I have been studying the Arab mindset for the last four decades from several perspectives. For a start, I myself am a product of this Arabic-speaking region and was able to study the phenomenon from the perspective of an 'insider' as it were, as well as from my vantage point as a researcher who has had twenty books published in Arabic and English (including five devoted exclusively to the Arab mindset and Arab culture). I also had the opportunity to interact with the Arab mindset and culture from a different angle during my years as chairman & CEO of a multinational oil company in the Arab region, when I worked in close proximity with the end product of Arab culture, so to speak – the Arabic-speaking worker in the work environment. The fourth and final perspective from which I interacted with Arab culture and the Arab mindset was when I was called upon to lecture to post-graduate students at a number of universities in various Arab countries on subjects related to modern management sciences and techniques.
The insight into the contemporary Arab mindset that I was able to develop from all these perspectives, in addition to my consuming interest in and close follow-up of the phenomenon over the last four decades, led me to reach the conclusions laid out in my latest book, Arab Culture Enchained, soon to be published by Cambridge University Press. In the book, I describe the Arab mindset as a prisoner held captive within three prisons or shackled with three chains. The first chain is a regressive, dogmatic interpretation of religion that is totally at odds with the realities of the age, with science and civilization. The second is a culture that is not only totally divorced from science and progress as a result of Arab history and the geopolitics of the Arabian peninsula, but, more important, has produced educational institutions and programmes that, rather than foster the values of progress and humanity, actively promote a xenophobic rejection of these values. The third chain holding the Arab mindset back from embracing the spirit of the age is a philosophical dilemma which renders it unable to develop a proper understanding of progress and modernity, and drives it to reject such notions as an invasion of its cultural specificity and civilizational legacy.
The first chain weighing the Arab mindset down and preventing it from joining the march of human progress which, according to the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, is moving towards the attainment of transcendental idealism, is the regressive, medieval, Bedouin understanding of religion. A large number of modern-day Muslims have never been presented with an interpretation of religion other than the one propagated by the enemies of reason and free thinking, from Ibn Hanbal in the tenth century to the founder of the Wahhabi-Saudi alliance in the Arabian Peninsula in 1744 (Mohamed ibn-Abdul Wahab, the spiritual father of Wahhabism, whose message was merged after his death with the ideas of Abul 'Alaa Al-Mawdoody) to the ideas of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. More recently, an Islamic state established three quarters of a century ago (the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) took it upon itself not only to stand as the embodiment of this brand of Islam but to export its understanding and spread its message to every corner of the world. In that version of Islam there is no room for the Other (Christian, Jewish, Buddhist or otherwise); there can be no equality between men and women nor peaceful coexistence with others, no possibility of allowing the human mind to explore new horizons, no scope for creativity or imaginative thinking. So firmly entrenched in the past is this harsh and uncompromising brand of Islam that it does not allow for the proper interpretation of the word jihad as meaning the use of force only in self-defense against outside aggression but continues to use the interpretation adopted by Bedouin tribes in the Middle Ages, which is the imposition of their religious beliefs on the whole of humanity by force of arms.
Nine centuries ago, the world of Islam was the scene of a battle of ideas between two trends. One trend, which upheld the primacy of reason, began with the Mu'tazalites and was taken to new Aristotelian heights by Ibn Rushd, who lived in Andalusia just over eight centuries ago. The other opposed the use of reason in the interpretation of holy texts, upholding orthodoxy and tradition and spurning deductive reasoning altogether. This latter trend had many prominent adherents, including Ahmed ibn-Hanbal, one of the four Sunni imams, and Abu Hamed Al-Ghazzali, the noted Islamic jurist. Unfortunately for Muslims, the school which favoured unquestioning adherence to tradition over the use of critical faculties prevailed. The defeat of the school of reason was symbolically represented in the burning of Ibn Rushd's works by the authorities, who elevated the stature of Al-Ghazzali to towering heights by bestowing on him the name "Hujat al Islam" (the authority on Islam). Exalting a man who did not believe the human mind capable of grasping the Truth as ordained by God set into motion a process that continues to this day with devastating effects on the Arab mindset, which has become insular, regressive and unreceptive to new ideas.
The second chain shackling the Arab mindset is a cultural climate which has encouraged the spread of tribal values, including such negative values as individualism (instead of tolerance) and insularity (instead of open-mindedness). As a result, Arab societies were unable to receive and assimilate the values of pluralism, acceptance of the Other, a belief in the universality of knowledge and science, acceptance of the human rights movement and the movement for women's rights – not to mention an institutional rejection of the most important achievement of human civilization, democracy. Educational systems in Arab societies reflect the prevailing cultural climate, which stands as a barrier between the Arab mindset and the march of human progress. One need only look at the educational systems in force in a country like Saudi Arabia to realize that they are creating generations totally unequipped to deal with the realities of the age. Indeed, it is enough to see the opinion leaders of that society to realize how strong the organic link between the cultural/educational climate and the insular, backward-looking ethos in some Arab societies.
Finally, the religious, educational, cultural and media institutions in Arabic-speaking societies have created a mindset that considers the call for progress and modernity a call to accept a cultural invasion and the loss of cultural specificity.
The problem of Arabic-speaking societies as well as of some non-Arab Muslim societies will not be solved by military confrontations, security measures or economic rewards and/or punishments. None of these measures address the core issue, which is essentially one of culture and knowledge. Accordingly, the most effective way of dealing with the problem is by adopting a level-headed approach based on a thorough understanding of the reasons behind the distinctive characteristics displayed by the contemporary Arab mindset.
This sounds very interesting, Tarek. I have one question however: When you state
Is there a specific reason you chose to use the word "individualism" as opposed to a word like "clanish"? I ask because, to my mind, tolerance does not strike me as the opposite pole from individualism. In fact, isn't individualism presupposed by any real tolerance? Now, I realize you may define terms differently for the argument of your book, so I'm just making sure I understand what you mean here.
Thanks.
Thanks it seems I'm not mad!, My insignificant me arrives to the same idea;
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" The problem of Arabic-speaking societies as well as of some non-Arab Muslim societies will not be solved by military confrontations, security measures or economic rewards and/or punishments. None of these measures address the core issue, which is essentially one of culture and knowledge "
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This is also true for the great mixture of Christian beliefs.
based in the following.
1- Original Scriptures and Knowledge, from where Muslim and Christian Faiths are a derivation, or deviation, are not easy to read or even to find.
a)- We may be talking of Hebrew, just for a start and complementary historical Greek, Latin, and Aramaic.
b) Some or most Translations, at this time, may very well be just a way to grow their own worriers.
2)- Listening to repetitive messages on the Local Evangelical Church, or trough the Muslim sound systems, or trough commercial Television... are not the best way to grow a Spirit... or at least a well healthy structured mind; - am I wrong?
3) It is almost not possible to distinguish between the pure intentions of some emotional Faith, and the self-arrogance, self-convinced and sometimes deeply cynical statement.
a)- If someone is just quite, introspective, real, balanced, unsure, meditative, ansious... will hardly be given his 15 minutes of credit or 15 days of fame... who will listen to him that deeps in the silence?
.... this and mush more
A New Culture, Opened Tolerant, but not complacent with the errors of blind consumption
fernando
17-11-2008
Ah, but sir, there are two different problems to be addressed. The root problem, which you note, is a problem of Arabs and Muslims: how to come to grips with modernity, and put aside tribalism and enforced ignorance. There is frankly nothing that can be done about this problem by anyone except those who have the problem. So in that sense, your statement is false: no outside force can solve that problem, so a level-headed approach is neither here nor there.
But that core problem leads to a second problem, and it is a shared problem between the Arab/Muslim world and everyone else. The interaction between the Arab/Muslim culture and everyone else produces bloody borders, and with today's travel capabilities, bloody internal problems, too. This is certainly a problem where force may well be required, or at least useful. To expect that the rest of the world will sit still and be hit again and again and again is simply incredible: the rest of the world will use whatever means are necessary to keep the Arab/Muslim world from being a threat to them, long enough for the Arab/Muslim world to solve its core problem. Unless the Arab/Muslim world makes enough or large enough attacks on the rest of the world, in which case a Carthaginian solution is always possible. In this sense, too, then, your statement is false: military force may not be sufficient, but it may be necessary, to solve the problem of Islam's bloody borders and violent megalomania.
The West generally shies away from such approaches, except in extremis, but that is not necessarily true of some of the other cultures that border Islam, as witness the brutality used in Chechnya.
I agree with everything you say, Jeff. But I wonder if Tarek Heggy has any ideas on what, if anything, the West can do to influence Arab Muslims re breaking the three chains. In the meantime, though, you're right. Curing rabies is a wonderful goal, but if you have an already rabid animal in your neighborhood, your first job is to get rid of it.
Fernando, anyone who compares even the most fundementalist of Christians to Muslim extremists is not to be taken seriously.
Hello I would like to invite you to visit our website : http://www.ikhwanweb.com/
IKhwanweb is the Muslim Brotherhood"s only official English web site. The Main office is located in London, although Ikhwanweb has correspondents in most countries. Our staff is exclusively made of volunteers and stretched over the five continents.
The Muslim Brotherhood opinions and views can be found under the sections of MB statements and MB opinions, in addition to the Editorial Message.
Items posted under "other views" are usually different from these of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Ikhwanweb does not censor any articles or comments but has the right only to remove any inappropriate words that defy public taste
Ikhwanweb is not a news website, although we report news that matter to the Muslim Brotherhood"s cause. Our main misson is to present the Muslim Brotherhood vision right from the source and rebut misonceptions about the movement in western societies. We value debate on the issues and we welcome constructive criticism.
to help inform you about your subject matter,questions
If you have any addition questions you can email us at :
Ikhwanweb2010@gmail.com
Interested parties might also want to check out the Chicago Tribune's rather long article on the Muslim Brotherhood, published here (Single page version).
The name "Ahmed Elkadi" is also an interesting one to websearch. Verb. sap.
Hmmm... The original post title is "The Prisons of the Arab Mind"?
Here's a shot of the prison HQ you might like to see:
The Real Grand Mosque
Hi Omar - is the Muslim Brotherhood still maintaining al Qaeda and Hamas' finances in those offshore accounts? Wonder what will happen to the international 'Islamic finance' scam now that oil prices are so low?
The problem with western writers rests in the fact that non 0f them wants to understand that he is writing his personal view where as the right way is to write in an objective manner
a way from what has been accumilated in his mind.
The best way according to my humble view is to read how Arab scholares write about their culture.In this regard I recommend Ali Alwardi,Haleem Barakat Sayyed Yaseen.
Sincerely
Moayaid Alsalim