Dear All,
It is definitely very fruitful to talk about Secularism and Colonialism; and also about all social structures within the perspective of their environments and causes of their evolutions. Actually, almost nothing evolves, for no reasons. Everything has some reasons to come into existence and also there are reasons why they perish. With the same token, I would like to say, all the social setups that evolved in the past, and those awaiting to come, must have four very important factors: (1) Need, (2) Venue/Location, (3) Time, and (4) Environment. Whenever a society in a particular location, in a particular environment, on a particular time, needed a social setup; it came into being. Since a top falls when it looses the required revolution/sec motion, likewise a social setup that came into being somewhere, some time, in some environment, to meet some need of the society; similar to the top with motion, that particular setup must have served the particular society up to their aspirations and expectations (good or bad, that always is a open question). Later when the society changed there for some reasons, a new new social setup started to emerge there but these changes in the human society does not happen suddenly. The new setup evolves overtime and more often through a lot of painful processes.
Most all thinkers know this phenomenon, and so I am sorry to bother you all, trying to put old stuff in the new container. However, I have a particular reason to spell out these words just to give you an idea of a context that I am providing below. I believe, we must all very seriously put our attention to the subject of discussion below; specifically for the betterment of our future generations including ourselves:
Very sincerely I feel that there are two things within our means if we become seriously attentive and pursuasive, we may keep it within our grip too; and it will definitely contribute to our societies, to the world, to our future generations, and to the humanity as a whole. These two subjects are (1) Secularism, and (2) the modification of the present day Islamic Theology in the light of the modern world society requirements.
The secularists do not intervene into any religions. So, questions come up how someone becoming a secular, can also try to modernize a religion? Sometimes, there is no alternatives to something obvious. I disagree with the current day islamic theological setup that is extremely primitive, quite unfit for the twenty-first century world and further in future, that was setup 1400 years ago, by a tribal leader, to administer the local arab bedouin tribes; and it perhaps worked well for them. Later other people with the tribal setups accepted this religion but collectively falling behind. The present modern world is shedding tribalism all over, and emerging the public participatory state governmental administrations as the social setups, almost in the entire world. Even in the middle-east where islamic setup evolved in the tribes controlling with the religious theology; all areas have been broken into the states and run by the governments. These governmental setups are not like the setup of "Islamic Ummah" (where the theology is the tool for administration in contrast to the state governmental setups) for the public administration.
Where as the entire world has been divided into government run states having full mandates of administering the public and citizen of each state by the respective government; there the existence of religious theology is quite counter-productive for seamless public administration; and often becomes confusing, conflicting, contradictory, and coarsive.
The existing islamic theology is completely in denial of the existence of the modern states. This particular grievance led to the creation of Wahhabism, Muslim-Brotherhood, Taliban, AlQaieda, Tahrir, Khalifath Motion, etc. They want a Utopian Islamic world where 7th Century Islamic Laws will administer the societies of the world. They do not recognize any state government. Killing innocents is one of their heinous tool to create spectecularity and terror all over the world and thus achieve their goals.
By now, it is clear to most people, that these terror organizations are not doing any good to the societies anywhere in the world, not even in their very root countries, where they evolved, who are still keeping these operations alive, participating supportively, physically, monetarily, weapon-wise, secretly, and of course vehemently. One very important observation, is that the general muslim public (I believe it is not less than 95% of all muslim population of the world) who are by no means into it, and most of them even do not support it, ad a very high percentage hate it, and dispise it, but a very very low percentage, protest against them. Most muslims are silent about it. Perhaps, many of them are scared to say anything suspecting that they will be harmed by those miscreants; some of them just do not know what to say; and there is a group who silently support and like them and whenever chances come, they aid and abate with those groups.
I believe, many people also think that the activity of those groups are islamic activities and saying anything against the islamic activities will destine them to hell fire. These group of people are quite many around the world. But the fact is that even the 1400 year old islamic theology do not quite support killing unarmed general public to establish the theology over a society. The modern day radicals are twisting and misusing the theological tools to achieve their goals. Should we let it go this way while it is doing extreme harm to the humanity of the world.
I believe, we should give a thought to this matter very seriously. The way Martin Luther saved the humanity from the grip of terrible inquisitions, refusing to cooperate with the Pope defending the then inquisition prune catholic doctrines; similarly, we should probably do the same to save islam from the grip of the radicals; and be available to the peaceful people of the world societies. Luther brought protestanism and provided a very good service to the humanity of the world, likewise we may modernize the old defective islamic theology that is quite prune to severe radicalism and thus provide a great service to the world humanity too. If we want to do that definitely we must think seriously and find ways how to start the process of modifying the theology to fit to the modern day societies. We should not step backward just being scared that this will lead us to hell fire. Hell fire is obvious to all inhumens who are severely engaged to do the severe harm to the societies, and so, they will surely be destined to hell fire. I do not want that our future generations follow that path falling into their grips. Knowing and seeing it in front of our eyes, why not we depart from that and try to do something different that would definitely bring some better fruits for the society.
Thanks and have a great day.
Very Respectfully,
KR
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On Fri, 10/10/08, Mr. G.M Naeem <gmnaeem20@hotmail.com> wrote an article in DhakaMails and on Saturday, 11 Oct 2008, Mr. S. Turkman (turkman@sbcglobal.net) added to it a marvelous enlightening and a very constructive criticism, that I am providing below as a dialogue between two modern thinkers of the society:
GHULAM: Why Europe became secular in 17th century and not before industrial revolution is the question which needs to be asked, to get to the causes. Social scientists use socio-economic theory to explain the phenomenon; which is that the economic interests create the culture of the society (or social system). As long as societies were primitive, there were fewer means available to the rulers to force their will upon the populace at large and hence the need for the class of collaborators in the form of clergy.
TURKMAN: Partially true but you are forgetting reform in Christianity started long before. In 1231, Pope Gregory IX published a decree which called for life imprisonment with salutary penance for the heretic, who had confessed and repented and capital punishment for those who persisted. Abuses by local Inquisitions early on led to reform and regulation by Rome, and in the 14th century intervention by secular authorities became common. At the end of the 15th century, under rule of Ferdinand and Isabella, the Spanish inquisition became independent of Rome. In its dealings with converted Moslims and Jews and also illuminists, the Spanish Inquisition with its notorious autos-da-fé represents a dark chapter in the history.
Then, at the
Diet of Worms assembly over Freedom of Conscience issue in 1521, Martin Luther's confrontation
Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and his refusal to submit to the authority of the Emperor had resulted in his being excommunicated from the
Roman Catholic Church and being declared an outlaw of the state as a consequence.
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GHULAM: As industrial societies became rich they were able to capture manufacturing and trade in most of the under developed parts of the World. They reduced much of the third world to the status of raw material producers linking their produce to the industrial needs of the dominent economies.
TURKMAN: I thought we were discussing Secularism here, not Colonialism.
GHULAM: Great wealth and Technology (Railways,Telephone , and Guns) made the rulers independent of clergy and common law (bearaucracy or judges made law) became supreme law, replacing religious law (or clergy made law).
TURKMAN: Inventions had nothing to do with that. It was just since civilization was advancing because of Martin Luther's Freedom of Conscious Philosophy eradicating ancient theory of Tribalism.
GHULAM: Strong government was a requirement of progress and hence dominence of Fascism/ Communism in 20th century.
TURKMAN: And when in the history of the world strong governments were not a requirement?
GHULAM: Capital formation and Technological growth were the engines of prosperity.
TURKMAN: Not true. Industrialization formed Capital in the hands of Commonors otherwise, Capital had always been in its perfect form in hands of Earls, Lords, Dukes, Barons, Kings and Emperors. Who says industry is formed by 'Capital Formation'? Were any inventors or pioneer industrialists, rich people, when they started out? Capital Formation Theory is a 1933 invention of greed of Capitals to avoid heavy Government Taxation. They still want less Tax and no regulations and propagate this baseless theory.
GHULAM: Climax and decline are integral parts of any human system. Just as industrialization took away power from the hands of
clergy, computer technology is taking away power from the hands of national governments.
TURKMAN: Not really. Industrialization had taken power away from Royal Class of Europe because Clergy didn't have that power in those days anyway. Computer is not taking away power from hands of National Governments. Its giving more power to governments and now they can spy on all citizens more deligently. Don't you see, Cameras on the streets, computer break-ins, taping of phones, police finding out which locality you used your Cell Phone from, Police catching you by your DNA record, catching you by Computer Data of Finger Prints, FBI Secret Truck Standing in front of your house watching you without clothes using Heat Sensors, finding out if you have any explosives in your house? Oh I'm sorry. Which country you live in? May be you don't know anything about what I mentioned here.
GHULAM: A global order is in the making which might be based on amalgam of religions but controlled by groups of Thugs, misusing religious symbols to blind and distract the populace till dominence is attained by one group and it's agenda starts getting implemented. This is how history evolveS.
TURKMAN: This is not how history evolved and you have been reading wrong authors. Trilater Commission of Big Corporations, Banks and Politicians from all around the world is already running this world and you don't even know it. Members of Trilateral Commission believe in no religion. Money is its God and making money is its religion. Do you know, even Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and some other Moslim Countries are also its member of this secret brotherhood? Even USSR's Import Export Authority used to be its member and what it wanted, USA had to do. There is no future for religion in the coming centuries.
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