2023 FUTURE OBSERVATORY
2023 FUTURE OBSERVATORY
In a world largely devoid of meaningful ideology, the one group which definitely has retained - and developed - its identity is that of the members of the Islamic faith. The Islamic religion delivers a very strong core message, powerfully delivered as a certainty - the very word of God written down by Mohammad; which over recent centuries has been reinforced in many of its adherents by centuries of repression - typically by the West. In particular, though, it is now alone in ignoring the boundaries that other religions set between themselves and politics. Its strength was long ago demonstrated by the conquests of the Middle Ages, and - unlike many western religions (and ideologies, not least communism which dominated the debate for most of the 20th century), it does not seem to have lost that power; or has recently been given extra momentum by the nationalism unleashed in the countries it serves.
Its impact on the rest of the world might, however, have been unduly magnified - even demonized - by the United States - in that superpowers search for a new enemy to replace communism - and by Europe as a real threat on its southern borders. That demonization has, of course, increased dramatically post 9-11; though it should be noted that most of the countries targeted (such as Iraq and Iran) have secular governments! Some commentators even suggest that future conflict will be between such 'civilisations' rather than nations. It is true that the more extreme Islamic fundamentalists have given good reason for some of the fears; and their governments, looking over their shoulders at the nationalists at their backs, have often seemed to give them tacit support. But Islam should not be seen as the new enemy. That it operates under very different rules, in a different culture, is undeniable; but we should have learned that strangers, in the literal sense, are not necessarily enemies - and Islam itself makes a great point of welcoming strangers, and protecting minorities. Thus, the seemingly controversial Sunni 'sharia' law - some aspects of which, reported in the popular media, have alarmed many westerners - is traditionally restricted to family matters. Even then, many of its members have already adopted more modernist approaches on the matters, such as amputation as a punishment, which offend most westerners. Many also argue that the Koran endowed women with full civil and religious rights. It should be noted, in this context, that - according to Brian Beedham only about 80 of the Koran's 6,000 verses lay down rules of public law. In any case, they are viewed in much the same as the manner in which many of the strictures of the Old Testament are no longer seen to apply to modern Christians.
The West ignores these differences between the various parts of the Islamic world at its peril. Islam will be a major force; but not for the evil which some Western leaders would have us believe. It is worth repeating that most western commentators fundamentally - forgive the pun - misunderstand Islam.
It should be noted that - according to Brian Beedham[b], again - "only about 80 of [the Koran's] 6,000 verses lay down rules of public law, and not many of these have obvious application to today's world." This is much the same as the manner in which many of the strictures of the Old Testament are no longer seen to apply to modern Christians.
Henry Louis Gates - head of the department of Afro-American studies at Harvard - points out, "...many Muslim intellectuals...are moving away from the framework of the traditional sharia, which was developed between the 7th and 9th centuries, and are seeking instead to develop a new, more human version of sharia based upon new interpretations of Islamic texts."
21 April 2003
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