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Globalisation from Islamic perspective (2)

By Mustapha Adebayo Bello
05 March 2015   |   11:00 pm
  CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK   HOWEVER half way through the building of the great Islamic civilization or what could akin to the current globalization, came the period of degeneration caused internally by deviation from pristine monotheistic values and mutual strives amongst the various contending Muslim empires, and externally by attack and devastation wrought upon…

 

CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

 

HOWEVER half way through the building of the great Islamic civilization or what could akin to the current globalization, came the period of degeneration caused internally by deviation from pristine monotheistic values and mutual strives amongst the various contending Muslim empires, and externally by attack and devastation wrought upon it by the Mongols from the East and Crusades from the West. Politically depressed and without support, Muslim Scholars lost their confidence to deal with the technology at that time and became over conservative. But for the emergence of the Ottoman warriors, Muslim Civilization would have disappeared with the fall of Granada in 1492.

  In this same manner, the early successes of the Ottoman were not accompanied by an intellectual renaissance instead they became more and more pre-occupied with minor issues as whether light trousers and peak caps were Islamic, whether printing machines should be allowed or electricity used to light mosques. The study of the law and its forms was overstretched while scholarship in science and technology was relegated to the background. The Muslims consequently missed the industrial revolution. And the regression continued until the British and French instigated rebellion against the Turkish rule and brought about the downfall of the Ottoman, the last Muslim Power and replaced it with European colonies and not independent states as promised. It was only after World War II that these colonies became independent countries. Muslim effort at politically and economically globalizing the world along Islamic principle of justice and egalitarianism remains albeit unachievable (at least for now). 

  Conclusively the history of human race in its quest for development and realization of higher goals of existence has witnessed the rise and fall of different people and civilization that have assumed lordship over others at different times. People and nations at different times have experienced slavery and freedom, colonization and independence, Neo-colonization and new impetus for ideological freedom, and even now globalization, all under the guise of uniting the world along universally acceptable benchmarks.

  The new found concept of globalization has thus exerted great influence on all nations, people and movement so much so that there is hardly any sphere or institution that is immune from its positive and negative fallouts. This ideological panacea foisted upon the world is pursued vigorously by its proponents on all fronts using all kinds of weapon ranging from propaganda through the internet and other information technology devices and military armament deployed to wipe out non-conformist as in the cases of the Taliban and Saddam Hussain of Afghanistan and Iraq respectively.

  However, for globalization to succeed especially as is affects Islamic movements, justice and equity should be the basis of interaction between the developed world and the developing world to which many Muslim nations belong. That is, the values, which the international community will embrace, should be a true reflection of the community rather than the international community becoming an ethos of nation or selected groups of nations as presently represented by globalization. The world can learn from Islam, moral regeneration whereby the developed world will have greater sense of justice and the developing world less contemptuous.

  With the inequalities inherent in capitalist economy promoted by globalization which as resulted in the global economic recession, the unnatural theory of the fast fading communism and the failing of both in views of the pandemic nature of global poverty and underdevelopment in sharp contrast to the stupendous wealth in the west, perhaps there is no better time than now for the globalize world to look in the direction of Islamic socio-economic principles as alternative panacea for the amelioration of the conditions of the poor globally in order to engender peace, harmony and social integration, after all, poverty anywhere in the world is threat to peace everywhere.

•Adebayo Bello is of the Department of Religions and Peace Studies, LASU and the Secretary of the National Mission Board of NASFAT.

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