe’s sense of uniqueness and privilege.

If Muslims civil disobedience threatens the very core of Europe or what it is to be a European do the military conquests and genocidal policies of the Nazi state. For example also problem -making Germany’s European-ness or European – like mentality? Does the continuing and extreme violence between and within European states delude their European-ness?

Is the Bosnian community external to the essence of Europe so that we constantly hear about the co-existence of the Muslim community of Bosnians with the rest of Europeans? Even when they (Bosnian Muslims) live in a secularized society?

Then I have the argument, why did Muslims expel from the narrative of what Europe is? How is the narrative of Europe based on a non – negotiable essence?

There are ten most important points are listed & given below:

(1) Europe is considered not merely a continent but more importantly, it is considered civilization whose key influences have been the Roman Empire, Christianity, the Enlightenment and industrialization. (2) European history is the history of European or Western civilization, homogenous space and linear time. What do belong to Europe are things that are taken up and creatively worked or elaborated by Europe. In other words, things belong to Europe because Europeans appropriate them and cultivate them. So, European history has to the history of what Europe has appropriated. (2) Europeans obtain their individual identity from the character of European civilization and not the other way round. European civilization is not formed by the character of the individual identities of its citizens. That’s why not all individuals in Europe are real or full Europeans. Russian and Bosnian Muslims, European Jews are extremely marginal Europeans. Medieval Spain is being seen as outside Europe. (The medieval Europe, pura-sangre, mysticism in Spain afterwards, French calls it Africa).

(4) With respect to Medieval Spain and the Arabian culture as well as civilization that were founded there, it is never looked at something that was proper to the Arab cultures. Arabic numerals are said to be really Indian. Therefore Arabs carried all sciences, mathematics and etc. into Spain. But Muslims could not get any credit for the scientific contribution. European appreciated Greek, not Muslim, not Islamic as such was carried into Europe where Aquinas with the help of other Europeans made it Christians and therefore European.

(5) Despite Islam’s long presence in Europe, it is being opposed to that of Europe and simultaneously of Christianity. And it is represented as (a) attempting to suppress Europe’s spiritual and material power (b) as the corrupting environment in which Europe must struggle to overcome.

(6) Europe’s colonial past is not understood as a time of oversees power that is now absolutely over. It is part of the reason that Europe has become what it is today. It is not possible to represent Europe without calling up this history.

(7) The European Community’s slogan unity in diversity reflects the understanding that there is a single history that encompasses European civilization.

(8) European borders are said to separate civilized culture from violent culture. Violent culture remains outside of Europe in which is inherently or essentially non – violent.

(9) Minorities are defined histories of exclusion in which are still relevant today. Even at the situation of France, where Le Pen (leader of the extreme right wing opposition) led his whole campaign on the right of France to remain French to protect its distinctive character, its republican and Jacobin ideals.

(10) The majority’s right to be French precludes the minority’s rights to equal treatment. “We not only have the right but the duty to defend our national personality and we too have our right to be different.” It is also remarkable that to be a French citizen is to be an individual a collective personality that was founded in the French Revolution and is embodied in the French Republic. Readers observed complex space, critical time and multiple traditions.

Secularism & Dr. Fazlur Rahman:

Professor Dr. Fazlur Rahman explained his ideas on the secularism in his book entitled “Islam and Modernity.” The subtitle of the book : Transformation of an Intellectual Tradition. The author encouraged the readers to work with time, what is subject to change. Blind attachment towards religious books and ideas create violence in our daily life of today. It is also most remarkable that Professor Fazlur Rahman has made a perspective analysis in his book entitle Islam and Modernity. He asserted that the conservative Ulema of today are far more uncompromisingly conservative than their predecessors of the 17^th or 18^th centuries. Even the teaching of Arabic had been banned by the reforming zeal of Ataturk, hence the only link with Islam left was the Ottoman language and the ottoman history and older sciences that had been enshrined in the language.” 7

The famous author Dr. Fazlur Rahman has made a perspective analysis of the secularism and materialism to the world of Muslim societies in which he may be summarized in this book. In all communities, even in those days that are or claim to be based directly on a religious vision or impulse, such as the Islamic society, there are always indifferent or secular forces, and Muslim society is no exception.

Secularism & Muslim Women: Haideh Moghissi, Feminism and Islamic Fundamentalism, pages 125 - 134

According to the secularists and Muslim modernists stressed that women’s degraded conditions were the result of a gender - biased misinterpretation of the Qur’an. They argued that the Qur’an never meant men to be superior to women. There are two women became prime ministers in Bangladesh and Mrs. Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan. Recently an Iranian professor Mrs. S. Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Prize in World Peace

Circumcision, excision, infibulation, female genital mutilation are not Islamic culture. These are various pre-Islamic or non- Islamic African customs absorbed into Muslim tribes and retained as present day Islamic culture in African countries. Women are men’s mothers, sisters, wives, friends, teachers, singers and dancers & etc.

There are many higher educated women in Iran and the Muslim world now. The secular arguments have been started for women rights in the Muslim world. There is a new approach re-interpreting religious ideology and questioning the patriarchal power of the clergy. As Afshari writes, “My fear is that the discourse of an Islamic reinterpretation, like the state’s anti-imperialist rhetoric, may result in the reinforcement of the traditional patterns.” * No woman ever deserves to be beaten. Assaulted women report a wide range of incidents that trigger violence. Abusive men often claim their partner provoked an assault to avoid responsibility for their own behaviour. In fact, the true source of violence is the batterer’s desire for power and control over his partner.

Sufi Poet of Bangladesh Lalon Fakir explained on the Prophet, “He (prophet) is the first and last, concealed and clear, the prophet can take any form; any time any where. From the Prophet’s light, came sky and earth, water and wind. Tell me what kind of seat did he sit on? Was he male or female, then?” Several years ago Mrs. Taslima Nasrin (of Bangladesh) attacked the Islamic fundamentalism and wrote several books on secularism.

Conclusion : A Timely Nobel Message to the Muslim World.

Truth triumphs alone. Ethics don’t come in packages of religion. Iran’s respected female professor of Law Mrs. Shirin Ebadi, first female justice of Iran, drew praise for championing of Human Rights, international law, democracy, secularism, displaced refugees, children and the community development. As she (Iranian Advocate) was announced the awarding of the 2003 Peace Prize to the Law Professor (of the University of Tehran ) of peace working to defuse conflicts in Iran. Sincere Muslims have protested against the terrorism at anywhere of the world. This is the first time in our history Western society paid respects to the Iranian Muslim lady who is a secular and dedicated to secularism and Human Rights. Man biologically is one species. Out of compassion for the world, the Nobel laureate indicated that good and bad qualities are not the monopoly of one class or religion. And how men and women have to judge by the standard of righteousness and secularism. This is a timely Nobel message to the Muslim world.

Implementation of dynamic concepts in the field of secular and secularism in Islam requires efficient debating and negotiating efforts. It is essential now to use it more efficiently. Far from being a matter of form, the institutional and the procedural aspects of the negotiating bodies have a direct impact on the very contact of the work. They may provide or on the contrary, deprive the negotiating machinery of the necessary instruments to mobilize the political will of Muslim and non Muslim States. In this respect, the conduct of negotiations outside political alliances, which by definition stimulate mistrust and confrontation, is of special importance.

This goal can only be reached by the mobilization of governments, political organizations and social forces favoring secularism in Islam. Every Muslim and non - Muslim institution can make a major contribution to developing international action in order to reach this goal.

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* Zahra Rahnaward, Web Page, Our Readings.

1 Talal Asad, Formations of the Secular, p. 206

2 Asghar Ali Engineer, Islam and Secularism, Secular Perspective (June 1 – 15 ) Web Pages.

3 Dr. Fazlur Rahman, Islam and Modernity, p. 15

4 Farhang Rouhani, The Riddle of Ramdan, The Web Page

5 T. Asad, Formations of the Secular, p. 211

Haideh Moghissi, Feminism and Islamic Fundamenbtalism, p. 126 - 135

Will Taggart, The Digital Revolt, Web Page

6 Charles Kurzman, Liberal Islam : Prospects and Challenges, Web Page.

7Dr. Fazlur Rahman, Islam and Modernity, p. 95.

Bibliography

Asad, Talal, Formations of the Secular,Stanford University Press, Stanford, California, 2003

Asghar Ali Engineer, Islam and Secularism, Secular Perspective, Web Page.

Bernard Lewis, What Went Wrong ? Western Impact and Middle Eastern Responses, New York, Oxford University, 2001.

Dale Eicklman and James Piscatori, Muslim Politics, Princeton, University Press, 1996.

Dr. Fazlur Rahman, Islam and Modernity, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1984.

Haideh Moghissi, Feminism and Islamic Fundamentalism, Zed books, New York, 1999.

L.Carl Brown, Religion and State : The Muslim Approach to Politics, Columbia University Press, New York, 2000.

Course Website : Reading and Discussion Schedule ‘s on – line and print packets.