Sincere Advice to the People of the West by A.R.
Islam is a dynamic religion which dictates all spheres of life and sets rules to prevent lawlessness and injustice. Many Muslims are well aware of this fact, and try their utmost to practice this religion to the best extent they can. Many Westerners however have a dynamically different view on religion. They believe religion is inherently evil, so they only follow what they call universal values of their religion. These universal values are vague undefined concepts like peace, love, compassion, etc. Islam on the other hand defines these terms to such a degree that there is no room for a difference of opinion on philosophy. Islam has a political, social, economic, and communal structure which is honest and strong. Muslims have answers for almost any question they pose to their religion concerning the permissibility and unpermissibility in life, and how to get the most out of existence, basically how to live life itself. Westeners often sideline their religion, and one cannot blame them for this due to their interpretation of religion and experiences with their religions in the past. Islam on the other hand has never disenfranchised its followers, and its followers have tremendous faith and zeal in their religion. Underlining these basic differences, I believe there are many things which the Westerners can learn from Muslims.
On Civilization and Responsibilites
As the citizens of the Islamic civilization, we feel it a duty to advise our Western brothers/sisters and the purpose of civilization. In the Islamic religious texts and philosophical books of Muslim scholars, we see that Islam as a ideology views that a civilization (including region, nation, culture, society, city, family) are responsible for the well-being of all their people, those in the majority and those in the minority. The majority of the society has strength in numbers, but should be kept in check by the governmental structure so as to protect the minorities from harm. We see that in the West, Islamic minorities are discriminated against and maltreated. We ask the Western people to look past their prejudices and accept others as human beings and equals. There are a few who will protect the rights of minorities, and we appluad them, but there are too few. Respect for minorities and the weak is one of the major teachings of Islam and many religions, so we believe that religion enriches a people's culture hence should be adequately incorporated in the governmental structure. We also believe it is possible to have religion in politics without lessening the rights of others.
On Honor, Chivalry, Kindness, Honesty, and Pride
The moral fabric of any nation is represented by the conviction of its people to the eternal values of social equality and mutual respect. The people's conviction to religion and moral ideologies will only increase their love for justice and eliminate many of the problems of secular, materialistic society. Values promoted by religious ideologies of the people will promote the concepts of honor, chivalry, kindness, honesty, and pride which will further counteract the void of the secular system which produces depression, selfishness, and uncaring individuals. A body cannot live without a heart or soul, hence denying this important right of the people in the government structure will wash away the people's soul.
On Respect for Other Races, Religions, and Cultures
Islam's most dynamic and revolutionary socio-economic teaching has been the concept of brotherhood of humankind. Islam considers all humankind as children of Adam, and preaches that God created all men and women as brothers and sisters to themselves. As can be seen by the multi-cultural following of Islam and its color-blind practitioners, Islam is a religion which dissolves the barriers of race and color. As far as religions are concerned, Islam allows the free practice of religion inside a state which follows its laws. All religions are recognized and given special rights which no one can take away. Respect for other cultures is a mark of Islamic civilization as can be noted by the extensive history and teachings of Islam. The Middle East is place known for its people's hospitality and kindness to strangers and people of different customs.
On Fair Foreign Policy
As Muslims we believe the nation-state should keep the same rights it guarantees to its citizens to those who are not under its governance. A nation should act with fairness and justice to all of humanity, and treat its guests with special hospitality to show them the pride and elevation of their civilization. The government should not sacrifice the rights of others for the betterment of the lives of its own citizens. To the government, the minority should be equal and be treated with the same respect as the majority. It is the unequal treatment of others in the West and other places in the world which earns the anger of others, especially when this is coupled with a declaration that the West treats its minorities better than anywhere else. We ask those in the West to care for their fellow human beings, and to even sacrifice some of their great wealth and resources to help some people who do not have such resources. We ask those in the West to abolish the wars in which they are involved in (especially in the Middle East), and to isolate and punish the criminals in all regions who initiate these wars. Initiating of war and invasion is not a fair foreign policy. We should strive to an end which recognizes the rights of all parties and makes it possible for us to solve problems without wars.
On Abortion and Infidelity
For the major issues in the Western countries there are available solutions and compromises based on Islamic positions which would serve Western brothers/sisters to study carefully. As the issue concerns abortion, we have heard many times the western debate concerning the two main positions: either it is unlawful in all cases, or its a woman's body and she can do what she wants. We disagree with both points. We believe a married woman who has a child with her husband has the right to abort the fetus before it develops into an organism (4 months), however she needs a good reason for this. Also, a raped woman or a woman who can die if she goes through with delivery has the right to abort the fetus. We believe, however, it is forbidden for an unmarried woman and a woman who has the child of a man who is not her husband to abort the fetus at all, because these people should face the consequences of their actions. We as Muslims believe that infidelity, including both fornication and adultery, should be punishable because the actions of these individuals have a disunifying effect on the family structure, the basic unit of the society. Children whose parents are involved in extra-martial relations lose respect for their parents, tend to be more rebellious, and may even commit these actions themselves. Parents should be considerate to both their offspring, their spouse, and their family. Indecency and negative actions of some individuals can destroy a civilization from its roots if they become widespread. Both abortion and infidelity are major problems in the West. Along with infidelity the threat of recieving HIV/AIDS and such transmitted diseases increases.
On Respect for Nature, and the Environment
As noticed with the technological and industrial advancements of our human civilization, the natural life and habitats on our planet have suffered immensely. This is primarily due to our irresponsibility to care for other creatures and to care for our own long-term survival. The selfish desire of man to further his own producitivty and betterment at the expense of others (other human-beings, animal life, and plants) is detrimental to the healthy environment in which life was created to flourish. The wealth and resources we have available for us today should be utilized to help first our fellow human beings, then animals and plant-life. Instead of spending billions of dollars to launch shuttles into space, we should spend the wealth of our nations to support the empowerment and alleviation of poverty of our fellow human beings, as well as care for the environment and our fellow inhabitants on our planet, such as animals, birds, fish, and plant life.
Conclusion
Everything presented in this article was meant solely as sincere advice from Muslims to those willing to listen in the West and elsewhere. As I have demonstrated, Muslims have many things to teach the people of the West to further the development of both grand civilizations. I have written this article for those interested in the Islamic view concerning what we have to offer the West. These concepts will be expanded on more in following articles. Thank you for your time. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to e-mail us.