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Call to Action for a New and Just World Order - page 2
Enlightened humanism
One only need re-visit and gain strength from the glorious eras of social justice and egalitarianism virtually in every religion of the world. There is reason to hope that where politicians have failed miserably, the right kind of faith-based leadership may yet succeed. Many organizations, such as U.S.-Pakistan Inter-religious Consortium (of Intersections International under the leadership of Rev. Robert Chase), Tikkun (under the leadership of Rabbi Michael Lerner), Zaituna College in Berkeley, California (the first Muslim liberal arts college in the United States), Jewish Voice for Peace, American Muslim Voice, United Muslims of America Interfaith Alliance, and many more enlightened religious groups are making their presence and message felt. They are all united against bigotry and acting for a just order. Prejudiced views that wrongly consider all forms of Muslim political thought and practice as being inherently reactionary need to be debunked.
There is a long tradition of liberative and progressive currents in Muslim history. Enlightened humanism of Islam’s Ibn Rushd (Averroes), Ibn Sina (Avicenna), Ibn-al-Arabi, Rumi, Rabia of Basra, and in modern times that of Jamaluddin Afghani, Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, and numerous others is reason for optimism. Their teachings are being incorporated and integrated into novel, dynamic politics of social justice. Rare American political leaders, such as the socialist democrat presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders and the independent presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein, espouse the values that we would like to see legislated to transform oligarchy of corporatocracy (based on greed and exploitation) into civilized societies (based on justice for all). Inspired by the best of Islamic past practices, Tunisia’s recently promulgated constitution, for example, guarantees free health care to all in need, equal rights for both men and women, and allocation of government funds to combat climate change, All three of these goals have yet to be met in the United States, the world’s most powerful country. Many other countries can also learn from Tunisia’s example.
Respect for pluralistic differences
What this new form of political engagement is able to do more effectively is to displace an older form of depoliticized multiculturalism with one which preserves the commitment to the mutual respect and pluralistic celebration of differences (along ethnic/national/racial/socio-religio-cultural lines) but combines it with a politics of social justice and liberation of all oppressed and marginalized groups. This, if you will, is the key insight as we move forward into the 21st century and beyond: Nurturing and upholding pluralistic, multicultural societies that foster interfaith harmony and understanding must recognize the centrality of the question of power and how that is distributed within and among societies/nations. This recognition will then lead to corrective action to remove gross imbalances of power.
Students and grass-root movements have always played a pivotal role in steering their societies in the right direction. Once again, they are poised to take the lead with help from those intellectuals who believe that narrow-minded and self-serving politicians and the status quo are at war with human beings’ best potential. In this context, the recent example of Finland is encouraging. Fifteen thousand people gathered to condemn one of their political leaders who called multiculturalism “a nightmare.” Olli Immonen, the Finnish Member of Parliament is known for his anti-immigrant stance. The participants in rallies and protests have demanded Immonen’s resignation. Such actions by masses need to be replicated all across the globe to end the tyranny of the so-called “democratic” capitalism that has been strangling the potential for a change for the better.
There are many ways in which each of us can be an agent of the change that we want to see. All of us can and should participate in this broad-based struggle. Democracy, surely, is not a spectator sport. This is a call to people of all faiths as well people who espouse no faith other than humanism. It is a common struggle for all humanity, and the contributions of avowed atheists like Albert Camus, Jean-Paul Sartre, Bertrand Russell, and numerous others deserve recognition. They are completely compatible with the highest principles of all religions and steeped in spiritualism. The steps that we can take may vary from person to person, depending on their expertise and resources.
Political activism
Political activism can be introduced through mosques, churches, synagogues, and temples and with help from campus communities to launch actions on focused topics, such as police brutality targeting African Americans (in desperate need of intervention by the Federal government), the widening gap between the rich and poor and how to reverse it (through tax reform, for example); climate change and what masses can do about it (take public transportation as much as possible and ask our governments to embrace green technology, using solar panels for energy, following the lead of Germany), immigration reform (to stop abuse of refugees fleeing endemic conflicts), minority rights, and similar topics. Any action for the cause of this change that anyone takes is sacred and, according to the highest Islamic values, an act of worship.
There is a need to organize at every level – local, city-wide, state-wide, and national – with an overarching body, if possible, delineating steps to be taken and monitoring progress. Another option is simply to join numerous organizations that are already trying to create a just social and economic order. Among such organizations are Avaaz, The American Civil Liberties Union, MoveOn, Nation of Change, Change.org, Center for National Interest, Just Foreign Policy, and many more. By being on their mailing list and signing their petitions, one can contribute to this struggle for change. Those among us who wish to contribute to this effort in more conventional manners can do so by writing to and calling their political representatives in Congress, writing to editors of newspapers, organizing neighborhood groups, and formulating any creative moves that they can think of. All options are open. The only option that is not open is inaction.
Mutual coexistence
Dialogues and understanding between civilizations, cultures, and religions are important, but they must never be used as a substitute for meaningful social and political engagement that get to the heart of the grievances of the oppressed. Edward Said’s words from “Reflections on Exile” that the world desperately needs to “elevate appreciative sympathy” and “diminish orthodox judgment” should not just remain a dream. They should be turned into reality through sustained political action to accept different cultures, according to Said’s vision, as contrapuntal notes in music that create harmony. The choice is starkly simple: It is either mutual coexistence without coercion, or mutual annihilation. And the only way to achieve mutual coexistence despite our differences is through dialogue and unwavering political engagement, not with bombs and threats. In the stirring words of the independent presidential candidate Dr. Jill Stein, “the power to create this new world is not in our hopes; it’s not in our dreams – it’s in our hands.”
Prof. Junaid S. Ahmad is the Director of the Center for Global Dialogue in Lahore, Pakistan, and has been teaching law and politics in Pakistan since 2008. He can be reached at junaidsahmad@gmail.com
Prof. Abdul Jabbar is Professor Emeritus, Interdisciplinary Studies and Political Science, at City College of San Francisco, California. He can be reached at ajabbar@ccsf.edu.
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