• Civilization Renewal

Civilization Renewal

As history reveals, ancient nations and current civilizations undergo tests which may continue for decades or centuries and experience cycles of decline in which nations and civilizations lose their sense of direction and identity before they appeal to their people to get them back on the right track, so they either recover or perish.

This historical awareness poses two questions about the state of our nation: Are we witnessing this test of decline? If we have reached its bottom, how can we get back on the track of progress? How can we identify the mechanisms of civilization renewal?

This dilemma of nations has been a matter of deep concern to thinkers, historians and intellectuals over the ages. Books appeared, ushering survival or warning of extinction, and some prominent writers built their reputation on prediction of an end. Francis Fukuyama in his The End of History says contemporary democracy his replaced dictatorships since the 19th century, and this Western democracy will prevail, putting an end to the historical conflict between masters and slaves. But we want him today to explain how Western democracy has become a new form of utter dictatorship, as if predestining its own end.

Fukuyama s words are only a reformulation of the ideas of the German philosopher Hegel in the early 19th century. He likened communities to individuals carrying the torch of civilization in a three-phase relay race: rule by individuals, rule by a social class, and rule by all people.

Ends and predictions

Philosophers as well as archaeologists are equally preoccupied with the ends of civilizations, which has earned them their reputation. I’d like to refer here to another German philosopher, Oswald Spengler, who published a book about 90 years age in which he predicted the West would die and be replaced with a new Asian civilization. However, scientists attribute the economic and political collapse of ancient civilizations to misuse of land and its natural resources.

In a relevant context the signs of decline in our Arab and Muslim nation the Centre for Arab Unity Studies in Beirut published a book entitled The Arab Progress Project, a review of the center s effort in this respect since it was an idea in 1988 following completion of the center’s major project: Exploration of the Future of the Arab Homeland.

After many contributions by generations of Arab thinkers and scholars, the center held a symposium in Fez in 2001 which was attended by more than a hundred researchers representing different intellectual trends. Research papers and discussions addressed the six issues which define the project s objectives: Arab unity, democracy, independent development, social justice, national and pan-Arab independence, and civilization renewal. Proceedings of the symposium were published in book form at the end of the same year. According to the project, Arab-Islamic civilization flourished in the Middle Ages as a result of such dynamics that exerted the will to build, develop and open onto the outside world. The Islamic call was one of the dynamics that turned the spread of monotheism into a message which Arabian conquerors carried overseas and they assimilated the cultures of the peoples they had conquered, forcibly or willingly. That was one the elements that helped Arab-Islamic civilization flourish and exert the dynamics of progress and development.

In addition, other factors have helped reproduce the movement of progress and development. These include the enormous cumulature cultural and scientific body of knowledge, writing and translation movement and development of international commerce. What distinguished Arab-Islamic civilization and made it survive for a long time was its self-renewal ability as influenced by the same factors, particularly its openness towards, and interaction with, other civilizations without a sense of inferiority.

It is extremely important that we adopt the project s definition of the sharp deterioration in the political, cultural and social infrastructure in the Arab world today as a result of centuries-long decline.

Diagnosis as a step towards cure

Narrow-mindedness, shortage of opinion venturing and a dominant culture of orthodoxy have become understood as rigid absolute truths and glorification of heritage, so have superstition, rejection of others and self-centeredness. Other common signs show the serious damage done to Arab cultural and social infrastructure and urge progress advocates to tackle them. These include the domination of tribal and sectarian values at the cost of national values and modern statehood, despise of work, laziness, negative attitude to time and order, and lack of a sense of responsibility.

Diagnosis of the disease helps prescribe treatment. The wrong alliance caused the nation’s decline, as Britain failed to honour its promises of freedom and progress to the Arab Revolution. On the contrary, that alliance brought about Western occupation of Arab countries which fell in a sad scene. But Britain did honour its promise to the Zionists who established the state of Israeli occupation, a clear manifestation of the Arabs decline and the Western allies baseness and betrayal. It was that alliance that has caused the under-development of the Arabs and implanted this settlement entity for over six decades.

How can another disease account for the post-occupation scene which halted progress and created enmity not towards the West but towards those who have different opinions within the same country, which led to the rise of sectarian and tribal blocs and undermined Arab unity, the basis for the progress project.

Similarly, reformists movements which started a hundred years ago came to nothing, leaving only scenes and signs of such decline. Any different or independent opinion has been attacked, and voices of freedom and enlightenment silenced. These signs are widespread today, the legacy of colonialism in our Arab and Muslim land.

That has been the fate of pan-Arab projects which have failed, by force or voluntarily, as foreign forces stood against them, as did domestic reactionary views supported by Western colonial forces to hinder progress and development. That created differences within Arab society and among its elite over a number of dichotomies between: Arabism/Islam; me / others; East / West; Arabs of the East / Arabs of the West; Classical Arabic / Colloquials; religion / state; the iron curtain / open-door policy; Socialist camp / capitalist polarity; heritage / modernity. Instead of considering the benefits of any of them, these dichotomies made us support an idea or a person without understanding the significance.

A new nation

The search for a new nation which is active in its regional and international sphere should protect cultural diversity in Arab society as a source of valuable enrichment of, rather than threat to, cultural unity. However, common Arab cultural traits should be optimized.

We had our own experiment in progress, as did the others. Today, and more than any time before, we should focus on the ingredients of Arab and Western civilizations in an attempt to bring about the project s civilization renewal.

It is necessary right from the start to be aware of, and deal with, negative signs in Arab society, such as crude cultural and social modernity, resulting from contact with the West, including imitation of the West s superficial culture, reverence to foreigners, scorn for heritage, alienation, promotion of modernity by force, self-reproach, denial of identity, assault on religion and the religious feelings of the faithful, rejection of Arab culture and seeking such cultural solutions to our problems that are inappropriate in terms of structures, history and level of development. Among the main negative signs are the spread of consumerist values, sheer imitation of Western societies, strong materialistic instincts and the permanent loss of the Arab value system.

Awareness and tackling of these negative signs is necessary to translate the meaning of civilization renewal into a civilization value system which strikes a necessary balance between heritage and modernity, exclusiveness and globalization, adherence to the Arab character and an open outlook on the world. In this way, the system reflects the Arab-Muslin character making use of the many social, cultural and religious values (family ties, gallantry, truth, altruism, compassion, friendliness, solidarity, fairness, etc.), keeping with the spirit of the age and adopting its greatest values (including freedom, tolerance, respect for others opinions, responsibility, independence and productivity).

Looking into the above values will shortly reveal that many aspects in our Arab-Muslin heritage are related to them: stories praising the morals of gallantry and truth; poems calling for justice, proverbs promoting family ties and Traditions calling for compassion, friendliness and solidarity. These are the same values which the heavenly religions called for and are confirmed in the books sent down unto Messengers, peace and blessings be upon them all.

Criticism of authority

Those who have different attitudes to the progress issue have something in common. Arabs awareness has for two centuries been marked with submission to two conflicting authorities-heritage and the West-which undermines their ability to consider renewal or tradition. Neither authority has a magic formula to solve all problems and turn weaknesses into strengths.

There is no such absolute truth in heritage that is basically above logic and reason, nor is the West able to flout the rule one man’s meat is another man s poison. Each authority has its own views which must be taken seriously in the context of fresh thinking seeking renewal of civilization.

When Napoleon invaded the East 200 years ago we discovered that we were lagging behind twice over: modern, as well as Arab-Islamic civilization in its key day. The way out of such decline as envisaged by earlier civilization seekers was inspired by the European model, the Middle Ages model or a reconciliation between the values of modernity and heritage. But we haven t moved any further in this connection, and, therefore, we have to act sooner rather than later to find our own way along the above common elements. The desirable civilization renewal should support a cultural revival according to the priorities listed in our previous Talks, including critical scientific thinking, scientific culture and a right, balanced attitude to heritage. As considerable importance was previously attached to translation, it should support civilization renewal. This is a message to all parties concerned thinkers, historians and intellectuals since civilization renewal was a feature of our glorious past, and we are able to make it a feature of our desired future.

The search for the road to freedom must be carried out under conditions of freedom and consideration of all matters of the world. Freedom of conscience and creativity must be secured and all centuries-long heresies, delusions and superstitions be eliminated in order to achieve progress and salvage our societies from decline and fall.

Sulaiman Al-Askary

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