CAN MUSLIM FUNDAMENTALISTS BE MORAL? Dr. Babu Suseelan
Dr. Babu Suseelan Published on 27 July, 2012
All of us know daily
occurrences of Jihadi terrorism, Islamic homicide bombing, beheading of
innocent kafirs, and organized, repetitive, regular and predictable
slaughter of Muslims by Shias and Sunnis in the name of Allah. In recent
months we have seen Islamic bloodshed, mass murder, beheading, and
homicide bombing in all countries with substantial number of Muslims. We
have seen Muslims on a murder march shouting "Allah Akbar" in
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Georgia, India, Philippians,
Sudan and Chechnya. These are not a phenomena defined by the news
media. Our judgments of reality based on daily occurrences tell us more
about Islamic terrorism. Indeed, we take these destructive events for
granted.
Beneath all the pictures and the prose on Jihadi
terrorism and Islamic violence, we are still struggling to understand
what is going on in the name of Islam. With all the freedom to discuss
the subject of Jihadi terrorism, intellectuals on the far left and on
the far right (anti-Zionists) are holding on to vague ideas about why
Muslims resort to terrorism. They are ready to parade and promote bogus
theories of economic deprivation, lack of education, and political
interferences. Bogus intellectuals, Marxist Academicians and mindless
media pundits resist incorporating a truly accurate understanding of the
root cause of Jihadi terrorism. They merely transform their distortions
and false myths into a new set of myths and willingly accept distorted
perceptions in place of reality. They are rewarded by Islamo fascists in
ways that they never quite understand. It is with Islamic false
propaganda in which they place their confidence about the root cause of
Islamic terrorism. Their faulty perception and irrational analysis are
not sufficient to answer the public questions, doubts and fears on
immoral acts and destructive acts of Muslim fundamentalists.
The
general public must first be redirected from their eagerness to believe
in such bogus theories, phony perceptions, and irrational analysis or
they will stumble from one set of vulnerability to another set of
immoral acts of Islamic fundamentalists.
ISLAMIC MORALITY Islam
has a unique worldview. Islamic closed paradigm constitutes cultural
patterns, beliefs, moral values, and social norms shared by the people
of Arabia during the sixth century. For centuries, rigid, authoritarian
and dualistic Islamic worldviews have been shaping Islamic behavior. The
Islamic closed channel thinking is reflected in varied Islamic
expressions as morality, social relationships, interpersonal
communication as well as their ethical acts . Muslims have a
sense of togetherness and a common identity. They have a conviction that
they form a special group, as well as a sense of moral obligations and a
set of beliefs in the Koran that holds that Islam is the only truth and
non-believers are kafirs. Practically all Islamists share the view that
Allah is the best superior being, the one those non-Muslims should
follow. Faith in Allah usually accompanied by the belief that
subjugation of non-Muslims is natural, morally right, and it is in the
best interest of Islam to convert all infidels.
The Koran and
the Hadith are two great driving forces in Islam both individually and
socially. Islam provides a referent for the explanation of many events
including ethical decisionmaking, rituals, and socially unacceptable
acts including oppression of women, hostility against kafirs, honor
killing, and Jihadi terrorism. It constitutes a system parallel to and
in many ways opposed to ethical philosophy, and rational-humanistic
systems.
For a Muslim, his life centers upon Allah and all his
actions bear identifiable relations to Allah. As such, Islam forbids
critical thinking, moral reasoning, and freedom of the will for Muslims.
Equal status for women, self-examination and the expansion of ethical
reasoning are not allowed. Islam does not allow introspection, creative
imagination, aesthetic creation, humor and artistic expression or search
for the expressions of the infinite. Muslims are not allowed the
possibility of intellectual and emotional satisfaction through ethical
and spiritual life outside of Islam. Islamic institutions assume
important role to keep a firm hand over its non-rationality and direct
its forces to restrict individual moral initiatives . Islamic
fundamentalists consider Islam is a complete ideology related to all
aspects of human nature concentrated on teleology, ethics, psychology
and human behavior of all humans for all the time . Islamic
moral principles are a one-sided mechanistic, reductionist,
non-compromising, and closed. The closed, rigid, pre-determined and
non-compromising Islamic paradigm and moral directives tend to place
Muslims in oppositional position in relation to non-Muslims. The
reductionist Islamic morality carries the assumption that moral
principles of non-Muslims are inferior and should be rejected.
For
Muslims, moral directives of the Koran and Hadith are the expression of
ethics in operation. Muslims decide plan of action on the basis of
Islamic values. Muslims believe that only knowledge of the Koran and
Hadith can help individual Muslims solve conflicts between social and
moral norms that create ethical dilemmas.
Islamic law reflects
the will of Allah rather than the will of the moral majority or the will
of a human lawmaker. Allah's will reflect in Islamic law and it covers
all areas of life including moral behavior. In an Islamic context, there
is no such thing as a separate secular or moral authority and moral
principles. Muslims believe and follow shariah. Islamic shariah means
submission. Shariah seeks to establish that Allah is the divine lawgiver
and no other law or moral principle may exist but Allah's law and moral
directives.
Islamic shariah includes both ethics and law. The
Islamic law does not allow behavior norms based on individual
conscience. The doctrine of shariah and jihad are fundamental because
these are based on clear and authentic verses in the Koran and Sunna and
it is considered pivotal for Muslims until all infidels are converted
and Dar-Ul-Islam is established.
Muslims decide their plan of
action on the basis of Islamic values and morality. Islam impels all
Muslims emotionally to perform human acts directed towards Allah.
Historically, there has been a very close connection between Islam and
morality. Muslims consider duties that are primarily directed towards
Allah and actions towards fellow believers and non-believers that are
commanded by Allah. Immoral acts are practiced as moral duty such as
slaughtering animals during Hajj, honor killing, Jihad war, beheading,
limb amputation, stoning kafirs to death, Islamic feasting during
Ramadan, oppression of women, child marriage and polygamy. These Islamic
moral duties and rituals often lead to abnormal perversions and
socially disastrous consequences.
Islamic religious practices
frequently conflict with moral codes of many societies. Islam prohibits a
Muslim living in a non-Islamic society to take moral action that may
conflict with Islamic guidelines. Islam indoctrinates Muslims against
the theoretical study of ethics, right civil conduct and moral action.
Muslim
fundamentalists feel that there is nothing immoral about following the
dictates of Allah or any immorality in forcefully converting infidels or
issuing a fatwa against a kafir writing a book critical of Islam.
Islamo fascists have no moral qualm in beheading an innocent non-Muslim
journalist or hijacking a passenger plane in the name of Allah. Islamic
fundamentalists committing immoral and heinous crimes against humanity
should always weigh whether an action is morally right or wrong before
the action is taken. Their commitment and love for Islamic guidelines
cannot make a wrong action morally right. Even if Muslims are compelled
to follow Islamic ethics that guide their actions, the difficulty
remains regarding the need to compromise between their conflicting
Islamic values to those of non-Muslims. Islamic fundamentalists should
realize that knowledge of the Koran and the Hadith is insufficient in
itself for knowing how to behave ethically. In this context, one is
reminded of Kant who said that "morality….in no way needs religion for
its support." For Muslims, knowledge of ethics is needed for better
moral action, not blind faith in Allah.
CAN A MUSLIM FUNDAMENTALIST BE MORAL? In
view of the differences between Islam and morality, the question may be
asked; can a Muslim fundamentalist be moral? A Muslim can be moral
without Islam. A Muslim can do moral acts without emulating life style
of Mohammed or his non-compromising preaching. They should follow the
voices of conscience and strive for morality, ethical action, and
harmony.
Morality implies adherence to social norms, laws, and
civilized practices rather than blind obedience to invisible Allah.
Muslims who are obligated to Allah should not obscure their obligations
to morality and commitment to great intrinsic value of humans. Islam
rejects ethical principles and moral practices of non-Muslims. Muslims
seek answers by looking to and rediscovering irrational, outdated and
illogical ideas and expressions from the past. Islam rejects differing
worldviews, ethical philosophy and refuses to recognize changes in moral
perspectives that emphasize the inter-relatedness of individuals and
community and their mutual responsibility for one another.
The
binary thinking and closed Islamic morality carries the assumption that
non-Muslims are unethical, immoral and inferior and should be oppressed
and forced to assume an Islamic identity. Non-Muslims are subjected to
inhuman behavior as parts of a systematic destruction of kafirs. Islamic
religious leaders promoting violence and terrorism against infidels
express little shame, guilt, remorse, empathy or ethical concern. Jihadi
criminals minimize or deny injuring victims by terrorism. They maintain
feelings of uniqueness, tough mindedness by refusing to consider the
feelings of non-Muslims. Muslims consider immoral acts and violence
against infidels as not unethical but an opportunity to provide true
Islamic awareness and a phase of Islamic identity development.
Do
Muslims enjoy freedom? Freedom presupposes choice. If there is no
choice, there is no freedom. Freedom is also not absolute. Ethics and
moral action can exist only if freedom of choice exists. A Muslim or a
non-Muslim can be moral if only he/she is free. Moral action is possible
only if the freedom of the will and freedom of choice exist. In Islam,
the will of Allah is final and dominant. Islam has forbidden freedom of
choice, critical thinking, rational evaluation, and moral decision
making if it conflicts with predetermined directives of the Koran . Philosophically,
Muslims are un-free since they are imprisoned in the closed,
non-compromising, authoritarian and reductionist Islamic dogma. Freedom
also involves the capacity and opportunity to make moral decisions.
Muslims are un-free because they are prevented or prohibited from doing
conscientious moral actions if it conflicts with Allah's will. Islam
imposes inner limitations and Islamic religious leaders restrain them
with external limitations. All these Islamic inner and outer
restrictions prevent Muslims from doing conscientious acts consistent
with social morality and ethical norms.
Islam teaches
preconceived morality and fixed ideas about human relations and ethical
behavior. Discrimination, prejudice, physical violence, and unethical
behavior towards infidels are built often wittingly, into the very
structure and form of Islamic society. Muslims tend to ignore unchanging
Islamic values making them un-free and in moral blindness. They wish to
remain ignorant of certain concepts and directives in the Koran that
make them unable to make a moral choice without Islamic restraints.
Moral
choice is possible only when one faces normal, better, acceptable and
universally acclaimed alternatives. When the better alternatives are
good, preferable and available, fundamentalist Muslims choose freedom
from choice. Escape from freedom and freedom from choice enables Muslims
to make lesser, harmful and dangerous Islamic choices. They rejoice
their un-freedom when compelled to act on Islamic directives that are
morally wrong and universally condemned.
It is time for Muslims and non-Muslims to ask the following questions:
Does
Islam assist Muslims in transforming themselves and the Islamic society
so that Muslims can welcome universal morality, preserve freedom, and
promote ethical conduct, peace and harmony?
Can Muslims generally pursuing situational ethics transcend the limited interests of the Islamic community?
Both
the Koran and Hadith are deficient and inadequate to serve as
appropriate theories of ethics for practicing Muslims faced with ethical
problems and moral dilemmas. Both deal with judgments in concrete
situations based on subjective perceptions of Mohamed. Mohamed made
decisions dependent on specific situation at hand. Mohamed's situational
ethics was based on the uniqueness of each situation for the advantage
of Muslims. Muslims consider Mohamed's situational ethics is guided by
Allah and is universal and inflexible. Islamic situational ethics
prohibits Muslims from recognizing the existence of moral values and
freedom of choice to take decision according to one's conscience.
Muslims
can be moral if they can abandon their stubborn assumptions and
question their absolute and monolithic norms. Muslims need to follow the
rules of civic law and universally accepted moral principles. Ethical
decisions cannot be solely based on Islamic values the guidelines of the
Koran. In conclusion the question still remains: Why Muslims are afraid
of freedom? Why are they unwilling to explore their moral
decision-making?
Dr. Babu Suseelan is a professor of clinical
psychology and the director of a drug and alcohol treatment program in
Pennsylvania. He writes on the subject of Islamic terrorism and its
effect on Hindu society.
politicalislam.com Use and distribute as you wish; do not edit and give us credit. "You are absolutely right.
As Mr. Warner has suggested, courses on Jihad and Sharia should be taught in Political
Science Departments in universities across the world. Similarly,
courses on Islamic Ethics and Islamic Morality should be taught in
Philosophy Departments in universities across the world.
This alone will make the world aware of the truth about Political Islam and Islamic Ethics and Islamic Morality."
Ramachandra Abhyankar — November 2, 2008 @ 3:30 PM
മലയാളത്തില് ടൈപ്പ് ചെയ്യാന് ഇവിടെ ക്ലിക്ക് ചെയ്യുക
അസഭ്യവും നിയമവിരുദ്ധവും അപകീര്ത്തികരവുമായ പരാമര്ശങ്ങള് പാടില്ല. വ്യക്തിപരമായ അധിക്ഷേപങ്ങളും
ഉണ്ടാവരുത്. അവ സൈബര് നിയമപ്രകാരം കുറ്റകരമാണ്. അഭിപ്രായങ്ങള് എഴുതുന്നയാളുടേത് മാത്രമാണ്. ഇ-മലയാളിയുടേതല്ല