Goodbye to the sheikhs?

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Goodbye to the sheikhs?
OP - November 12, 2012, 09:11 PM

Fascinating discussion of Egypt. Sounds like everyone might be making their own Islam!

Quote
Green Shoots from the Arab Spring
Duration: 30 minutes
First broadcast: Monday 12 November 2012
With the downfall of the former Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, political change has already happened in Egypt. But how has such a revolution affected the mindset of ordinary people in the region?

In this edition of Analysis, the writer, Christopher de Bellaigue, considers the consequences for Arab society of a new culture in which ordinary people openly question those in authority - not just in the political sphere but within the family and religious realm too.

The programme explores a number of examples: From an apparent new determination to resist paying bribes to public officials, through a greater desire to see active debate rather than passive obedience in the classroom, to the growth of salafists - conservative Muslims who advocate a return to the core texts of Islam and a less deferential attitude towards the traditional scholars.

Though not all these phenomena were unknown before the Arab Spring, the political revolution does seem to have fuelled their growth: Key to many appears to be the disappearance of personal fear - one unmistakable consequence of the demise of the Mubarak regime. Today, despite often remaining wary of the future, Egyptians are, it seems, fearlessly asserting their own views as never before, without seeking external validation.

Questions, however, remain: If a new, more assertive mentality is indeed emerging, who shares it - and crucially, who does not? Would such an increased personal conviction necessarily result in more pluralism, as is sometimes assumed in the west, or give greater voice to Egypt's innate social and religious conservatism? And what are the chances that it could survive the country's overwhelming economic and political problems?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01nt3yg

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Re: Goodbye to the sheikhs?
Reply #1 - November 12, 2012, 09:19 PM

I know for a fact that nearly all sheikhs in Syria were parroting the state's version of Islam since the rise of Assad I. It goes something like this:

1) Syria is god's chosen country, the president is god's chosen leader
2) Israel is the biggest threat to the world and muslims everywhere
3) All muslims are muslims, sunni, alawi, shiite or druze.
4) Christians are our friends but jews are evil
5) America is run by evil jews
6) Saudis are jews
7) Turks are jews
8 ) Iraqis are jews
9) Iranians are our best friends
10) Egypt and Jordan are traitors

Etc

Basically a sermon in the average Syrian mosque was a number of political talking points written and approved by the state. There were exceptions, Imam Kuftaro was quite decent and an advocate for peace, but it was still government approved and censored.

I wonder what's going to happen now.

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Re: Goodbye to the sheikhs?
Reply #2 - November 12, 2012, 10:30 PM

Interesting phenomenon. I read the description in the original post but haven't listened to the radio programme yet. I think it is a good thing that there is a greater diversity of sects and views. The more the merrier. Soon it will be like Britain with Anjem Chowdary types living peacefully in the same city as open ex-Muslims. Free speech! Fuck yeah!

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Re: Goodbye to the sheikhs?
Reply #3 - November 12, 2012, 10:41 PM

Or salafi Islamism will fill the void and element all competitors like it generally does...

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Re: Goodbye to the sheikhs?
Reply #4 - November 12, 2012, 10:48 PM

Always hard to say how things will go especially when you're an outsider without intimate knowledge of the nuance and landscape - I can say though I don't believe the Islamists are going to fade away in the long term.

This article gives a bit of context as background to the whole issue of "The death of Arab secularism"

http://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/the-death-of-arab-secularism

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