Political Islamism threatens Arab societies

There are many events that might make you stop and reconsider the things you believe in, which may have shaped your character. Political, economic and social events might make you reprogramme your beliefs and ideologies, although many intellectuals have claimed that the age of ideologies is over.

It is not possible for mankind to live without ideologies, since there is no world without ideologies. Some ideologies have just become outdated. Are we still living in an age of conflict between two forces and their ideologies, or is it now a single-mandate world?

In life, conflict is a must, and has been since the beginning of civilisations and cultures. Life without a struggle is the end of mankind, and all cultures and civilisations must have an opposing culture. This is the reason behind wars and destruction for some, and development and prosperity for others.

Decision-makers across the world have agreed that the existence of more than one superpower in the last century was the reason behind the endless wars. Some people believed that peace would prevail after the collapse of the former Soviet Union. They thought that capitalism would emerge victorious, but still the world does not live in peace.

Those supporting the ideology of conflict have found a new enemy: political Islamism. Political Islamists created the Muslim Brotherhood to use against the leftists and communists, who had appeared in Afghanistan.

We must take into consideration that the Soviet Union, which invaded the conservative Islamic country, prevented the natural evolution of that society. Thus Afghanistan became the battle ground for the struggle between two world powers, and its people paid a hefty price. The war extended to other countries, and caused widespread damage in the region.

I remember a television programme broadcast by a British TV station in the 1970s about Afghanistan, which showed that life there was simple, and the extremist current was not dominant. Girls and women went to their schools freely and came back home safely, while clean-shaven men were seen everywhere and no one disturbed them. Education was also spreading rapidly, which created an enlightened middle class.

But the moderate picture of Afghanistan changed and extremism emerged, thanks to the Western intervention in that country. Afghanistan became a big prison for women, who had to cover their bodies from head to toe and did not even dare reveal their eyes. Women who dared to defy were killed, girls' schools were closed and beards became a must for all men.

Source of suffering

Freedom fighters turned into terrorists and the world is still suffering at the hands of those who were supported by the West in the last century. Their only concern is to establish a state that only exists in their imagination, because Islam never knew such a state of darkness. These people have created new rules and fatwas to rule the world, or else terrorise it with killings and explosions that target innocent people.

This extremist ideology has prevailed over the Muslim masses in many countries, and perhaps the existence of a religious state in Iran sparked religious sentiments among people, which led to the emergence of influential religious parties in Lebanon, Palestine and other parts of the world.

Another factor that accelerated the process of political Islamism was the shrinking of the middle class in the Arab world, especially in the politically powerful countries, such as Egypt and Palestine. This tendency hindered development at all levels, and perhaps the experiences in Kuwait and Iraq stand as examples of the opportunism of the political Islam current in general.

The Muslim Brotherhood and Salafists in Kuwait have contributed to a model that may deter people from embracing democracy. Religion has been used as a sword to threaten the ministry of education and universities in Kuwait. They want academic institutions to be their fortresses, from which they can spread their vicious ideas.

These conservatives have played a vital role in blocking political development in Kuwait and Iraq, which has all the necessary factors for progress. These forces have killed and exiled intellectuals in Iraq and terrorised minorities, prompting many to leave their country and others to yearn for the old days under the former regime.

However, mankind in general has realised that gradual evolution is the key to overcoming struggle, because those who insist on the path of conflict will fall. People have realised that it is not possible to prevent progress. Those who work for good in society, especially the middle class, will push their nations forward.

Failing this, those who spread illiteracy and ignorance in Afghanistan would be able to extend their umbrella of violence and destruction to other countries.

Dr Mohammad Abdullah Al Mutawa is a professor of sociology at UAE University, Al Ain.