Lately, more reformist Arab intellectuals have been addressing the problems facing Muslims who have settled in Western Europe. On Wednesday, 15 December 2009, an article appeared on the Al-Awan website with this title, “Muslims in the West: Lost within Modernity”.
The Algerian author has written on other problems facing first and second generation Muslims of Western Europe. In this particular article he stressed the inner struggle that rages within the hearts and minds of these Muslims. He says they are “lost within the modernity that is a distinguishing feature of Western civilization.” Here are excerpts from his article, in which he claims that Islam and Western civilization are incompatible. My comments follow.
“Modernity is radically incompatible with Islam. According to the Islamic worldview, man’s life remains under the supervision of Allah; it is Allah who guarantees man’s freedom, and guides him in his life journey. But according to modernity’s view, man possesses an absolute value in the universe. He depends on his own reason, and by using his critical faculty, he determines his own responsibilities.
“Does Islamic fiqh (jurisprudence) encourage the use of reason, and the freedom of thought? Does the Islamic mind accept the basic foundations of modernity? For example, in Islam, the ruler is not held accountable to the people; his responsibility is to Allah alone. Muslims have no right to reject the Shariah. To date, not one Arab ruler has ever dared to rethink or amend the Shariah’s requirements. It is quite evident that Islam is not compatible with democracy; the very word “democratos” (people’s rule) contradicts the essence of Islam, where rule belongs exclusively to Allah.
“Thus Muslims would never be asked to cast a ballot that will change halal* to haram*, and haram to halal! FIS (Front Islamic to Salut,) ** the now banned Algerian Islamist organisation, used to portray such slogans as “An Islamic State, without Elections,” and “Democracy is Kufr.” These slogans should not be considered simply as the opinions of radicals, because they actually represent Islamic view of politics and governance.
“Recently, in Bordeaux, France, the Moroccan Consulate objected to the cremation of a Frenchman of Moroccan origin, even though he specifically stipulated before his death that he wished to be cremated. Due to the pressures of the Islamists and certain Islamic governments, and in order to avoid serious trouble, the French authorities buckled and gave in to the pressures. One should note that in Islam an individual’s wishes are subject to the will of the community. It is the Umma that possesses the final authority in matters of life and death. Manifesting the same Islamic outlook, the imam of the mosque in Lille, who heads the Islamic League in Northern France, declared recently: “The concept of citizenship does not exist in Islam; the group or the community is very important. To recognize a community implies the recognition of the laws that govern it.”
“Thus, as a Muslim finds himself wandering and lost in the lands of modernity, he tends to isolate himself from his social environment. Within his inner life a raging civil war goes on; in fact the clash of civilizations takes place between his faith and the modernity that governs his surroundings, invading his very home! Immigrant Muslims don’t care about what the laws of their countries say. Rather, they give heed to what the Shariah demands. In democratic lands where the rule of law reigns, Muslims prefer to seek guidance from Islamic fiqh. You would be overwhelmed and shocked to learn about the multitude of fatwas that are issued daily in the Islamic world. As a Muslim seeks to become a true believer, his behavior must conform to all the demands of the Shariah, whether dealing with a minor or a major subject. Should a Muslim deviate from the demands of his sacred law, or neglect its guidance, he would earn the wrath of Allah. Such topics seem to haunt the Muslim: Is prayer lawful while flying and how could one determine the Qiblah? *** May a woman use kohl on her eyes during Ramadan? May men become doctors of gynecology? Is it haram or halal to frequent swimming pools where men and women bathe?
“According to the London-based television channel “Hiwar,” Dar al-Fatwa in Egypt issues daily, more than 1,000 fatwas in four different languages over the telephone; not counting another 500 fatwas handed to believers who seek guidance by going to the Center. You can hardly believe the questions addressed to this television station coming from Paris, London, Rome, Lausanne, etc. As for the mufti’s answers, they are nauseating.
“Modernity offers a new approach for humanity. At its core, it celebrates the values of individual liberty, and independence. Thus, the contradiction between modernity and Islam is not an unimportant matter; it is a necessary result of its internal logic. Islam and modernity by definition are in conflict, because there is no way modernity can compete with Shariah in the mind and daily existence of a true, but highly conflicted, Muslim.
“For example, Britain was, for the Muslim immigrants from Britain’s former colonies, their “Land of Promise.” Now that they have settled in the country, and become British citizens, they are working hard at its Islamization. Recently, Shaheb Hassan, the official speaker for the Islamic Council of Britain, called on the British to exchange their age-long democratic political institutions for an Islamic regime! Addressing them, he said: “Simply apply the Shariah, and this country would become a peace garden: amputate a thief’s hand, and no one would steal; stone the adulterer and no one would commit adultery. British society would benefit greatly by adopting the Islamic Shariah.”
“Pressures on Western societies keep mounting to conform to Islamic laws. On 12 January, 2007, a German judge refused the request of a German lady of Moroccan descent, who wished to divorce her husband because he was beating her. The judge based her decision on the fact that the Qur’an allows husbands to beat their wives. Western Europe is called upon to learn about Islam, and to deal with Muslims in the light of their traditions. This was recently illustrated in Amsterdam where members of its police force were all handed copies of the Qur’an to study in order to become more conversant with the Islamic way of life! And in Rouen, France, the imam of its mosque was dismissed for officiating at a mixed-marriage, and for delivering his sermon in French. His action was denounced by the officials of the mosque as being heretical.
“Muslims living in the West who wish to practice Islam in the way it was traditionally practiced in their homelands necessarily find their problems increasing. Even in the simple area of choosing an occupation or finding settled work of any kind, a Muslim must be careful not to displease Allah. When looking for a restaurant, he must find one that offers halal food so as to follow Islamic dietary laws. The list goes on. In the final analysis, a practicing Muslim has a very hard time accepting and becoming a part of the Western world and its modernity. So whichever society of the West he and his family have settled in, the conflict continues and grows deeper!”
Analysis
The Algerian writer shows a deep interest in and seems to be very concerned about the plight of Muslims in the West. It is obvious he would like to see them become assimilated into the rule of law and basic freedoms that Western traditions hold paramount. He conveys to a Western reader that Muslims live conflicted lives in the cultures of freedom they inhabit. The teachings of their authority figures do not help them assimilate but rather keep them in a conflicted state between freedom and Shariah tyranny. The basic problem, he claims, is the incompatibility of traditional Islam with Western civilization. A literal translation of the Arabic headline of his article reads, “Muslims in the West: Lost within Modernity” المسلمون في الغرب تيه في الحداثة
Comments
This article describes the plight of North African immigrants who have settled in France and who find adjusting to life in their new homeland quite difficult. The Algerian author lays the blame on the strictures imposed upon them by the Islamic Shariah. Guidance they receive from their imams at the mosques, or from other authority figures who issue fatwas has a strong hold on them. The teaching of their religious leaders is meant to deal with and specifically answer the many problems they encounter in their adoptive non-Islamic milieus. What it appears to be doing, however, according to this author, is contributing to a sense of lostness, and an inability to enjoy the peace of mind which they are taught is the reward of obedience to Sharia.
The writer does not offer any solution for the perplexed Muslims of Western Europe. As he put it in an article on the same subject published in a French-language website:
“Un islam sans prosélytisme, sans charia, sans Etat islamique, ce n’est plus l’islam… Ouvrez le Coran, vous serez bien servis!”
(An Islam that does not practice proselyting, is without Shariah, and without an Islamic State, is no longer Islam. Just open the Qur’an, and see that for yourself.”)
Having offered a definition of “true” Islam, he deems his fellow-North Africans lost, and wandering without much hope in a country that gave them many opportunities for fulfillment, especially in the area of vocation. Yet this very environment, with both its challenges and blessings has unsettled rather than pacified and pleased them. They still hanker after the world of Daru’l Islam!
Notes:
* Halal: In harmony with Shariah, and thus an allowable act or behavior,
* Haram: Contrary to the Shariah, and thus a forbidden act or behavior.
** FIS (Front Islamic to Salut,) the Islamic Salvation Front, a radical Algerian organization that won the local elections in the early 1990s. That prompted the Military Government to annul the elections, and prevent FIS from participating in the national elections. Civil war resulted, with more than 200,000 Algerians losing their lives.
*** Qiblah points to the direction of Mecca, so that when Muslims are engaged in private prayer, or in the Friday prayers at the Mosque, they must face the Holy City; a tradition that goes back to Muhammad’s days in Medina.
Subscribe to this comment's feed
written by thinker23 , January 09, 2010
written by LASHKER EI TOIBA , January 09, 2010
is a figment of imagination of mentally unstable people called
" prophets " and still more insane and mentally disturbed
pEopel follow these mentally deranged people called prophets.
as against this idol maybe of wood,stone,mud etc is better,bcoz
it actually exists.whethere to worship imaginary jehova/allah
or idol is an issue here.
let us see : imaginary jehova/allah says bow to him exclusively or
he puts u in imaginary hellfire,and also he inspires humans
to hate each other,and kill.
as against this idols dont issue any such decree nor spread hate.
SO IDOLS R HARMLESS AND HURT NO ONE,HENCE IDOL
WORSHIP IS BETTER THAN JUDEO-CHRISTIANITY/PISSLAM.
so this means idols r superior to imaginary jehova/allah.
now abt cows : cows r generally docile creatures,and eat
agricultural waste products like grass,straw and stalks of
foodgrains,but give life nourishing milk,butter,cheezze,etc....
even the dung and urine of cow and bull is used for
feritlizing fields and burnng to make food etc.
some people eat the animal,and those who dont care for it
and use the waste product of cow and bull,for natural fertilizer.
after it dies the body is buried and this also fertilizes the fields.
cow or bull dont ask anyone to kill in their name,nor spread
hate like imaginary jehova/allah !!!!
so basically idols and cow bull even pig goat horse dog
donkey etc is more useful and superior to imaginary
jehova/allah.
religion is a disease more so judeo-christianity/islam is
worst than aids,is spreading fast and will destroy humanity.
truth is the only cure against religion and specifically
against judeo-christianity/islam.
I am not talking abt the supreme being=nature.
but expose a fact that even stuff like mud-dirt-etc and
barn yard animals r better than imaginary jehova/allah.
written by Anti Clot , January 09, 2010
written by wagamama , January 09, 2010
written by Clement , January 09, 2010
The God of the Jews and Christian known by name Yahweh is not imaginary. You can close your eyes to 1001 proofs and evidences around us but you cannot deny the fact that He is real. Yahweh has proved his omnipotence, omnipresence, omniscience in recorded history and in the presence that He is not imaginary. The Establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 and its continued victories over 1.4bill Mohammadans is a living testimony of the faithfulness of Yahweh to his covenant with the nation of Israel or Is Israel imaginary also? The demonstration of the power of God through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ in healing the sick, delivering the oppressed, saving the sinners from their sinners are also not imaginary except if you deliberately refused to recognized God's supremacy over Allah and all in love, mercy, faithfulness and grace. It is only Allah that has no proofs that he is real. He has no power to prove his divinity, no miracle, no mercy, no love, no grace, no forgiveness, nothing to show except mendacity, violence, oppressing women and infidels, violence, war, terror, hatred of people of God Jews and Christian. If these are qualities of Satan and Allah is not imaginary then this Allah must be Satan. Therefore the action of the true God and Satan are evident and not imaginary. The actions of Allah resemble those of Satan, we have no problem if he said he is Satan, but he would be imaginary Allah if he claims to be Yahweh the God of the universe, because they have nothing in common. So my friend, the True God is not Imaginary, Satan too is not imaginary. It is only Allah that is imaginary because he Claim to be the true of Go d of the universe but his actions betrayed him as Satan. If you want to know this true God email me on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it '> This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
written by antimod , January 09, 2010
written by Joe Six-Pack , January 09, 2010
Good article. Thanks for the hard work.
written by duh_swami , January 09, 2010
Allah was quite clear on that in his book...He ordered Muslims to 'Fight them' until everyone in the world worshipped him...Quran 8:39...Dar al-Islam was not created to yield to dar al-harb, the land of kufr...Dar al-Islam is going to fight dar al-harb 'until' all worship Allah, and kufr is no more...Since 'until' is not achievable, it means perpetual warfare...Any Muslim who posts here who does not understand that, is either grossly uninformed about his own religion, or he is indulging in taqiyya...
written by Truth Detector , January 09, 2010
Jacob Thomas, good article. Thanks. The truth is that Muslims are not happy because they are usually made to behave themselves at least for a while. Just wait until Muslims take over and begin to employ their cruelty and violence. The Muslims will then be happy because they'll have their Shariah and all the cruelty and violence that Muslims desire. The Muslim Sunnis and Muslim Shiites are happy people because these Muslim contradictory sects are murdering each other every day.
You can be sure that this is the real Truth Detector because of the following comment:
WE MUST DESTROY THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY OF ISLAM BEFORE THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY OF ISLAM DESTROY US.
P.S. Nader, I know that you're out there somewhere. I've noticed that your style of writing is akin to the style of the fake Truth Detector. Were you the typical thieving Muslim who stole my handle for a while? It won't work anymore because of the way I will end my letters, unless you wish to demean yourself. Har, har, har. Wasn't that clever of me, Nader? Nader, evil Islam will never conquer completely simply because evil Islam will never become the conquerer. Yes, the good people will prevail, and evil Islam will disappear from the face of the earth. That's a promise.
written by karan , January 09, 2010
written by Demsci , January 09, 2010
When Muslims in Western countries would operate under democratic rules, they would found parties and promote the message of God, which should be so good it would appeal to a large portion of the population and governments that implement Allah's laws, should keep being popular. But apparently many Islamic leaders do not trust this scenario and instead rely more on violence and deceit, suppression of free speech.
Apparently too many Westerners, authorities, media, ordinary people, still seem to assume that Muslims may not be patriotic about the lands they live in, but like the vast majority of Westerners, are still at least loyal to the democratic system they live in.
But the Islamic leaders and many Muslims apparently want to replace this system with governance by "Allah". But that of course is very similar to what we Europeans had before democracy; the rule of the elite, king and nobles and such, in alliance with the church, over the dumb masses, who could not be trusted in governance according to the elite. This elite then suppressed and exploited the masses.
Will the Muslims do any better than that if successful in Western countries in overthrowing democracy and establishing theocracy? But they have never shown in ANY country where they had power that they could do any better than that! Certainly not in the last 200 years!
written by berq , January 09, 2010
written by vbv , January 09, 2010
written by vbv , January 10, 2010
written by Mo-Suck , January 10, 2010
We need to stick together on the real problem which is mussies and immigration to all of our lands.
I believe in the Gita, the answer to all questions. I never have endorsed the taking of lands in the name of any government, as I am 1/8th eastern Cherokee.
But we don't need to be like the stupid mussies and split our forces. We need to forgive and forget the past and move on to a world that will be at peace for the next 1000 years.
I will do all that I can to help ANY Hindu, that's the name of that tune.
Thanks for your comments.
written by Aussie observer , January 10, 2010
So far we know attacks on Indians are occuring in Melbourne and Sydney, which has high Muslim immigrants. News report said one attack occured in a immigrant neighborhood in Melbourne. And in another incident, when Indians hit back at the attackers Sydney, Lebanese Muslims had to be rushed to hospitals.
If white are attacking, the entire media would be going ga-ga about it with "racism cry". But neither media, nor the establishment, are opening their mouth. Who are the protecting?
The attacks are very mysterious. Let me enlighten you that it is Muslims, who have taken over Australia's criminal gangs, drug trades etc.
written by Archpagan , January 11, 2010
written by Constantine the Great , January 16, 2010
written by Kohi , January 19, 2010
written by Ivan Jorkisznekyovski , October 06, 2010
