Family of the Heart, Seminar Nov. 28

‘FAMILY OF THE HEART’ SEMINAR ON ISLAM

ISLAM, MUSLIMS AND 21ST CENTURY

Thank you, I am honored. Very timely discussion. Special mention of organizers and Dr. Qazi, my friend of 22 years and the person who started me thinking; and for a number of years, the only practicing communist apart from Fidel Castro!

The world is interconnected today as never before, and the future course of Islam is dependent on, and guides, the course of the World. Understanding Today's World, Understanding Islam, Muslims and Ourselves, and Preparing for the Future. It is very important to be frank and candid.

(a) Liberal and conservative, progressive and orthodox, left and right -- can be traced to these opposite ways of looking at humans and society. Most thinkers and societies belong to a combination of the two, because just like the physical poles, these two poles are extreme and uninhabitable.

(b) Utopians: Our limitations come from social arrangements - we do not have an inherent nature - society is just the sum of individuals.

(c) Tragists: Humans are inherently limited and selfish - traditions last because they allow us to work around the flaws that are part of our nature - individuals play a role in society.

(d) Examples: Marx was a historical tragist, but an utopian for the future but somebody (E.O. Wilson) summed up his theory quiet succinctly: "wonderful theory, wrong species". [2]

(e) Canada is as close to utopia as it gets, BUT, on October 7, 1969, the Montreal police force went on strike. Because of what resulted, the day has been called Black Tuesday. Numerous bank robberies, arson etc. occurred. Smartly dressed people were walking off with fur coats and electronics. Anarchy took over.

(f) Islam warns us of the dangers of inherent human nature, while encouraging us to at least try to build an utopia, but within our constraints.

International Order – why can’t states behave like law-abiding individuals do:

(a) Hobbes explained inter-human violence to be a near-inevitable outcome of the dynamics of self-interested, rational organisms. His famous trap shows the roots to be: COMPETITION, DIFFIDENCE and GLORY (honor, self-deception, preemption etc.). We have been very violent historically, with 10 to 60% of males dying at the hands of other human beings. Modern-day governments, as disinterested third parties with a system of laws and having a monopoly on violence, have enabled human societies to avoid the Hobbesian trap. And hence the demand for lawyers – we don’t pull a sword now, we call our lawyer! This is Hobbes’ Leviathan, the just, disinterested powerful arbitrator. [3]

(b) Pinker says, in 2003, "Worst of all, no one has yet figured out how to set up a worldwide democratic leviathan that would penalize the aggressive competition, defuse the Hobbesian traps, and eliminate the cultures of honor that hold between the most dangerous perpetrators of violence of all, nation-states." [1]

(c) Kant said: "The depravity of human nature is displayed without disguise in the unrestricted relations which obtain between the various nations.” [4]

(d) Churchill rejected unilateral pacifism, thus: Nothing is worse than war? Dishonor is worse than war. Slavery is worse than war”. . . . “The story of the human race is war. Except for brief and precarious interludes there has never been peace in the world; and long before history began murderous strife was universal and unending.”

(e) The United Nations was mean to do this, but it was doomed from the start. The permanent members of the Security Council wielded their power for their individual gain, while exploiting others in ways that would put stone-age Neanderthals to shame.

(f) On September 11, 2001 showed that when the international Leviathan refuses to use its monopoly on violence for justice in the world, a non-nation-state could - with a cause celebrated by billions, avenge its sense of lost honor. This was the beginning of the end of the UN.

(g) Will we have eternal strife? No, we will eventually have a worldwide Leviathan, but it is not the current UN or the US. What can we do to build this Leviathan?

1. Within the same breath that we use to criticize the abuse of religion, we have to criticize the utter inhuman suffering imposed by attempts at man-made social cultural engineering. Humans have the instinctive nature to group, like crystals:

(a) The slave trade, the Russian dictatorship of the proletariat, Mao's cultural revolution, colonialism – has resulted in human suffering thousands of times greater than the worst religious oppression – like the Spanish Inquisition – ever did.

(b) Like the language Esperanto, good theoretical ideas are rarely practicable. -- a brilliant concept but fatally doomed. Geographic,

(c) Cultural and linguistic boundaries divide the world – and this diversity makes us stronger, not weaker. We can learn to co-exist and help each other, but mankind can never be homogeneous -- that is the myth of Esperanto. Even in Canada, there is friction between East, West and Atlantic Canada. Within Ontario, there is friction between rural Ontario and GTA. This friction and negotiation is a factor of human existence and starts from families and siblings.

(d) together account for over 300 million deaths and torture and humiliation over the world in 300 years. [5]

2. Islam is a religion as well as a philosophy and a cultural federation, like Europe, 'the West' or the 'Far East'

3. Locked in the Cold War and its propaganda and its tools, like the UN, we were raised to believe that the world has become a peaceful place of co-existence. We were willing to accept the epithets of 'backward', 'Third World' and 'developing'. We descended into a inferiority-induced malaise.

4. Believing their own myths, and in their confidence that others believe too, the new social engineers have set out to re-engineer the world, a venture that is going to be even more disastrous than any previous attempt.

5. Islam is as veil as the Soviets were evil? and Castro was evil? and China was evil? and Iraq was evil? now Islam is evil. "evil" is a religious term of hate - and I say welcome to all my evil friends here!

6. The fundamentalism of these new social engineers in much more radical and dangerous than the fundamentalism of Mullah Umar. General Boykin wants to eradicate the evil from the world, while the Taliban are content to practice their fundamentalism locally. The backwardness of George Bush's religious affiliates, where they have to create a Greater Israel in order for the Messiah to reappear, is worse than the backwardness of any mullah I have met.

7. With few exceptions, Muslim intellectuals have bounced between the utopias of Colonialism-followers to Communism-followers to followers of the false peace of the UN to brand-new humanists and secular Muslims -- but the solution lies in acknowledging the cultural, ideological and religious fabric of the Islamic world and not the futile re-engineering of humans and cultures within our utopian delusions. Utopian delusions ultimately lead to the schizophrenic splits that are -- to one degree or another -- the hallmark of most current Muslim intellectuals and movements. It takes courage to be a leader and not a follower -- to say something that has not been said before.

8. Most Islamic societies are more vibrant, materially richer, at peace, progressive and crime-free than Russia, or China, or Thailand. Problems with corruption and technological development remain, but those problems have to fixed, and not used as an excuse and a mental crutch by which to abandon our collective responsibility.

1. As time marches on and society becomes more complex, the challenges faced by humanity are that much newer and ever more complex.

(a) Technology does not benefit the whole world -- whole sections of humanity are living worse than animals, worse than they were 500 years ago. Are they inherently inferior -- or have they been exploited? -- there is no other logical option to this predicament.

(b) Is the current corporate Western world going to solve these problems? hardly -- there is no indicator that it will. Even in Western countries, more and more people are living in poverty -- bound in an pre-defined circle with the illusion of freedom.

(c) A cow in Japan gets $7.50 in daily subsidies and a European cow gets $2.50 in subsidies[6] so that the farmer in Kenya cannot raise cows and export milk, and has to make do with less than $1 a day. Russians are wishing for their old government to come back. The poor and the oppressed of the world are crying out – not for help – but for fairness, and their help is drowned out by the ever increasing din of corporate media serving their masters.

(d) The environment, stressful living conditions, disease, drug use and hopelessness are problems that are plaguing mankind like never before.

(e) While we have made great progress, we humans were never so unequal as we are today, with the Space age and the Stone age co-existing, and this, in my opinion, is the biggest problem facing humanity today.

2. Reciprocal Fear or Reciprocal Altruism: As with individuals, nations have good relations with other nations when they are afraid that an aggression will invite a proportionate response, or they are nice to others in the hope that they will be nice to them. These were the basics forces that contributed to the evolution of human

society according to evolutionary biologists.[7] Without these two motives, there is no other way for the Islam, as a culture, to survive, except by inducing reciprocal fear or the lure of reciprocal altruism. It will be very painful for the West to admit it so soon, but its actions are based on that admission, and with time, the realization will be public.

During the Soviet era, the Islamic world was a bulwark for the West, and its oil was desirable. With threat is gone, the oil can be had for free, and there is no fear any more. If it is not oil, then there are millions in Africa struggling under brutal rulers and in abject poverty. If it is not the fear of being fought against and prosecuted by authorities, what prevents a burglar from entering your home?

i. As an example, 50 years of negotiations by the Palestinians resulted in political games, until they adopted the reciprocal attitude – even if we only do it with a ratio of 1:3, we will kill you. This is rex talionis, the oldest law known to man – an eye for an eye, and a life for a life. Earlier this decade, Israel pulled out of Lebanon, and earlier this month, Israel exchanged prisoners with Hizbullah.

ii. Why did a billion people celebrate the crash of the US Chinook helicopter. For precisely the same reason that Americans celebrated the murder of the Hussein sons. Take your pick, who is evil and backwards? Both, or neither!

iii. The resistance of the Iraqis has put on hold the designs on Syria and Iran.

iv. Bin Laden's threats of reciprocity are taken credibly, but he has no “cause.”

i New media is providing a reason for news reports to try to appear balanced and truthful, at least in major stories. Malaysian newspapers, Lebanese newspapers, Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabiya, Urdu channels based in Dubai, Al-Manar TV, Al-Hayat, and other such media outlets are providing a new, fresh and truthful approach to world events. There is more political debate going on in the Muslim world than in America. Where is more politically free: the Pakistani who supports Bush, or the American who dares to think that Bin Laden may have had a cause.[8]

ii. Muslim countries are developing new alliances at a breathtaking pace, designed to isolate the US when it gets aggressive.

iii. The GREAT need now is for organized and cohesive sports, cultural, scientific, literary and political contributions to the rest of the world. This will complete the equation.

Only by contributing meaningfully to the world can the Islamic world bring the principle of reciprocal altruism into play, and benefit the world at the same time.

(a) Political Science: This field has become so ideologized in the West and no real progress has been made for about 150 years, while the world is yearning for new ideas in political structures. With so much political awareness and reform going on in the Islamic world, just like the Europe of the 18th and 19th century, you will see a lot of contribution.

(b) Economics: Current Western economic thought, sponsored by corporations, has no incentive to explore and develop theories and models for improving the lot of the human race.

(c) Philosophy: Nothing going on whatsoever! At a time when the world faces so many philosophical challenges, including the definition of “human”, the philosophy mullahs of the West are silent and only pursue meaningless assertions.

(d) Business: A look at the MBA program of the University of Toronto made me almost throw up. Students are being taught that business means: fool consumers and steal from them however much you can. Advertising and brand management has become indescribably immoral. Also students are trained to skirt the law without being caught, and hide in negotiations whatever you can. Is it a wonder that corporate corruption scandals are plaguing worldwide business.

(e) Agriculture: great technological advances have been made, but the culture of subsidies, Western rural politics and genetic engineering are taking us in the wrong direction. A lot has to be done, and in the proper direction.

(f) Weapons of Mass Destruction: The West will be a leader for many more decades!

4. Theory of Leapfrogging civilizations -- a careful study of history reveals that while civilization A is enjoying its zenith -- civilization B - while absorbing knowledge from A - is building the institutions - or getting rid of institutions - that are going to ultimately solve the world's future problems and take over from A. While Islam flourished, Europe was learning from the Islamic empire - and ridding itself of theological constraints and establishing the rule of law. When does B take over the leadership -- when A becomes bankrupt of new ideas and is a problem more than a solution.

Gaps of centuries can be overcome in decades as the body of human knowledge is used to advance the progress of all human beings.

(a) The chaos of Europe of the 15th and 16th centuries can be seen, but the Islamic renaissance will not go according to the blueprint of the European renaissance, as there are no new worlds left to conquer and exploit. There are the old worlds of Timbuktu and Baghdad and Samarkand that have to be given the dignity and hope that is the inalienable right of every human being.

(b) The Muslim Ummah (see handout) is different from Western Europe and is defined by a shared theology. In comparison, European theology was a dividing force and had to be overcome.

(c) It is going to be a new blueprint -- a new renaissance -- anew processes of thought -- that is hard and in uncharted territory.

(d) It has started -- and you and I, and our children, will execute it. The same rules, ideas and logic does not apply. New Kants are needed. New Hobbes' are needed.

9. Corporate-controlled governments of the West are now incapable of solving the world's problems. (for detailed analysis, please view handout)

10.This century's survivor is Islam -- not a prophecy -- but logically inevitable. it is only through the compassion and caring of Islamic culture and the absolutism of some basic relationships between humans, animals, Earth , money and environment -- that is going to solve the problems facing us as a species -- for details, see above.

Islam provides us with the precursors of these absolute relationships --- and we have to flesh them out and develop them through writing, research and actions.

While parents worry about finding funds for their children's education, children sleep soundly thinking of their parents as heroes. As the residents of a state sleep, confident that their state will be protected, their conscientious rulers are busy at night planning their defense. As Muslims are justifiably secure that their faith is in no danger, the societies, cultures and states must be managed conscientiously by Muslim rulers and intellectuals. The alternative is before us:

1.Did you know that German eugenic scientists were learning from their American counterparts? Did you know that depleted uranium warheads used by the US in 1991 and in 1003 in Iraq are causing thousands of deaths and congenital deformities, and will continue to do so for millions of years. Did you know that Palestinian children's birth records, school records and land records are systematically destroyed. Is Canadian or US citizenship enough for you or your children not to be declared 'enemy combatants' in the future? Are you safe in the hands of neo-conservatives and immoral racists?

2. The alternative is future centuries of slavery for the non-Western world -- the modern form of mental slavery -- and the inferiority and stress born of military impotence.

This is the REAL world -- where the US is stepping up military spending astronomically and with no imminent threat? History shows us that such mad military buildups lead to unprovoked wars -- without a single EXCEPTION. New types of atomic bombs are being built as we speak. Talk about weapons of mass destruction.

Pre-emption is the new doctrine -- and the world is seeing this doctrine after the Romans. The US is obstinately demanding immunity from the International War Crimes Tribunal. How much intelligence does it take one not to see where we are going? Can we afford to live in a "secular humanist" utopia?

3.Please do not be deluded that human knowledge is now at a stage where slavery and abuse cannot occur. We have just seen how fragile human institutions like the UN, US constitution are. Current conventional wisdom places one white life equal to about 300 non-white lives, and this ratio is going to increase. Five dead Americans are news-equivalent to about 500 people dying in Iraq. And remember, the US constitution supported a black man being a two-fifth human for almost 200 years.

4. It takes one demagogue like McCarthy, Adolf Hitler, Ashcroft or Daniel Pipes to declare that the world's other races should be liquidated. And Hitler did not have the tools that Bush has. Without absolute principles, what is left is tyranny - as Iqbal said.

Tyranny can raise its ugly head when it is threatened. When it is not threatened, it gives the illusion of human progress.

5.Now you can agree that Islam is evil and if it is eradicated -- the world will be better off. Just don't bug the Americans and neo-imperialism will solve the world's problems.

6. Or you can continue to believe that Esperanto will become the universal language - and humans will live as happy programmed computers - like smiling ostriches!

7. Or you can take the harder path -- that we need urgent action, reform, thought and unity to save the world -- solve its problems -- and allow ourselves and our future generations to live in dignity and peace -- and as free humans. Only Islam allows that option now.

7: , The evolution of reciprocal altruism,Quarterly Review of Biology, 46:35--57, 1972,