The Role of Islam in Modern World and Muslim World and Contemporary Challanges.

[IqraDuaa]

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[aflatoon]

Challenges faced by Islam and Muslims in modern world
Challenges within Islam
1. Political challenges
• Modernists Vs Traditionalists
o Reformist movements led by Muhammad Iqbal, Jamal al-Din-al-Afghani, Javed Ghamdi, Tariq Ramadan such as Muslim Brotherhood, Turkey’s Justice and Development (AK) party
o Countered by fundamentalist movements like Wahhabism, Salafi movement
• No truly representative organization
o OIC only representative with no achievement
o Disorganization at UN
o Failure of ECO and GCC
• Authoritarian regimes
o Saudi Arabia, Iran and most middle eastern countries
o Brutal suppression of Arab spring movement
o No Muslim majority country in Top 50 democratic countries (Malaysia at 59)
o Democracy touted to be anti-Islamic system
• Regional rivalries
o Saudi-Iran conflict mainly over regional hegemony
o Civil wars in Syria and Yemen
o No united front against Israel
o Kurds’ struggle for homeland
o Animosity among Central Asian Muslim Republics
• Dysfunctional institute of Ijtihad
o Islamic Jurisprudence frozen in time
o Failed to legislate with changing times

[aflatoon]

2.Economic challenges


Industrial and technological backwardness
o No manufacturing industry to use abundant natural resources
o Primary exports oil and agri products

Economic dependence on the West
o Source of vital imports e.g. machinery, finished goods etc
o Technology and services also imported

o Shortcomings in implementation of Islamic economic system

o More focus on spending than investment

Inequality among Muslim countries
o Oil rich Gulf countries vs neighbor Yemen and Gaza
o Capital flows towards west instead of other Muslim countries

[aflatoon]

3.Social challenges


Sectarian conflict
o Present at many levels not only Shia-Sunni
o Intellectual debate turned into physical attacks
o Disharmony and erosion of social integrity
o Fatwas of Kufr and death sentences

Persecution of religious and sectarian minorities
o Hazaraas in Pakistan, Sunnis in Iran, Shias in SA
o Rise of extremism
o Misuse of Islamic teachings for Political purposes
o Inconsideration towards genuine grievances
o Distortion of religious scripture
o Rise of non-state actors

Nationalism vs Ummah
o 57 Muslim majority Nation states in the world
o Unfeasibility of global caliphate

Lack of modern education
o So far only 12 Nobel laureates (3 in science), Sweden has 30
o Eight universities in Muslim countries featured in Top 500 (0 in Top 100)
o On average produce 500 PhDs per year
o Absence of modern scientific education system

Suppression of civil liberties
o Rampant human rights violations
o Only Two Muslim countries in Top 100 on Press freedom index
o No tolerance for peaceful dissent

Marginalization of women
o State level restriction in Iran and Saudi Arabia
o 70pc of illiterate Muslim population are women
o Political exclusion, discouraged from voting
o Honor killings justified from faith

[aflatoon]

Challenges form outside world

Clash of civilizations
o Islamic civilization one of the seven described by Huntington
o Gained prominence after 9/11 and international terrorism
o Calls Islam incompatible with West

Outside political and military interventions
o Rise in Islamophobia
o Particularly common in US and Europe
o Rise in hate crimes against Muslims
o Rise of Anti-Muslim nationalist parties
o Donald Trump’s Muslim ban

Undue blame for terrorism
o US sponsorship of extremist factions (Afghanistan, Syria)
o Intervention breeds terrorism
o Stoking of religious sentiment by caricatures and sketches
o Political motives behind armed struggle

Playground for international powers
o Afghanistan as a Cold War proxy
o Conflicts in Iraq and Syria

Role of International media
o Middle East considered entire Islamic world
o Anti-Muslim bias in media
o No portrayal of normal Muslim culture
o Under representation of Muslim viewpoints
o Use of terms like "Islamic terrorism", "Islamic bombs" and "violent Islam"

Cultural threats from Globalization
o Globalization another name for Westernization
o Unique social and cultural identity of Islam
o Threat to traditional family system and communal values
o Rise in Individualism and materialism

[aflatoon]

Hope this helps.. :-)