ElizabethDWallace

Grand Knowledge, Globalization,  & the Muslim World! – Part Six

Hasan Yahya, Ph.D

The power of Mosques is another factor to make people abide with tyranny. In many instances at Friday prayer which is common to all Arab and Muslim countries, Imams read written speeches, and publicize orders to be obedient citizens, because God says: Abide in submission to your God, His  Prophet, and those rulers who rule the nation. Connecting the rulers with God was familiar in Europe in the middle ages. But still dominant in the Arab and Muslim world.

It is more difficult to control political parties, unions, professional groups, and other forms of associations, as seeds of civil societies are not permitted, unless they are established grounds of Islamic organizations. Populist dissents are refused to appear by force on TV aired openly programs without civil associations, the Arab states inadvertently  contribute to dominate the dissenters.

Islam today is anything, but monolith, there are many schools of Islamic thought, unlike Catholicism or Protestantism denominations in the United States, there is no hierarchy or central place of authority. This may rise the question: who’s the Muslim? Or how can define a Muslim? No one can tell or understand the future directions of Islam, without understanding who the Muslims are in order to negotiate with as speaking for Islam.

Questions of legitimacy and authority bear on wide array of policy issues facing the western world nations including the United States in its relations with the Muslim world.  Issues such as democracy, reform, public diplomacy, and the battle against terrorism.

In his argument about Islam, Bernard Lewis, says:

“There is nothing in Islamic doctrine to oppose economic progress, though there is much in social and legal practices of Muslims that needs careful reconstruction from this point of view”

Education begins with religion in old history in the Muslim world and remained the same in schools and universities and higher education institutions. Until modern day times.  Issues of critical thinking, independent judgment, problem solving, and memorization in learning outside the religious instructions is impermissible. The topic continues. (370 words)

Hasan Yahya, is an American Arab scholar, a professor of Sociology, a columnist at wfol.tv, Malaysia, and TINA International News Agency, Chicago, USA. www.hasanyahya.com