{"id":6532,"date":"2020-05-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.charming-bohr.160-238-31-172.plesk.page\/index.php\/2020\/05\/01\/the-fire-of-faith\/"},"modified":"2020-05-01T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-05-01T00:00:00","slug":"the-fire-of-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.charming-bohr.160-238-31-172.plesk.page\/index.php\/2020\/05\/01\/the-fire-of-faith\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fire of Faith?"},"content":{"rendered":"

There is no <\/em>religious freedom in the wider Middle East region. There is instead a tyranny of the majority over the minority in all walks of life, be it the religious, political, social, cultural, or economic sphere.<\/p>\n

It is claimed, however, that religion and belief in God are synonymous with morality and living the good life or the virtuous one. History, human experience, and scientific experiments beg to differ. \u201cMorality,\u201d wrote psychologist J. Anderson Thomson, \u201cwhich some see as imposed by gods or religion on savage humans, science sees as yet another adaptive strategy handed down to us by natural selection.\u201d<\/p>\n

If that were the case, moreover, the moral imperative would have compelled the believer to respect and advance the religious freedom of others. The contrary is the norm. The opposite has been the pattern in most of the Middle East for centuries.<\/p>\n

Why is the concept of freedom is so fleeting in that part of the globe? To a considerable degree, it comes down to the very definition of freedom. One of the most troubling aspects of the Arab Middle East in general is a cultural misunderstanding of the word \u201cfreedom.\u201d In most countries the word \u201cfreedom\u201d is seen as synonymous with sexual prevalence, decadence, teen pregnancy, porn, divorce, child abuse and the breakdown of the family unit, etc. To most in this cultural milieu it also signals willingness to criticize and disobey religious values and religious authorities, and to instillin the young generations new values that are at variance with the established norms—resulting in undesired change or disrespect for authority. Thus, the confusion and the stultifying consequences for people\u2019s lives and their liberty.<\/p>\n

Meat of the Matter<\/strong><\/p>\n

In my book Hostage to History: The Cultural Collapse of the 21st Century Arab World, <\/em>I wrote the following in the introduction: \u201cOn June 2, 2015, while sitting at a caf\u00e9 in Ottawa, Canada\u2019s capital, I decided to check the news from the Middle East by reading the Washington Post<\/em> online. The Post <\/em>reported the following story. \u2018Videos posted on social media accounts allied with the Islamic State showed the group in control of checkpoints in the small town of Sawran.\u2019 One image showed four decapitated heads tossed into the back of a truck. I added to link this story to a wider scheme that was evident throughout history. Similar headlines had dominated newspapers over the past year, and they have been dominating them ever since. The merchants of death are advancing. The barbaric squad is sowing fear and tyranny. The savagery of blind belief is spreading its venom. Minorities are being slaughtered like sheep. Sectarian strife is raging like a brushfire and the Arab world is collapsing, sucked into a black hole of cosmic dimensions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The decapitated heads, most likely, came from Shia or Christian inhabitants of that tortured land. So much for freedom of religion!<\/p>\n

Religion in the Arab Middle East is not just about identity, a belief system, or an instrument used for solidarity and social cohesion. Neither is it a response to states\u2019 or societies\u2019 failure to deliver services in modern times. It is viewed as the only prism through which one ought to view the world and our place in it. One\u2019s religion, sect, or affiliation is a window that colors one\u2019s station and understanding of time and place. \u201cWhat both the believers and the critics often miss,\u201d wrote author Reza Aslan, \u201cis that religion is often far more a matter of identity than it is a matter of beliefs and practices. The phrase \u2018I am a Muslim,\u2019 \u2018I am a Christian,\u2019 \u2018I am a Jew,\u2019 and the like is, often, not so much a description of what a person believes or what rituals he or she follows, as a simple statement of identity, of how the speaker views her or his place in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

This may be true in many or most countries and cultures around the world, but the exceptionalism of the Arab world in this regard is striking.<\/p>\n

I was born in a place where the dominance of religious narrative and competing faith systems are a prime example of the total cultural hegemony of religion over society. Lebanon, my birthplace, is a country in which organized religion was, and still is, the substitute for air, water, food, and the social contract. (In fact, the \u201cLebanonization\u201d of the Arab world, after the failure of the revolts and the Arab Spring, is now a given.) Look at Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, and other Middle Eastern states, and you will discover that religious divisions run deep, and most social, political, and even economic issues are colored and dominated by religious discourse. A person\u2019s identity, social status, employment, marriage, education, indeed, his or her very future and most of his or her decisions in life, are controlled by the religious sect into which that person was born or the environment in which he or she happens to be living. Nothing escapes the gravity of the religious pull in that part of the world.<\/p>\n

In addition to that, religion is used to control, victimize, and abuse others who don\u2019t share the same theology. A tacit contract has been established between the authoritarian regimes and the religious establishment to divide the pie and extend a helping hand to each other, obstructing social change, liberal policies, and democratic development.<\/p>\n

In Saudi Arabia, for example, the royal family\u2019s contract with the ultraconservative Wahabi version of Islam is a well-known fact. The governing royal family gets its legitimacy from the Islamic establishment in exchange for adhering to its orthodoxy and conservative notions and interpretations of Islam and modern questions of cultural issues.<\/p>\n

In Lebanon, as mentioned above, religious infighting and discrimination knows no limits. Witness this penis-cutting story that was reported by The Daily Star <\/em>newspaper on July 17, 2013. The Star<\/em>is a prominent English-language daily newspaper in the Middle East, published in Lebanon:<\/p>\n

Man\u2019s Member Severed Over Interfaith Marriage<\/em><\/p>\n

By Dahlia Nehme, Meris Lutz<\/em><\/p>\n

Beirut—A Sunni man from Akkar had his penis severed during a brutal attack by his wife\u2019s Druze family, who opposed the interfaith union. Rabih Ahmad, 39, was brought to Al-Shohar al-Gharbi Hospital in the Chouf late Monday night where he was stabilized and has since been transported to the Rafik Hariri Hospital in Beirut Wednesday. Ahmad, who hails from the Akhar town of Ahrar, and Rudayna Melaab, 19, from Baysour in the Chouf, eloped two weeks ago in the presence of a Sunni sheikh. According to local residents and officials, the couple had lied to the woman\u2019s family and told them Ahmad was a Druze from the Abu Daib family in Jahilieh, another town in the Chouf.<\/em><\/p>\n

Melaab\u2019s family discovered the deception only after the two were married and reportedly ensconced in a chalet in Tabarja. After expressing their outrage, Melaab\u2019s family then called and invited the newlyweds to dinner in Baysour under the pretense of reconciliation and honoring the marriage.<\/em><\/p>\n

Instead, the woman\u2019s relatives, led by her brother, who is reportedly a soldier in the Lebanese Army, kidnapped Melaab and dragged Ahmad to the main square of Baysour, where they beat him and cut off his penis. According to local news reports, Ahmad arrived at the hospital in critical condition, his penis missing and his testicles ruptured.<\/em><\/p>\n

The man spoke to Al-Jadeed TV Tuesday, identifying his assailants as his bride\u2019s father and brother. \u201cThey cut it off to set an example,\u201d the victim said.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Druze are a religious minority in Lebanon known for being fiercely protective of their community. The Druze religion does not recognize converts, making marriage outside the faith even less acceptable than it is among other religions.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

This sectarian mentality and practice are still alive and well in the Middle East, even in Lebanon!<\/p>\n

In Egypt the Christian minority was and is being persecuted to appease the religious establishment and the conservative section of the Egyptian population, now nearing about 100 million.<\/p>\n

In Iran, furthermore, the religious freedom of minorities is virtually nonexistent. On August 30, 2019, the Baha\u2019i National Center, quoted the report that was submitted to the UN General Assembly by the special rapporteur which outlined the series of human rights violations against the Baha\u2019i community of Iran and other ethnic and religious minorities.<\/p>\n

The special rapporteur says: \u201cThe absence of constitutional and legal recognition for non-recognized minorities entails denials of fundamental human rights for their followers. Left outside the national legal framework, unrecognized minority religious groups such as the Baha\u2019is, Christian converts, [and] Sufis . . . are the targets of discriminatory legislation and practices.\u201d<\/p>\n

The report adds: \u201cGiven that the Baha\u2019i faith is regarded as a \u2018misguided sect\u2019 and Baha\u2019i worship and religious practices are deemed heresy, they frequently face changes such as \u2018breaching national security,\u2019 \u2018propaganda against the holy regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran\u2019 or \u2018propaganda activities against the regime in the interests of the Baha\u2019i sect.\u2019\u2005\u201d<\/p>\n

Some facts by numbers: \u201cA total of 95 Baha\u2019i were reportedly arrested in 2018, compared with at least 84 in 2017 and 81 in 2016. This suggests that, while the number of such arbitrary arrests each year may fluctuate, the persecution is not subsiding.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, the absence of any notion of the separation of mosque\/church and state\/politics in the wider Arab world\u2013including Iran, which is not an Arab country, as it controls these days the politics of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and much of Yemen\u2013has created a combustible mixture of religious powder that has resulted in a renewed (hot and cold) civil war between Sunni and Shia sects, between Christian minorities and Muslim majorities, that led to the persecution and slaughter of other religious minorities scattered across the Arab lands. Witness the ethnic cleansing and killings of the Yazidis in Iraq and other minorities in Syria at the hands of ISIS in 2014 and beyond.<\/p>\n

Historical Context<\/strong><\/p>\n

Professor Ahmad F. Yousif, from the International Islamic University of Malaysia, wrote about the Islamic perspective regarding religious freedom, arguing that: \u201cThe concept of separation between sacred and profane, or religious and secular, is completely nonexistent in Islam, which is based on the recognition of the unity of the Creator and the submission of the individual\u2019s will to Him. Furthermore, Islam is not a religion in the Western sense of the word, confining its scope to the private life of the individual, but instead, provides guidance for all walks of life\u2013individual and social, material and moral, economic and political, legal and cultural, national and international.\u201d<\/p>\n

Yousif goes on to argue that comparing the Western system and the Islamic system in terms of religion\u2019s role in society is like comparing apples to oranges. \u201cAs we have seen, the liberal democratic state considers religion for the most part as a personal, private matter, just one of many spheres of life and distinct from the more important \u2018rational\u2019 aspects of life. Conversely, from the Islamic perspective, religion is viewed as an integrated whole. As the individual submits his\/her will to the will of God and carries out activities for the sake of God, all aspects of life become spiritualized and indeed acts of worship.\u201d<\/p>\n

Religious freedom in this context is virtually impossible to obtain. The majority is bound to argue that it is fulfilling the will of God as it understands that will by interpreting the texts at hand. On the other hand, the religious minorities are hostages to the prevailing state system, which is acting in concert with the religious establishment for mutual interests, thus perpetuating a culture of persecution and silence.<\/p>\n

The freedom famine must end. A culture that does not respect and revere freedom in its fundamental features is bound to remain anemic and malnourished. Freedom is what makes the individual, the society, and the state function equitably and smoothly. Freedom, properly practiced, rejects the destructive cultural practices of authority worship, persecution of religious minorities, and blind adherence to traditional values—even if they are proven wrong or misguided in the modern age.<\/p>\n

Robert D. Putnam, a prominent American political scientist, wrote in the New York Times <\/em>on June 12, 2012: \u201cThe most certain prediction that we can make about almost any modern society is that it will be more diverse a generation from now than it is today. Therefore, diversity, respect for minority rights, and accommodation of other groups, be it religious or social, are, and will continue to be, the defining features of our times.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Arab world\u2013and Iran\u2013 is lacking miserably on this front, and the current state of warfare within and without these states is telling and tragic.<\/p>\n

Finally, the view that the truth is the domain of authority has been the hallmark of Arab political culture for centuries. Michael P. Lynch wrote brilliantly: \u201cConsider the idea that the real essence of truth is Authority\u2013that is, what is true is whatever God, or the King or the Party commands or accepts, that is a reductive definition, one that still lurks in the background of many people\u2019s worldview. It has also been used over the centuries to stifle dissent and change.\u201d<\/p>\n

In fact, this view of authority applies to the Arab world, and the wider Middle East region, like no other culture on earth\u2013which is a catastrophe. Witness, as we see daily, the religious persecution of ethnic minorities, religious minorities, and noncitizens as evidence of what happens when religious authorities and authoritarian regimes practice together this scheme of discrimination in real life.<\/p>\n

————-<\/p>\n

Sources: <\/strong>Elie Mikhael Nasrallah, \u201cHostage to History: The Cultural Collapse of the 21st Century Arab World\u201d; Ahmad F. Yousif, \u201cRevisiting Religious Freedom, Minorities, and Islam\u201d; Reza Aslan, \u201cBill Maher Isn\u2019t the Only One Who Misunderstands Religion\u201d; the Daily Star<\/em> newspaper in Lebanon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

There is no religious freedom in the wider Middle East region. There is instead a tyranny of the majority over the minority in all walks of life, be it the religious, political, social, cultural, or economic sphere. It is claimed, however, that religion and belief in God are synonymous with morality and living the good<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[335],"tags":[167],"class_list":["post-6532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-may-june-2020","tag-may-june-2020"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.charming-bohr.160-238-31-172.plesk.page\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6532","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.charming-bohr.160-238-31-172.plesk.page\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.charming-bohr.160-238-31-172.plesk.page\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.charming-bohr.160-238-31-172.plesk.page\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.charming-bohr.160-238-31-172.plesk.page\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6532"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.charming-bohr.160-238-31-172.plesk.page\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6532\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.charming-bohr.160-238-31-172.plesk.page\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6532"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.charming-bohr.160-238-31-172.plesk.page\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6532"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.charming-bohr.160-238-31-172.plesk.page\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6532"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}