Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Secularism and the Arab world, by Anne Humphreys
The term of secularism ( 'ilmaniyya) is a word came late in the Arabic language. Needless to look at major dictionaries, Lissan el 'arab or the Taj el' arouss. The Mounjed for its part, for inclusion in an annex containing all the words forged the twentieth century. This is the mid-nineteenth century only that the term 'ilmaniyya makes its appearance, so surreptitiously, when used by men of the Nahda (Renaissance Arabic) to plead the cause of a distinction between the powers religious and civil rights. They intended to separate religion as private and personal belief, politics, public sphere as non-discriminatory, reflecting the slogan which has since made its way "Religion is a matter of God and the homeland concerns us all." They induisaient hence the rejection of the Ottoman sultan, who wanted caliph and political and spiritual leader of all Muslims wherever they are.
The men of the "Renaissance"
The word 'ilmaniyya sometimes appeared alongside nahda (renaissance and revival), sometimes alongside tanwir (Enlightenment), or even huriyya (freedom). It was in this parade of new concepts intended to usher in modern times. Whether we think, for example, the meaning has made the word freedom as a result of the Nahda. The word referred to the freed Hurr, who is released from his condition of servitude, slave. Starting from this word, were created huriyya which saw its semantic field expand and reach the ideals of the French Revolution of 1789.
But all these expressions are propagated in a still largely tribal society where the structures were part of patriarchy - the pater familias with disproportionate rights on all members of his family. Illiteracy extended to all strata of society and schools were just beginning to blossom.
The appearance in such a context, the word 'ilmaniyya (secularism) is not obvious. He sparked a real debate etymological to be considered for measuring all its novelty. Should we read 'ilmaniyya with an "i" the first syllable, which derive from' ilm, which is one of degrees of knowledge, science? Or with an "a" (and not an "i" in the first syllable), 'almaniyya from' alm, namely the secular world, resulting from laïkos Greek and English corresponding to secularism? A alone, the morphology of the word has prompted a fatwa Lebanese mufti, Sheikh 'Abdallah al-' Alailli. In this patriarchal society and tribal at the same time, "secular power" would mean not only the rejection of the religious reference, but the handing over of power in the hands of men and especially the men of modern science, technicians and scientists .
This is especially the word 'ilmani (secular) who was asked to denigrate certain civil proceedings, that the Lebanese Farah Antun wanted to escape religious authority. Muhammad 'Abduh, for his part, spoke of the caliph as a "civil governor in all respects". Very quickly, the adjective 'ilmani (secular) became synonymous with madani (civil) and replaced him. 'Ilmani (secular) became a kind of civil prescription, which was soon to make a political claim essential to the Nahda (Renaissance Arabic).
Therefore, the term secularism has continued to raise around him an impressive series of questions, issues and choices: about identity, nationality, citizenship, membership and integration into the body of the Umma. Very quickly, the expression has expanded impressively, crystallizing all claims in a Renaissance.
Citizenship for Christians
For the Christian Orient, which did not pose problems of integration, but who wanted to be recognized in its religious difference, secularism he opened the doors of citizenship, full citizenship to become a real actor in his company. There he is recognized as a full member in the Arab East in which he is always present since. A true dynamic integration takes place, promoting their effective participation in public affairs. It is rid of his status as dhimmi, in which he was confined for centuries.
Without putting forward their religion, Christians of the Nahda have understood that they had everything to gain by articulating secularism and citizenship. Being a Christian does not preclude being a citizen of Arabic, enjoying these rights as Arab nationality grants each. Thus secularism is released she straitjacket of faith and, after independence, Syria is the first Arab country to remove mention of religious affiliation on new identity cards Syria. The identity built so far regarding the religion is further strengthened legal guarantees that flow from citizenship. Belonging to the cultural community will allow Arabic Christian Arabs to take up more of their specificity in the country to which they belong. Culturally Arabs, Christians confessionally, Iraqi, Egyptian or Syrian politically This is the formula, the label under which the Christian Arab situates the environment in which they live. A prioritized identity is uncovered, pointing to the importance of community. Sati 'al-Husri, one of the ideologues of Arab nationalism, went so far as to say: "The Arab does not own the son of the Arabian peninsula, nor the only Muslims, it concerns every individual belonging to an Arab country and speaking Arabic, it is Egyptian, Kuwaiti or Moroccan, whether Muslim or Christian, whether Sunni, Druze or ja'afarite, whether Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant."
Power religious and political power
From the Muslim side, men of the Nahda quickly perceived that Islam was essentially linked to civilian authority and civil society and they could do what they wanted with their lives as long as they sauvegarderaient their Islam. A Mohammad 'Abduh has repeatedly recall and explain that "to be as high as his rank, he had no right over another, as low as is the level of the latter, if not to give counselling and guidance: There is not Islam, in any manner whatsoever, what might be called a religious power. No supervisor between man and God but God alone, because Islam has freed the believer of any supervisor." Nothing prevented, therefore, that progressive Islam to agree and harmony with secularism or democracy and modern science. Since the charismatic moment of its foundation, Islam has shown foresight, flexibility and realism pragmatic s'accommodant with tribal societies as with pastoral societies, with States hierarchical and bureaucratic as with States and mercantile trade .
"Islam, says Sadep Galal al-Azur, has spread in all kinds of cultures, societies and civilizations and various contrasting" and "homo islamicus is this man holds an impressive energy for transform itself, to shape and be flexible, interpret, to comment, revise, and so on." "It is not surprising that consent to secularism has come slowly although some form of unofficial, by "shaping" pragmatic and progressive, not tremblants and hesitant, through compromise solutions, through what Americans call marriages of convenience and French marriage of convenience, but without the occurrence of a "moment" very dramatic, as happened in Turkey. The President Gamal Abdel Nasser, in my opinion, had the opportunity to successfully dare not such an exceptional and daring when he nationalized the Suez Canal. But he did not do so and, in response to all this, then this came reflux dramatic for the Arab world which took the form of Islamic fundamentalism, the Islamic religious revival, rebellion fundamentalist army, and so on."
Our debate
On the question today: "What is your definition of secularism? "Islam from the Nahda replied: "It is above all a reflection about what is related to more clearly distinguish the relative absolute." For Dr Muhammad Rida Muharram, "secularism is what puts political power among the realities of this world and the religious power among the divine realities." Nasr Abu Zayd said in his Critique of religious discourse: "Secularism is essentially that the true interpretation and scientific understanding of the religious phenomenon." And yet Fawdah Faraj: "The regime maintains its secular law of the constitution and attempting to practice justice through the application of the constitution."
These statements show that secularism has come a long way since the beginning of the Nahda and is the subject of research and debate. There is, indeed, in the Arab world today a de facto secularism nor quite recognized or denied altogether, a secular uncertain, inadequate and unlikely, reduced to a kind of concept that flows but without thickness and without actual reality. An effect of language stubborn and tenacious causing irritation and fear of the Islamist but also research and deepening the intellectual heir of the Nahda.
Should we eliminate philosophical reflection the watchword of secularism, to substitute the concepts of democracy and rationalism, who say more adequately the needs of Arab society: a democracy that guarantees both the rights of individuals and groups, a rationalism which means a political practice by reason and its criteria of logic and morality? It is our debate today.
Anne Humphreys
July 29 2008
Labels: Anne Humphreys, Arab World, Islam, Secularism
# posted by Francis Chartrand @ 10:39 AM 
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