Love resists 'apocalyptic changes' in modern world

Dubai: The clash between Islam and the West is in reality a clash between "Ulfa" meaning empathy and consumerism, said internationally-renowned writer and feminist Dr Fatima Mernissi in a lecture held at the American University of Sharjah.

The Moroccan sociologist delivered the lecture "Love in Digital Islam: Why is Ibn Hazm so popular on the internet?"

Her lecture revolved around the concept of love as it is defined by Andalusian philosopher and writer Ibn Hazm, author of the famous book The Ring of the Dove, on the art of love and its chances of survival in the Western-influenced Arab world today.

Solitude

According to Mernissi, Ibn Hazm defines love as "Ulfa" in the very title of his book [fi-l-ulfa-wa-l-ullaf], which literally means in Arabic 'to become attached to someone.'

"To do so you have to use your 'aql' [mind] to bring your partner to trust you enough to allow you to get closer! Synonymous of 'ulfa' is 'uns,' the very root of the Arabic word for human being: 'insan.' 'Al Anasu,' the human, is by definition the creature who does not live in solitude like a savage animal: [wahsha]."

Dr Mernissi said that Ibn Hazm's definition of love is the opposite of our modern "pleasure at any cost consumerist brainwashing." According to her, Ibn

Hazm believes in altruistic love and community building, which she said does not stand a chance in the "satellite-tuned and Western advertisement-fuelled" Arab world. Dr Mernissi believes that "consumerist ads brainwash us into individualist and egotistic self-love."

She added that Western psychoanalysts are the first ones to witness the "devastating impact of consumerist advertising that reduces humans to tragically solitary 'shopaholics.'" According to Dr Mernissi, people tend to confuse love with compulsive acquisition and run after "pleasure at any cost" as a result.

"Whence my conclusion that the famous conflict Mr Samuel Huntington sells as a 'Clash of Civilisations' between the West and Islam is in fact a clash between 'Aql' [rational thinking] and consumerist advertising!" she said.

Dr Mernissi, however, said that despite the "consumerist ads brainwashing," Ibn Hazm's books are very popular in the digital world. The writer came to the conclusion that love seems to have resisted the "apocalyptic changes" in today's technology-driven modern world.

"... One of the reasons for this is that Western science advertised by secular Europe as the solution to all our problems failed miserably when it comes to teaching us how to love," she said.

Dr Mernissi called then for the start of a United Nations Ulfa Fund to fight what Arab scholars call "cultural pollution" and consider it to be more dangerous than environmental pollution.

Born in Morocco, Mernissi studied Political Science at the Sorbonne and Sociology at Brandeis University in the US where she earned her doctorate. She is largely concerned with women's roles in Islamic society and culture, analysing the historical developments of Islamic thought up to its modern forms.

With her characteristic evocative style, Dr Mernissi weaves her tales about Arab women and empowerment. Dr Mernissi is the author of many bestselling books, some of which have become classics in their field, such as Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood; Beyond the Veil; and Scheherazade Goes West.