Does Islam Need a Makeover?

 

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has issued a joint communiqué. The communiqué addresses the dispute over Kashmir, commends Pakistan for its rapprochement with India, calls for stability in Afghanistan and improving the image of Islam. Curiously, it omits or does not pay much attention to the Arab Spring and the orgy of murders taking place in Syria on a quotidian basis. This omission is remarkable given that the future of the Arab Muslim world is at stake and a grand historical process is panning out. This, however, is not the core thrust of this piece.

The piece is concerned with the burning issue of the day: the perception of Islam by the world and OIC’s assertions to improve Islam’s image. The OIC does not state why and how Islam’s image can me improved and who is to be responsible for this. This raises a set of questions: does Islam really need a makeover? Or is the OIC mistaking wood for the trees and missing out on the bigger picture? That is, is it Muslims who need to improve their image or is it Islam that needs a makeover? Should this be in the nature of a public relations exercise or should comprehensive reform of the Muslim persona and collective self be the bedrock of this? And , last but not the least, what should this entail?

Let it be clear from the onset: Islam does not need a makeover. It is what it is. However, it is the interpretation of Islam and its practice that needs a review. This means a struggle for the struggle of Islam’s soul which is claimed by various contenders with each vying for supremacy. The Salafi’s, the shi’ites, the Ahl al hadith, the Ahl al Sunna, the Wahhabi’s and the Sufi’s , the Deobandis , to name a few , each claim a monopoly over truth within Islam. This cacophony of contention and competition leads to a jumble where the essential message of Islam- peace and amity and a spiritual quest- gets lost. In this din, the world of Islam then does not and cannot present a coherent portrait of Islam to the world. The question that should be nagging the powers that be in the world of Islam should be to arrive at a consensus over the nature of Islam and then present that to the world.

The question then is who will bell the cat? That is, who does the onus of this consensus and the attendant reform fall on? The answer is Muslims themselves. The problems that define the Muslim world-authoritarianism, lack of democracy, poor economic growth, abysmal living standards, political decay and the manifestation of these: terrorism- are all self made. There is no enemy out these determined to push back and denigrate Islam. The problem lies within and the solution to this also has to come from within.

What should be the gravamen of this solution? First and foremost, both the personality of the individual Muslim and the collective Muslim self has to change. This means vigorous introspection both at the individual and collective level. This, in turn, can accrue once Muslims are empowered. Empowerment in today’s world comes from education and economic growth. Both, in sync, can potentially lead to the questioning of accretions that have latched on to Islam and an approach that is open, vibrant and not insular. The world view that will stem from this approach will naturally be the one that is open minded, salubrious and salutary. This will then impact the nature of Muslim societies and how they relate to the world. Political decay may be reversed and the Muslim world will engage with the world in an idiom that is healthy and that redounds positively to it and the world at large.

Once this dynamic gets crystallized, the ‘image problem’ will naturally dissipate. A process of osmosis wherein the Muslim world absorbs the best that the modern world has to offer will take place and in the process, stability –within and without- will ensue. It is to this that powers that be in the Muslim world must dedicate themselves to. Declaratory statements from toothless and politicized organizations are not the antidote to the problems that bedevil the Muslim world. It is vigorous introspection followed by action that will take the Muslim world out of its self imposed morass. The timing for this cannot be more propitious. Let reform, introspection and action be the new slogans for the Muslim world and let these be the response to the manifold challenges that the world of Islam faces.