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Muslims, We have to Critically Review Our Understanding of Islam

Posted on 20/12/2015

Muslims, we have to critically review our understanding of Islam

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Words fall short to truly express my deep sadness and revolt in the face of the carnage perpetrated by terrorist groups such as the so-called Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

I share profound frustration with a billion-and-a-half Muslims around the world at the fact that such groups commit terrorism while dressing up their perverted ideologies as religion. We Muslims have a special responsibility to not only join hands with fellow human beings to save our world from the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism, but also to help repair the tarnished image of our faith.

It is easy to proclaim a certain identity in the abstract with words and symbols. The sincerity of such claims, however, can only be measured by comparing our actions with the core values of our self-proclaimed identities. The true test of belief is not slogans or dressing up in a certain way; the true test of our beliefs is in living up to core principles shared by all major world faiths such as upholding the sanctity of life and respecting the dignity of all humans.

We must categorically condemn the ideology propagated by terrorists and instead promote a pluralistic mindset with clarity and confidence. After all, before our ethnic, national or religious identity comes our common humanity, which suffers a setback each time a barbaric act is committed. French citizens who lost their lives in Paris, Shiite Muslim Lebanese citizens who lost their lives in Beirut a day earlier and scores of Sunni Muslims in Iraq who lost their lives at the hands of the same terrorists are first and foremost human beings. Our civilization will not progress until we treat the suffering of humans regardless of their religious or ethnic identity as equally tragic in our empathy and respond with the same determination.

Muslims must also reject and avoid conspiracy theories, which have so far only helped us avoid facing our social problems. Instead, we must tackle the real questions: Do our communities provide recruitment grounds for groups with totalitarian mindsets due to unrecognized authoritarianism within ourselves, domestic physical abuse, neglect of youth and lack of balanced education? Did our failure to establish basic human rights and freedoms, supremacy of the rule of law and pluralist mindsets in our communities lead those who are struggling to seek alternative paths?

The recent tragedy in Paris is yet another reminder for both theologians and ordinary Muslims to strongly reject and condemn barbaric acts perpetrated in the name of our religion. However, at this juncture, rejection and condemnation are not enough; terrorist recruitment within Muslim communities must be fought and countered by an effective collaboration of state authorities, religious leaders and civil society actors. We must organize community-wide efforts to address all factors that aid terrorist recruitment.

Ways of expressing support and dissent within democratic means;

We need to work with our community to set up the necessary framework for identifying at-risk youth, preventing them from seeking self-destructive paths, assisting families with counseling and other support services. We must promote a proactive, positive government engagement so that engaged Muslim citizens can sit at the table where counterterrorism measures are planned and share their ideas. Our youth should be taught ways of expressing support and dissent within democratic means. Incorporating democratic values into school curricula early on is crucial for inculcating a culture of democracy in young minds.

In the aftermath of such tragedies, historically strong reactions have surfaced. Anti-Muslim and anti-religious sentiment as well as security-driven treatment of Muslim citizens by governments would be counter-productive. The Muslim citizens of Europe want to live in peace and tranquility. Despite the negative climate, they should strive to engage more with their local and national governments to help work toward more inclusive policies that better integrate their community into the larger society.

It is also important for us Muslims to critically review our understanding and practice of Islam in light of the conditions and requirements of our age and the clarifications provided by our collective historic experiences. This does not mean a rupture from the cumulative Islamic tradition but rather, an intelligent questioning so we can confirm the true teachings of the Quran and the Prophetic tradition that our Muslim predecessors attempted to reveal.

We must proactively marginalize decontextualized reading of our religious sources that have been employed in the service of perverted ideologies. Muslim thinkers and intellectuals should encourage a holistic approach and reconsider jurisprudential verdicts of the Middle Ages that were issued under perpetual conflict where religious affiliation often coincided with political affiliation. Having core beliefs should be distinguished from dogmatism. It is possible, indeed absolutely necessary, to revive the spirit of freedom of thought that gave birth to a renaissance of Islam while staying true to the ethos of the religion. Only in such an atmosphere can Muslims effectively combat incivility and violent extremism.

In the aftermath of the recent events I am witnessing, with chagrin, the revival of the thesis of the clash of civilizations. I do not know whether those who first put out such a hypothesis did so out of vision or desire. What is certain is that today, the revival of this rhetoric simply serves the recruitment efforts of the terrorist networks. I want to state clearly that what we are witnessing is not a clash of civilizations but rather the clash of humanity with barbarity in our common civilization.

Our responsibility as Muslim citizens is to be part of the solution despite our grievances. If we want to defend the life and civil liberties of Muslims around the world and the peace and tranquility of every human regardless of their faith, we must act now to tackle the violent extremism problem in all its dimensions: political, economic, social and religious. By setting virtuous examples through our lives, by discrediting and marginalizing the extremist interpretations of religious sources, by staying vigilant toward their impact on our youth, and by incorporating democratic values early in education, we can counter violence and terrorism as well as totalitarian ideologies that lead to them.

穆斯林兄弟姊妹們,我們當審慎思索並檢視究竟自己對伊斯蘭深意的認知有多少。

任何的文字、言語全都不足以表達我個人對於近日由 所謂的伊斯蘭國(ISIL)恐怖組織成員在各地所幹下 的一連串令人震驚且心痛之大屠殺事件的深沉哀慟與 厭惡感。

本人和世上的十五億穆斯林兄弟姊妹們同樣極度地對
那一群張揚著扭曲的宗教旗幟卻對無辜世人施予極度
殘暴與恐怖行動之行為感到極度地挫敗與痛心。身為
穆斯林的我們肩負著一項特殊的使命。我們不但要與
世人攜手共同打擊恐怖主義和暴烈的極端主義之蹂躪
以保衛自身外,我們同時還要竭盡所能地挽救已遭玷
污的伊斯蘭。

假若我們是透過某些個抽象的言辭或象徵來自命自我 所認同的某些個價值觀時,那…其實是絲毫不費吹灰

之力的。然而,那份自許的虔敬的背後之真與偽可就
必須得靠著比對個人自身的行動和自許的核心價值觀
之後方可斷定。對於自身信念的實踐應既非又號亦非
表象的動作;而是人類自身究竟是否能夠言行一致,
表裡如一地實踐世界主要宗教信仰所堅守的核心信條
即,重視生命的神聖性暨人類應享的尊嚴。
我們絕對得要譴責那些透過恐怖份子所繁衍出來的意
識形態,並以明晰、堅定之多元論說的觀念取代之。
畢竟,對世人最為重要的並非某個人所屬的種族、民
族或宗教信仰,而是人類共有的「人性」。每每當某
種野蠻行徑再次凌霸世人時,這時「人性」卻是再度
嚴重地開了倒車!那些死於巴黎恐怖行動的法國人,
和在巴黎事件發生的前一天死於貝魯特的黎巴嫩籍十
葉派穆斯林公民,以及在伊拉克喪生的遜尼派穆斯林
們,他們全都喪生於同一個恐怖組織的恐怖行動下,
而,最緊要的事是他們全都是人啊!假使人類無法正
視一個鐵的事實,即無關受害者所屬的信仰或種族背
景為何,如果我們無法公平地以慈悲心,以同樣堅定
的決心去面對這些受害者的話,人類文明將嚴重地淪
喪。
身為穆斯林的我們更當堅拒並避免陰謀論說的孳生,
因為它只會助長人類對於各類社會問題視而不見,聽
而不聞。反倒,我們應當質疑一些發生於社會中真正
緊要的問題:例如現今的人類社會是否因為一些現存
但遭到忽略的權力(或獨裁)主義意識問題,和發生
於國內的人身凌虐、青年人遭到忽視,以及缺乏均衡
的教育等等問題正在人類社會中隱隱發酵,由於未經
察覺而成了助長極權主義蔓延的溫床?還是說因為人
類社會的基本人權和自由權發展的遲緩,社會未能尊
重落實法制,和缺乏多元化論的推廣,最終才促使了
一群又一群找不到出又的群眾企圖以另類的手腕來尋
求一種解決之道呢?

近日發生於巴黎的那一起披著宗教外衣的血腥悲劇不 締為另一個點醒神學家和穆斯林普羅大眾該挺身而起 嚴厲譴責野蠻的恐怖行徑與暴力的警鐘。然而,面對 這種窘境,我們光是對此投以摒棄和譴責是起不了多 大作用的;我們應該從和其他穆斯林政府、宗教領袖, 和公民社會團體共同合作出發,有效聯手一齊反擊有 心人士從穆斯林社群中招集恐怖分子的這種行徑。我 們必須從社群著手,演繹有效的防堵和應對各種招集 極端分子參與恐怖行動的解決之道。

透過民主表達支持與異議之方法

我們必須與社群聯手建架必要的組織以辨識出已頻臨 危機狀態之青少年,以防堵他們走上自毀的不歸路, 並協助問題家庭,投予諮商和其他支援與服務以解決 問題。與政府之間我們必須催生一種積極主動的,正 向的互動關係,於是,參與的穆斯林公民得以與制定 反恐主義措施的官員同坐一桌一齊分享觀點並規劃和 訂定對策。我們必須要讓這一代的年輕人理解,處理 和解決事情必須要透過民主的方式來表達支持與異 議。即早將民主價值的概念融入課綱內以期在年幼的 心靈上達到反覆灌輸陶冶民主概念的做法是種極為必 要的道路。

在悲劇餘波盪漾之際,過去曾所發生過的種種藉以強
烈手段的過往歷史又再度浮上檯面。反穆斯林情結,
和反宗教情緒,以及各國政府以自我防衛為出發針對
穆斯林公民所給予的對待等行為都會產生不良後果。
歐洲地區的穆斯林們只想要平靜地度日。儘管所生活
的社會氣氛極為艱辛外,生活在歐洲的穆斯林們當奮
力更加勤快地與當地政府接觸以共同努力營造出一種
包容的政治氛圍與政策,以促使穆斯林小團體得以融
入當地的大社會。
而穆斯林自身嚴格地檢視自我對於伊斯蘭深意的理解
度究竟有多少,並從當今這個世代的狀況與需求上恪
守自身所奉持的信仰,同時還要參照歷史軌跡經驗上
所留給我們的種種回應全都是極為重要的舉動。以上
動作並非意指著一種伊斯蘭傳承累積效應下的欣喜,
而是那種帶著一點兒理性意味的探究,好讓自身更加
堅定地確信透過先輩們努力揭示給我們的古蘭天經和
聖訓真義中的所有教導。
我們必須主動斥責所有一切妄用於暴力上遭到曲解的
宗教原義。穆斯林思想家與學者們當鼓勵大眾要以一
種整體性的思維態度面對事情,並重新考量中世紀時
期為要因應當時因為宗教和政治相互關係而衍生之無
止盡的衝突而孕生出的法律定論(意見)。秉持核心
信念與教條主義應該要分開來思考。在對宗教懷有絕
對純正道德觀下推動思想自由精神將有助於推動伊斯
蘭的復興,這是種可行的且是絕對必要的一種行動。
唯有在這種環境下穆斯林才能夠有效地因應野蠻和殘
暴的極端主義。

近日大眾所目擊到的事件背後我所看到是種令人感到 極為苦惱的狀態-文明衝突之說又再度浮上檯面了-。 但,令人匪夷所思的是當初提出這種假說之士的胸中 所懷的究竟是出於想像或是私慾?!然而很確定的卻 是,這種說辭之再度盛行似乎恰巧對了那些正積極網 羅新血參與恐怖行動分子的味兒。在此我要嚴正地聲 明,我們正在經歷的絕非什麼「文明的衝突」而是當 今文明中人類人性殘暴的衝突。

身為穆斯林的我們既使對這一切深感委屈不滿但仍應 肩負起打擊恐怖主義的責任。假使我們要保衛世上其 他的穆斯林,並捍衛穆斯林公民的自由權,以及讓所 有世人無論其信仰背景為何均能享有一份平靜安寧的 生活的話,我們便要立即開始著手找出暴力極端主義 問題產生的一切根源:無論它是源自於政治層面的呢, 還是經濟面的、抑或是社會的和宗教層面的。我們得 從生活中樹立起一種品德上的模範,並對一切極端宗 教說辭提出質疑與排斥,對以上狀態有所警惕以避免 影響到我們的下一代,並及早將民主價值之概念融入 教育,最終我們將輕易地擊退暴力侵犯我們的社群與 社會和恐怖主義,和引發以上所有的極權主義的意識 形態。

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