THE MUSLIM CENTURY – OF WHAT?
…ALMOST ONE DECADE HAS PASSED IN THIS CENTURY; YET, THERE IS NO INDICATION THAT THE NEXT NINE OTHER DECADES IN THIS SO-CALLED ‘MUSLIM CENTURY’ WILL BE NO DIFFERENT THAN THE FIRST ONE WAS IF MUSLIM POLITICAL AND INTELLECTUAL LEADERS CONTINUE TO TALK ROTS.
By Mansor Puteh
‘MUSLIM CENTURY: REALITY OR MYTH?’ WHAT SORT OF A DISCOURSE IS THIS WHICH WAS ORGANIZED AT HUGE EXPENSE?
I FIND THE TALK GIVEN BY DR ALI AL-AMIN MARZUI OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK (SUNY) IN BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK STATE TO BE UTTERLY DEPLORABLE AND USELESS TO THE CAUSE OF ISLAM OR THE MUSLIMS, OR ANY ACADEMIC DISCOURSE WHATSOEVER.
WHAT HE HAD SAID ABOUT THE NEED TO ABIDE BY THE SEVEN RULES TO BE UTTERANCES THAT CANNOT BE IMPLIMENTED. IT HAS GOT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE SPEECHES TO BE GIVEN BY ANYONE IN MALAYSIA.
How on earth could anyone be entranced by what he had said since there is no direct effect on it?
Therefore, the so-called ‘Muslim Century’ has got to be a myth that can never become a reality, unless it is the ‘Muslim Century of Despair, Destruction and Humiliation…’ and not one of Revivalism, Reawakening, Rejuvenation, Unity and Wholesomeness…’
This has also got to be the ‘Muslim Century of Muslim academics and leaders talking rots’.
This is what happens when a so-called ‘Muslim intellectual or academic’ talks about such a topic; he often ends up being vague. He is lost in his own thoughts and who does not seem to know in which century he is in.
I don’t blame him; I blame the organizers for bringing him to the country to talk on this topic which is beyond his comprehension which requires more than an intellectual stand-up comic who knows how to ‘entertain’ the crowd and get some applause. In the end nothing happens.
It can’t be the Muslim decade of destruction, humiliation, confusion and depravity, which is more like it, can it?
One thing’s for certain is that it is also – the Muslim century – one of despair, of poor quality Muslim intellectuals, academic and other leaders.
They must accept the fact that they have all failed the Muslim Ummah; the Muslim world is in such a sad state because of all of them.
Someone from America was invited to speak in an open forum on ‘the Muslim century’.
He must be important because he is from America and he is also Arab and an American. So he can be convincing especially if he is attached to a university in that country.
But what did he say? What has what he said done to the Muslim Ummah?
There was not much reported in the media on what he had said in the forum.
One thing that one can digress from his speech is that he has not said much. He managed to thrill the audience by talking on issues which are petty and trivial without covering new grounds.
He, despite his lofty academic position at a university in America, can be said to be out of date. His views and some proposals, if he has any can never be used for the betterment of the Ummah.
So we can say the forum was just for pure entertainment.
What can the Ummah expect from old Muslim academics, leaders and the other experts including those who are called the ulamas? Not much. Maybe nothing.
The reason why the Ummah is in such a state of deprivation is because the old generation of Muslim leaders in all fields had not done much in the past.
This explains the state the Muslim World and Ummah are in now.
Who was the American-Arab academic from a university anyway?
One decade in this century has passed. If it is to be described as a Muslim Century, then what sort of a century is it?
The least that we can do is to describe it as the ‘First decade in the Muslim Century of despair, despondency, deprivation, confusion and destruction.’
And if we can add to this, we can also say it is the ‘First decade of the Muslim Century of the incomplete and poorly trained Muslim ulamas.’
The ulamas have also not provided intelligent and effective guidance to the Ummah; they have all not been properly or adequately trained in Islam to know what they can benefit from their studies.
They only know how to past ‘fatwas’ or edicts on issues which are not important that crop up because of poor Islamic governance.
These ulamas are poor examples of the pious Muslims because their world is too restricted and they only communicate with those who are like them. They do not know the Ummah and how they are going astray. Yes, the ulamas only know how to pass more ‘fatwas’ to exert themselves and the special position they have in the Muslim society.
They cannot do much else to ensure there is strict adherence to the religion by the Believers and Faithful.
Has the so-called Muslim Century really showed up? And in what form?
As far as we know the first decade in this century has not turned out to be any different than the many decades or the last few centuries.
And one can say with a lot of confidence that the next decade on until the end of this century, the Muslim World and Ummah will still be as what they have been all this while.
Or, maybe it is indeed the Muslim Century. But alas, it is not a century of victory, but of destruction, despair and depravation.
Many Muslims are in a state of shock. Some Muslim countries which had been destroyed by the American and other European forces since the last decade of an earlier century are still not in a bad shape with no future for them and their people.
Yet, the American-Arab academic and mostly the sponsors of the forum dared to call it the Muslim Century. Alas, they did not say what sort of a century they had wanted to describe it.
Maybe they are not aware that the title of the forum they had organized could have a lot of negative implications and connotations.
The title was indeed vague.
And with such a vague title for a forum, what can one expect from the speaker?
There are many areas that the speaker or any one can talk about if one wants to talk about the Muslim Century.
It must take into account all fields of endeavor that Muslims can take part in and seize control of, especially the strategic industries and commercial activities.
Did the Arab-American academic say something like this?
Did he also talk about the need to create the New Islamic Cinema, new syllabi for the re-education of the present generation of Muslim youth?
If there is no effort being made to re-educate the Muslim youth, then they will grow up behaving and thinking very much like those before them.
These are some of the more important and intelligent things that can be brought up for discussion if the topic is on the Muslim Century and one when the Muslim World and Ummah triumph.
There is also an urgent need for Muslims to revisit the past to discover where and how we were left behind in the economic development of the world, starting with the industrial revolutions and the reawakening of new and vibrant economies of Japan and South Korea who did not have vast natural resources, yet, who can still become significant economic powerhouse today.
So with a lot of natural and human resources, one can also say with a lot of confidence that the Entire Muslim World and Ummah can do a lot better than Japan and South Korea.
We can also talk about introducing new economic principles around the prescribed Islamic principles on halal food, Islamic banking and financial practices to the Islamic way of life, behavior and aspirations.
The Muslim World can be self-contained and self-sufficient. And Muslims can be taught and programmed to look inwardly.
Looking outwardly has created a lot of unnecessary discontent amongst the Muslims, especially the younger generation of Muslims who have started to even question their religious beliefs, when this should not be the case.
There are many Muslim countries which are now less Islamic. Their leaders do not seem to know who they are subservient to, their religion or the west and unashamedly embrace decadence and opulence when most of their own subjects are economically backward.
By Mansor Puteh
‘MUSLIM CENTURY: REALITY OR MYTH?’ WHAT SORT OF A DISCOURSE IS THIS WHICH WAS ORGANIZED AT HUGE EXPENSE?
I FIND THE TALK GIVEN BY DR ALI AL-AMIN MARZUI OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK (SUNY) IN BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK STATE TO BE UTTERLY DEPLORABLE AND USELESS TO THE CAUSE OF ISLAM OR THE MUSLIMS, OR ANY ACADEMIC DISCOURSE WHATSOEVER.
WHAT HE HAD SAID ABOUT THE NEED TO ABIDE BY THE SEVEN RULES TO BE UTTERANCES THAT CANNOT BE IMPLIMENTED. IT HAS GOT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE SPEECHES TO BE GIVEN BY ANYONE IN MALAYSIA.
How on earth could anyone be entranced by what he had said since there is no direct effect on it?
Therefore, the so-called ‘Muslim Century’ has got to be a myth that can never become a reality, unless it is the ‘Muslim Century of Despair, Destruction and Humiliation…’ and not one of Revivalism, Reawakening, Rejuvenation, Unity and Wholesomeness…’
This has also got to be the ‘Muslim Century of Muslim academics and leaders talking rots’.
This is what happens when a so-called ‘Muslim intellectual or academic’ talks about such a topic; he often ends up being vague. He is lost in his own thoughts and who does not seem to know in which century he is in.
I don’t blame him; I blame the organizers for bringing him to the country to talk on this topic which is beyond his comprehension which requires more than an intellectual stand-up comic who knows how to ‘entertain’ the crowd and get some applause. In the end nothing happens.
It can’t be the Muslim decade of destruction, humiliation, confusion and depravity, which is more like it, can it?
One thing’s for certain is that it is also – the Muslim century – one of despair, of poor quality Muslim intellectuals, academic and other leaders.
They must accept the fact that they have all failed the Muslim Ummah; the Muslim world is in such a sad state because of all of them.
Someone from America was invited to speak in an open forum on ‘the Muslim century’.
He must be important because he is from America and he is also Arab and an American. So he can be convincing especially if he is attached to a university in that country.
But what did he say? What has what he said done to the Muslim Ummah?
There was not much reported in the media on what he had said in the forum.
One thing that one can digress from his speech is that he has not said much. He managed to thrill the audience by talking on issues which are petty and trivial without covering new grounds.
He, despite his lofty academic position at a university in America, can be said to be out of date. His views and some proposals, if he has any can never be used for the betterment of the Ummah.
So we can say the forum was just for pure entertainment.
What can the Ummah expect from old Muslim academics, leaders and the other experts including those who are called the ulamas? Not much. Maybe nothing.
The reason why the Ummah is in such a state of deprivation is because the old generation of Muslim leaders in all fields had not done much in the past.
This explains the state the Muslim World and Ummah are in now.
Who was the American-Arab academic from a university anyway?
One decade in this century has passed. If it is to be described as a Muslim Century, then what sort of a century is it?
The least that we can do is to describe it as the ‘First decade in the Muslim Century of despair, despondency, deprivation, confusion and destruction.’
And if we can add to this, we can also say it is the ‘First decade of the Muslim Century of the incomplete and poorly trained Muslim ulamas.’
The ulamas have also not provided intelligent and effective guidance to the Ummah; they have all not been properly or adequately trained in Islam to know what they can benefit from their studies.
They only know how to past ‘fatwas’ or edicts on issues which are not important that crop up because of poor Islamic governance.
These ulamas are poor examples of the pious Muslims because their world is too restricted and they only communicate with those who are like them. They do not know the Ummah and how they are going astray. Yes, the ulamas only know how to pass more ‘fatwas’ to exert themselves and the special position they have in the Muslim society.
They cannot do much else to ensure there is strict adherence to the religion by the Believers and Faithful.
Has the so-called Muslim Century really showed up? And in what form?
As far as we know the first decade in this century has not turned out to be any different than the many decades or the last few centuries.
And one can say with a lot of confidence that the next decade on until the end of this century, the Muslim World and Ummah will still be as what they have been all this while.
Or, maybe it is indeed the Muslim Century. But alas, it is not a century of victory, but of destruction, despair and depravation.
Many Muslims are in a state of shock. Some Muslim countries which had been destroyed by the American and other European forces since the last decade of an earlier century are still not in a bad shape with no future for them and their people.
Yet, the American-Arab academic and mostly the sponsors of the forum dared to call it the Muslim Century. Alas, they did not say what sort of a century they had wanted to describe it.
Maybe they are not aware that the title of the forum they had organized could have a lot of negative implications and connotations.
The title was indeed vague.
And with such a vague title for a forum, what can one expect from the speaker?
There are many areas that the speaker or any one can talk about if one wants to talk about the Muslim Century.
It must take into account all fields of endeavor that Muslims can take part in and seize control of, especially the strategic industries and commercial activities.
Did the Arab-American academic say something like this?
Did he also talk about the need to create the New Islamic Cinema, new syllabi for the re-education of the present generation of Muslim youth?
If there is no effort being made to re-educate the Muslim youth, then they will grow up behaving and thinking very much like those before them.
These are some of the more important and intelligent things that can be brought up for discussion if the topic is on the Muslim Century and one when the Muslim World and Ummah triumph.
There is also an urgent need for Muslims to revisit the past to discover where and how we were left behind in the economic development of the world, starting with the industrial revolutions and the reawakening of new and vibrant economies of Japan and South Korea who did not have vast natural resources, yet, who can still become significant economic powerhouse today.
So with a lot of natural and human resources, one can also say with a lot of confidence that the Entire Muslim World and Ummah can do a lot better than Japan and South Korea.
We can also talk about introducing new economic principles around the prescribed Islamic principles on halal food, Islamic banking and financial practices to the Islamic way of life, behavior and aspirations.
The Muslim World can be self-contained and self-sufficient. And Muslims can be taught and programmed to look inwardly.
Looking outwardly has created a lot of unnecessary discontent amongst the Muslims, especially the younger generation of Muslims who have started to even question their religious beliefs, when this should not be the case.
There are many Muslim countries which are now less Islamic. Their leaders do not seem to know who they are subservient to, their religion or the west and unashamedly embrace decadence and opulence when most of their own subjects are economically backward.
Comments