The fate of Secularism in the Arab and Islamic World
Part 2
Centuries ago, the earlier so called intelligentsia in the Arab and Islamic World, in their initiative to reach inner peace and external cohesion, attempted to complement what for them seemed a necessary missing constituent in the consistence of Islam. In the process they sought the help of an alien doctrine, namely the Greek philosophy, with the aim of melding or at least setting the foundation for peaceful co-existence of two philosophies, namely, Islam as religion and way of life and the Greek philosophy as supporting entity for what they thought to be logical reasoning. Nature of things as always took precedence over wishful thinking. The balance of Power would set the rules and the outcome would be for every one to see and agree to be.
The Bastard they brought forward was at once rejected by the Islamic philosophy as being an illegitimate and criminal manipulation of its own pillars. Here again one can not simply push forward such an argument from the balcony of his own villa and retreat back to the garden for further meditation. No he needs to get his head and feet on the street and challenge those who would be the followers of exactly the opposite of what he advocates. An undertaking that most probably would call for the greatest kind of sacrifice and self denial. All for the desire of putting forward an idea that seemed for him more of a logical conclusion on the one hand, and so abstract and meaningless for most of those whom he wanted to challenge and provoke on the other hand.
The nobility of the idea, the wishful thinking would have to seize to exist and practicality would have to take precedency. What would be the ultimate price he is welling to pay for all this, and what would be the ultimate reward from all of this. A question neither for the weak to answer nor for hesitant to ponder. Above all what would all this be for those whom he wants to conquer?
For the sapless and hesitant so called intelligentsia, this was all too much to bear. The struggle was not to be. They disgracefully sat to watch as their idea was set ablaze. The idea that you are not welling to pay the ultimate sacrifice for is one not worth living for. The sun burned off the fog and the masses witnessed the shameful display of cowardice.
The illegitimate jumped the fence, and went to wonder on the land of the infidels where he found his roots to be. Now he is back wearing the tail coat knocking on our doors once again and being received by nowadays so called intelligentsia in our Arab and Islamic world.
History would repeat it self and things will always come back to their own equilibrium state. Need I say more?
Zaki Mubarak
