lubna
03-12-2004, 20:59
Subject: The Rand Report & The Invisible man
1. THE RAND REPORT AND THE INVISIBLE MAN
[By Wahida Valiante -- London Islamic Centre lecture -- November 28,
2004]
================================================== ========================
When Europeans launched the Crusades as a prolonged "holy war" against
Islam, couched in terms of "good-versus-evil," they did so for three
reasons. First was the rise of Islam itself, one of the greatest
historical movements of the Middle Ages. Its existence and rapid
expansion were seen as a threat to the dominant Byzantine Empire.
Secondly, the Pope was struggling with the Holy Roman Emperor for
supreme
power in Europe, and so in 1095 a decision was made at the Council of
Clermont to launch a Crusade that would consolidate his authority as a
supreme leader.
The third reason was driven by economic change. Behind the rising
religious craze in Europe, a new holy war was seen as a shortcut for
Europeans to make business contacts with the affluent oriental East and
the highly civilized Arab world.
The shape of the current Crusade may be different, but the goal is the
same: conquering territories, controlling resources and undermining the
culture and the religious self identity of the indigenous population,
the
"others" who need fixing. The notion that only outside intervention can
save Islam and Muslims has been in circulation since the Iranian
Revolution of 1979, but it gained greater urgency after September 11,
2001.
The writing was on the wall. In June 1992, Time magazine featured an
article titled "The Sword of Islam." The magazine's cover carried a
picture showing the black silhouettes of a minaret and a raised hand
holding a gun against a lurid orange background. The caption read
"Islam:
Should the World Be Afraid?" By James Walsh. It was ingenious in its
tone
and frightening in its imagery of Islam and Muslims. But that was only
the first of many...
Recently, Rand Corporation has put out a report titled "Civil
Democratic
Islam: Partners, Resources, and Strategies." It is based on the premise
that Muslims -- and by inference, all of Islam -- are "sick" and unless
they are fixed from the outside, the Islamic world will not "thrive."
The
report lays out a comprehensive blueprint for Western agencies, media,
and corporations within America and around the world -- including
Canada
-- on how to manipulate the present perception and future evolution of
Islam and Muslim societies. This report has serious repercussions for
Islam and Muslims, particularly for our youth who are the subject of a
wide-open laboratory of thought on behavioral manipulation and social
and
religious engineering.
The report concludes by emphasizing that Muslim "anger" against America
can be tamed only through developing a modernist or progressive Muslim
leadership and supporting the Sufi style of Islam. "The next
generation,
both in the West and in the Muslim world, however, can be easily
influenced into changing their views if the message of the democratic
Islam can be inserted into school curricula and public media."
It does not, however, touch upon on any core issues related to the
Muslim
world's perceptions about the West; about the Israeli- Palestinian
conflict, or about those involving Chechnya and Russia, Iraq and
America,
Kashmir and India. And it does not investigate the exploitive and
repressive political systems supported by the American and European
elite
for their own political and economic gain.
We need to read the Rand Report, and then ask ourselves: How did Irshad
Manji become famous? Why are some fringe individuals in the Muslim
community so often courted by the media? And why are those fringe views
given preference over those of mainstream Canadian Muslims? Why is
there
such a push to revise education curricula in Muslim countries? And who
is
influencing what we claim to "know" about Islam and the Muslim world?
It is remarkable that the report has not generated any serious
discussion
among the Muslim intellectuals and Islamic scholars of our country,
many
of whom seem unaware even of its existencet. To me it seems that the
Muslim community (Ummah) is either sleeping or hibernating, like the
"Invisible Man" in the basement of a white neighborhood.
Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is the story of a young black man from
the
South who is haunted by his grandfather's deathbed warning against
conforming to the wishes of white people, because the young man sees
that
very conformity as his key to success. This novel is an account of his
journey through contemporary America in search of success, equality and
self identity. It also chronicles his emotional experiences at the
hands
of whites who cruelly manipulate him as he moves along the corridors of
success. In the process, loses his humanity.
Finally, he decides to build himself a room in the cellar of an all-
white building and hibernates there, contemplating his relationship to
reality and the invisibility he feels was caused by his race. One day
he
realizes that he can no longer be irresponsible and conform to "white
people's" expectations of him. Instead, he will reclaim his humanity by
being who he is and will no longer struggle to change that. The lesson
for him is: "Without the possibility of action, all knowledge comes to
one label, 'file and forget'. They keep filing away at my lethargy, my
complacency."
It is an apt analogy for the current state of our Ummah, for it too is
sleeping in the "basement of the white neighborhood" and without the
possibility of action, its knowledge -- the Qur’an and the teachings of
the Prophetic examples -- has come to one label, "file and forget."
We need a vision for the future and a major paradigm shift; a re-
orientation of perspective that acknowledges the urgency of our
coordinated effort and actions at the local and national level, and
that
equally considers the interrelationships linking global, regional, and
national actors. All this is our responsibility.
If we aspire to a more just and peaceful future and world, we must
recognize that justice and peace have both internal and external
aspects.
Lasting success will only be achieved when there is a balance between
the
outer and the inner dimensions of life. Therefore, we must strike a
balance between our religious rituals and our civic duty. As the Qur'an
teaches, "... thus we have made you an ummata wasata [a community of
the
middle way, or a justly balanced community]... (2:143)
We should be warned that our lethargy, ignorance, and irresponsibility
in
the face of mounting covert and overt manipulation of our person,
religion, youth and self identity, is going to be our undoing. The
longer
we wait to become visible, to take a stand and confront the forces of
ignorance and hate as a collective consciousness and voice, the worse
we
will fail in our duty to Allah, to Canada as her citizens, to our
religion, and to our self-identity.
Recent events have only further highlighted the paralysis of the wider
Muslim community in the face of crises generated by society's
predominantly anti-Islam media. We as a community failed to rise to the
occasion and failed to show that we too can care for those who are
wrongly accused and humiliated. It was sad to see that out of fear,
personal interest, and an atrophied sense of justice, people became
holier-than-thou instead of speaking up. To paraphrase Ralph Ellison's
Invisible Man: "Irresponsibility is part of our invisibility; any way
we
face it, it is a denial. But to whom can we be responsible, and why
should we be, when others refuse to see us?"
The answer is that we are created to be representative of Allah, or
vicegerents on earth (6:165) and are held morally responsible; not only
for ourselves, but also for others in society, community and the world,
including the environment. The Qur’an says: "... and did not Allah
check
one set of people by means of another, the earth, indeed would be full
of
mischief." (2:251).
(Wahida Valiante is the national vice-president of Canadian Islamic
Congress and family counselor. She can be reached at
nvp@canadianislamiccongress.com)
1. THE RAND REPORT AND THE INVISIBLE MAN
[By Wahida Valiante -- London Islamic Centre lecture -- November 28,
2004]
================================================== ========================
When Europeans launched the Crusades as a prolonged "holy war" against
Islam, couched in terms of "good-versus-evil," they did so for three
reasons. First was the rise of Islam itself, one of the greatest
historical movements of the Middle Ages. Its existence and rapid
expansion were seen as a threat to the dominant Byzantine Empire.
Secondly, the Pope was struggling with the Holy Roman Emperor for
supreme
power in Europe, and so in 1095 a decision was made at the Council of
Clermont to launch a Crusade that would consolidate his authority as a
supreme leader.
The third reason was driven by economic change. Behind the rising
religious craze in Europe, a new holy war was seen as a shortcut for
Europeans to make business contacts with the affluent oriental East and
the highly civilized Arab world.
The shape of the current Crusade may be different, but the goal is the
same: conquering territories, controlling resources and undermining the
culture and the religious self identity of the indigenous population,
the
"others" who need fixing. The notion that only outside intervention can
save Islam and Muslims has been in circulation since the Iranian
Revolution of 1979, but it gained greater urgency after September 11,
2001.
The writing was on the wall. In June 1992, Time magazine featured an
article titled "The Sword of Islam." The magazine's cover carried a
picture showing the black silhouettes of a minaret and a raised hand
holding a gun against a lurid orange background. The caption read
"Islam:
Should the World Be Afraid?" By James Walsh. It was ingenious in its
tone
and frightening in its imagery of Islam and Muslims. But that was only
the first of many...
Recently, Rand Corporation has put out a report titled "Civil
Democratic
Islam: Partners, Resources, and Strategies." It is based on the premise
that Muslims -- and by inference, all of Islam -- are "sick" and unless
they are fixed from the outside, the Islamic world will not "thrive."
The
report lays out a comprehensive blueprint for Western agencies, media,
and corporations within America and around the world -- including
Canada
-- on how to manipulate the present perception and future evolution of
Islam and Muslim societies. This report has serious repercussions for
Islam and Muslims, particularly for our youth who are the subject of a
wide-open laboratory of thought on behavioral manipulation and social
and
religious engineering.
The report concludes by emphasizing that Muslim "anger" against America
can be tamed only through developing a modernist or progressive Muslim
leadership and supporting the Sufi style of Islam. "The next
generation,
both in the West and in the Muslim world, however, can be easily
influenced into changing their views if the message of the democratic
Islam can be inserted into school curricula and public media."
It does not, however, touch upon on any core issues related to the
Muslim
world's perceptions about the West; about the Israeli- Palestinian
conflict, or about those involving Chechnya and Russia, Iraq and
America,
Kashmir and India. And it does not investigate the exploitive and
repressive political systems supported by the American and European
elite
for their own political and economic gain.
We need to read the Rand Report, and then ask ourselves: How did Irshad
Manji become famous? Why are some fringe individuals in the Muslim
community so often courted by the media? And why are those fringe views
given preference over those of mainstream Canadian Muslims? Why is
there
such a push to revise education curricula in Muslim countries? And who
is
influencing what we claim to "know" about Islam and the Muslim world?
It is remarkable that the report has not generated any serious
discussion
among the Muslim intellectuals and Islamic scholars of our country,
many
of whom seem unaware even of its existencet. To me it seems that the
Muslim community (Ummah) is either sleeping or hibernating, like the
"Invisible Man" in the basement of a white neighborhood.
Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man is the story of a young black man from
the
South who is haunted by his grandfather's deathbed warning against
conforming to the wishes of white people, because the young man sees
that
very conformity as his key to success. This novel is an account of his
journey through contemporary America in search of success, equality and
self identity. It also chronicles his emotional experiences at the
hands
of whites who cruelly manipulate him as he moves along the corridors of
success. In the process, loses his humanity.
Finally, he decides to build himself a room in the cellar of an all-
white building and hibernates there, contemplating his relationship to
reality and the invisibility he feels was caused by his race. One day
he
realizes that he can no longer be irresponsible and conform to "white
people's" expectations of him. Instead, he will reclaim his humanity by
being who he is and will no longer struggle to change that. The lesson
for him is: "Without the possibility of action, all knowledge comes to
one label, 'file and forget'. They keep filing away at my lethargy, my
complacency."
It is an apt analogy for the current state of our Ummah, for it too is
sleeping in the "basement of the white neighborhood" and without the
possibility of action, its knowledge -- the Qur’an and the teachings of
the Prophetic examples -- has come to one label, "file and forget."
We need a vision for the future and a major paradigm shift; a re-
orientation of perspective that acknowledges the urgency of our
coordinated effort and actions at the local and national level, and
that
equally considers the interrelationships linking global, regional, and
national actors. All this is our responsibility.
If we aspire to a more just and peaceful future and world, we must
recognize that justice and peace have both internal and external
aspects.
Lasting success will only be achieved when there is a balance between
the
outer and the inner dimensions of life. Therefore, we must strike a
balance between our religious rituals and our civic duty. As the Qur'an
teaches, "... thus we have made you an ummata wasata [a community of
the
middle way, or a justly balanced community]... (2:143)
We should be warned that our lethargy, ignorance, and irresponsibility
in
the face of mounting covert and overt manipulation of our person,
religion, youth and self identity, is going to be our undoing. The
longer
we wait to become visible, to take a stand and confront the forces of
ignorance and hate as a collective consciousness and voice, the worse
we
will fail in our duty to Allah, to Canada as her citizens, to our
religion, and to our self-identity.
Recent events have only further highlighted the paralysis of the wider
Muslim community in the face of crises generated by society's
predominantly anti-Islam media. We as a community failed to rise to the
occasion and failed to show that we too can care for those who are
wrongly accused and humiliated. It was sad to see that out of fear,
personal interest, and an atrophied sense of justice, people became
holier-than-thou instead of speaking up. To paraphrase Ralph Ellison's
Invisible Man: "Irresponsibility is part of our invisibility; any way
we
face it, it is a denial. But to whom can we be responsible, and why
should we be, when others refuse to see us?"
The answer is that we are created to be representative of Allah, or
vicegerents on earth (6:165) and are held morally responsible; not only
for ourselves, but also for others in society, community and the world,
including the environment. The Qur’an says: "... and did not Allah
check
one set of people by means of another, the earth, indeed would be full
of
mischief." (2:251).
(Wahida Valiante is the national vice-president of Canadian Islamic
Congress and family counselor. She can be reached at
nvp@canadianislamiccongress.com)