JULY <strong>15</strong>, 2016 22 COMMUNITYLINK Mainstream Islam continues with strength and unity Bilal Cleland The internal divisions within the Muslim world and the rise of criminal versions of Islam, leave many of us asking, “What does the future hold for our Ummah, our universal Muslim family?” Raymond Baker (American Scholar and Founder-President of ‘Global Financial Integrity,’ an Advocacy Organisation) indicates that the situation is in fact nowhere near as bleak as it might at first appear. The first chapter of his book ‘The Mystery of Islam’s Strength,’ deals not with the Golden Age but the world right now. The extremists have enjoyed a very high profile in the Western media, but as he points out, “…they have not captured the hearts and minds of the vast majority of Muslims, whose faith continues to find its most compelling and durable expressions in the Islamic midstream. Muslims of the center, the book argues, are writing Islam’s epoch-defining story.” Criminal versions Indeed, this midstream Islam has been totally consistent in its opposition to the groups adhering to criminal versions of Islam. Professor Baker writes, “The United States in particular, has far too often succumbed to illusions that such groups could be used, without cost, for its own purposes. Centrists regard the distortions of Islam by the often ignorant marginal groups as so dangerous that cooperative projects with the militants, such as those undertaken by American intelligence agencies, are far more difficult to imagine.” This midstream Islam has also been subjected to outright repression by many regional regimes. Closely linked to US policy objectives, many of these regimes understand that it is this very midstream, with its vast public support, which is the main threat to their authority, not the violent extremists who are universally abhorred. It is the progressive midstream Islam which has the potential to replace the old regimes and they know it and act accordingly. The 20th century was a period of colonial occupation for much of the Muslim world, accompanied by intense racist violence. There were four great waves of resistance from the midstream to attempts to eradicate Islamic culture from these lands. The Muslim Ummah reacted to such attempts like ‘a living entity.’ Power of Faith “The story Islamic historians tell of Islam’s renewal is always and everywhere a story of the power of the faith in the lives of masses of ordinary Muslims rather than the tale of charismatic leaders.” One of the great leaders of the resistance, reflecting the Islamic consciousness of his people, was Said Al Nursi. At the core of Nursi’s thinking, through all stages of his life, was the commitment to reverse the damage of Western materialism and undemocratic governance that Ataturk had fostered. Political Culture The Islamic political culture that he imagined would be committed to both constitutional democracy and development. He believed that such a politics could only be achieved under conditions of the existence of basic freedoms, including the freedom for Turks to reaffirm their Islamic faith. The continued strength of Islam resides in the midstream and the fringe groups will eventually drop off or be absorbed back into the centre. The well-funded Islamophobia movement might be aware of this and is running scared, like the dictatorial regimes in the Muslim world, afraid that the midstream with its adherence to constitutional rule and representative government might bring in a new era. Bilal Cleland is a keen reader, a prolific writer and a regular columnist of Australasian Muslim Times based in Melbourne. The above article, which appeared in Australasian Muslim Times has been reproduced here with the permission of the Editor of the publication. Email: info@amust.com.au; Website: www.amust.com.au EID MUBARAK FIANZ is the national Body caring for the religious, social and cultural needs of the Muslim community of New Zealand. In addition, FIANZ is the Halal Authentication Authority for meat exports from New Zealand and for domestic markets including retail food outlets, takeaways and restaurants. The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand Ground Floor 7-11 Queens Drive (Beneath the Wellington Islamic Centre) Lyall Bay, Wellington. POBox 14<strong>15</strong>5 Kilbirnie, Wellington 6241 Ph: (04) 387 8023 | Fax: (04) 387 8024 | Email: finaz@vodafone.co.nz | Web: www.fianz.co.nz
JULY <strong>15</strong>, 2016 COMMUNITYLINK 23 BNZAdvantage Double Cash Rewards for 6months. Work it to your advantage online, overseas and in supermarkets. Applynow bnz.co.nz/doublerewards COLENSO1280 Available onlyonBNZ AdvantageVisaPlatinum andVisa Classic creditcards openedbetween 1April and22August 2016.Lending criteria, terms andfees apply. BNZ1280_Advantage_INN_FP_V3.indd 1 11/04/16 5:46 pm
- Page 1 and 2: BUSINESSLINK HOMELINK Vigilance aga
- Page 3 and 4: JULY 15, 2016 HOMELINK Questions th
- Page 5 and 6: JULY 15, 2016 HOMELINK-auckland may
- Page 7 and 8: JULY 15, 2016 Teacher bias cited fo
- Page 9 and 10: JULY 15, 2016 FIJILINK 09 Kiwis rem
- Page 11 and 12: JULY 15, 2016 Dame Susan Devoy Wome
- Page 13 and 14: JULY 15, 2016 WOMEN IN BUSINESS 13
- Page 15 and 16: JULY 15, 2016 BUSINESSLINK 15 Repor
- Page 17 and 18: JULY 15, 2016 Tourism Investors’
- Page 19 and 20: JULY 15, 2016 BUSINESSLINK 19 The b
- Page 21: JULY 15, 2016 Evangelist couple ret
- Page 25 and 26: JULY 15, 2016 COMMUNITYLINK 25 Mode
- Page 27 and 28: JULY 15, 2016 ARTLINK-Ratna Venkat
- Page 29 and 30: JULY 15, 2016 ENTERTAINMENTLINK 29
- Page 31 and 32: JULY 15, 2016 Teenager strikes gold