Islam in 50 years from now
OP - June 06, 2015, 07:57 PM
So, I've been reflecting on the state of affairs for the Muslim world and I was hoping to bounce off some ideas with you all. With the increased focus on Islam since 9/11 and the political upheavals for the past couple of years - with ISIS, and the recent attack on Charlie Hebdo - where do you see Islam and Muslims in the next 50 years?
I know that 50 years sounds like a long time but most of us will be alive by then, so maybe it would be wise to do some reflecting. We also know that Islamism is roughly 50 years old just to put things in perspective. I think that the internet, with it's quick transfer of information across borders, is the greatest thing that has happened. As we are moving further into a more interconnected, globalized world I don't think that Islam in it's purist form is tenable. People across the world are rejecting, what most of us have now come to realize is an ideology rather than a religion. However, considering the explosive birth rates in Muslim-majority countries and the fact that nearly a third of the world's population identify as Muslims, Islam is not going away anytime soon.
Critics of purist Islam are making their voices heard, however they can usually only reach out to the well-off and educated. Albeit, the power of ISIS beheadings, and barbaric acts of terrorism speaks a universal language that fills even the dirt poor Muslim with disgust. I feel like the Muslim world is currently experiencing a mass state of cognitive dissonance. On one hand they want to be progressive, be a part of this globalized world, but the Medinian verses of the Qur'an that are polarizing and violent are a part of the Qur'an they cannot reject if they choose to remain within the faith.
I recently watched a documentary of a woman that wants to establish a female mosque. She was arguing with a Muslim cleric and he easily dismissed her ideas through scripture. Now, even though we might agree with her in principle, you can't deny the Sunnah. This is where the problem lies. I don't think that ''reforming'' Islam is the way to go for multiple reasons.
So my idea is quite simple; undermine religion altogether. What is giving power to the fundamentalists is scripture. But what if scripture is no longer epistemologically valid? We all know that the Qur'an and Sunnah are filled with scientific and historic inaccuracies, as well as lacking in logic. What if this information could be presented in a non-berating, calm manner in a centralized portal that is open-source. Combining the power of open-source, coding and the internet, and making it easily available to people. There is already wikiislam but I feel like there is too much politics on that site which makes people dismiss them as islamophobic. There is a good load of solid information in here that people can access, but I guess people who visit this website are either on their way out of Islam or have already left.
As for our role as non-believers coming from Muslim backgrounds, we have a big responsibility. It's difficult here in the West to criticize the religion openly without becoming a spokesman for the far-right or becoming a shooting target for fundamentalists - these lunatics have been proven to not treat those who attack their beliefs very fondly. So maybe it's better to work behind the scenes through the distribution of information? Like a online dissident movement bringing down the religious power structure by informing the public.
So far we have a lot of blogs that are making our voices heard (at least now nobody can deny that we exist), but they mostly speak from a personal standpoint. We need to inform people and somehow let them know that they have been misled. That all religions, including Islam are human inventions, based on mostly faulty ideas. Muslims still feel that their religion is somehow unique from any criticism.
If this succeeds, and indeed we are getting somewhere as even 5% of Saudis now identify as atheists, I envision mass nihilism and existential turmoil on a massive scale, somewhat similar to what Europe went through after the First World War. I mean, there is a reason why a lot of us now have a affinity with philosophers like Camus and Nietzsche, and who knows, maybe we will see our own versions of such visionaries in our lifetime.
If not, I can only see the Muslim world still discussing the correct manner to beat your wife, while the rest of the world are populating Mars! I mean, at some point this needs to stop! The rest of us who have ''seen the light'' will otherwise abandon this community, flock to the West and create a massive brain-drain in our homelands. I'm also guilty of this as I have no plans to return for the foreseeable future.
What do you think? I'm especially interested in the ideas of the older generation like Hassan who witnessed the Islamic revival and might have a bigger overview.
Topic: Islam in 50 years from now