On Reforming Religious Paradigm in Arab World, Op-ed

If the near future is unpredictable, then we are certain that we can still influence it to make  better results. Our personal vision must count on an objective view of the current environment, and an advance assessment of the results of continuity and change within this environment, which imply solid solutions to the problems of countries and people. This vision should also be comprehensive in its scope and specific in its implementation.

The strategy is concerned with the future and analyzes and avoids problems, and it performs this task through careful evaluation of the strategic environment to identify and select the basic strategic factors, which must be addressed to serve the interests of the state successfully.

Hence, some serious perspectives can be brought via wise minds in our Arab countries, such as renewing the mechanisms and functions of media discourse, and choosing qualified personnel to work in media, in line with the new media revolution pillars; technology and social networking.

The process would help those to undertake their enlightening roles to counter the fanatic and backwarded discourses. It also would help eventually to activate laws and legislations that criminalize hatred and racism, deepening pision and inspiring conflict between different societal groups, in terms of ethnic and sectarian aspects.

And given the heritage, intellectual and sentimental importance represented by the religion in the lives of Muslims, then it is necessary to renew its discourse, and select qualified preachers, to reflect its moderation, but also to recruit new people, who may be considered ‘imams of the Internet’ to work across social networks to support the work of imams in mosques and those who enjoy religious credibility.

It is also important to make religious awareness campaigns in prisons, whose environment constitutes a fertile field for the spread of extremist ideologies.

I think that most of our contemporary demands is to restructure the religious affairs in our Arab countries, as thinking about all the institutions involved in the matter, and the need to confront some voices, such as Salafi jihadist, of various kinds, and the need to preserve the open spiritual balance that characterized our history across times.

Therefore, all countries are required to restructure the religious paradigm, and to reconsider public thinking as a managing factor for modernizing issues in countries, by reviewing many laws and legislations regulating this field because fortifying and managing the religious paradigm, one of the founding pillars of national identities, which obliges countries to draw religious strategies according to a comprehensive perspective ..

In recent years, many countries have suffered repeated campaigns of terrorism led by jihadist movements, and the enlightened intellectuals in Arab and Islamic world will never be satisfied until those movements would be intellectually uprooted. Because those movements use Islam as a bridge to reach their personal goals, and distort - by their stray thought, fanaticism and terrorism - the tolerance of Islamic religion and its moderate core. This requires us all to unite and uproot those movements, as they are not from Islam or any other religion either.

 I say this because teachers and educators in their schools must prepare their children to live a life that accepts the others; dialogue with them via best manners. The school life is an appropriate environment for accustoming the students to dialogue, and any dispute can be resolved through discussion and dialogue. Also to train the students about the legal foundations called for by our religion in dealing with the other.

And it is good, during these days of Eid, to evoke the greatness of the role of mothers. The mother is the first school from which children are getting their awareness since early days of childhood. If well-cared for, her kids will be raised well and her effort will pay off. 

Rather, anyone who is taking care of kids should teach them that the Islamic religion is a religion of love, dialogue, and coexistence, not a religion that rejects and hates. Our prophet Muhammed (Peace and Blessings be Upon Him) instructed us a good formula for life in this regard, when he swore by Allah, saying: “You will not be believers until you love each other. Should I tell you something if you do, you will love each other .. Spread peace among yourselves".

Exaggeration, extremism and the resulting terrorism in the past years in some Arab countries require us all to join hands to prevent it again, and protect our children from slipping into the paths of extremist ideas and private affiliations at the expense of the Islamic brotherhood.. And all this will lead to a future where minds will build our countries after decades in a purposeful manner, freeing our homelands from viruses of extremism and terrorism in order to build the united human family and the common community, and may you have a blessful Eid.