Being the second largest religion globally after Christianity, Muslim is part of multiple diverse cultures, ethnicities and socioeconomic classes. For those Muslims ailing from economically underprivileged countries that seek a middle path between communism and capitalism, their road to both economic and political development in terms of success, has always remained to be an arduous one. Obstacles such as poor technology and lack of modern education have made it difficult for them to achieve their goals. This has been evident especially when engaging international institutions and also the perceived Westernization assumption. However, the challenges of modernity faced by Muslims have been taken differently. There have been provocative attempts from critics demonstrating that Muslims are sufficiently equipped with various means of responding to contemporary challenges without necessarily sullying or betraying their Islamic image. This paper therefore analyzes and systematically dissects the concept of Islam and how it responds to modernity. All this is made possible through the painstaking research done by both theology professionals and philosophers for more information on Islam and modernization; read Kamali especially chapters one and two.
Historically, modernization in the West was known to be as a result of a long time struggle between science and religion. The oppressive and dominant command over the latter with its application of religious institutions for the sake of suppressing the scientific mentality was the cause of the conflict and that saw science triumph over religion. Therefore, modernization was seen as the form of liberation that aimed at freeing people from oppressive religion institutions as well as the shackles of traditions that were oppressive. This therefore explained the deep rooted hatred as well as mistrust for religion, institutions and divine revelations that is up to date observed in western communities. Against this background, it is obvious that the western do perceive the religion of Islam to be opposed to modernization following the extremeness of divine revelation in the religion of Islam. According to experts, the history of Islam portrays a totally different picture as far as the nature of this relationship is concerned. Islam and science were been in conflict. This has been simply because many Quran revelations have been confirmed by scientific theory.
Currently, Islam is facing challenges from within its surrounding and also from the wider world. The critical challenges faced by Islam are reported to be the fundamental tensions emanating within Islam. Therefore, the criticisms as well as the attitudes that are common in the outside world can be regarded as hostile or ignorant. The tension that is within Islam must therefore be dealt with. The religious centers elaborate or define the heartland. The shrines at Medina and Mecca are still maintained by Saudi Arabia’s guardianship. Therefore, Saudi Arabia enjoys its power when repudiating and dealing with the Shii tradition, the Shii Iran as well as other sects that are disillusioned within its identification around the Ummah. With plenty of oil, Saudi Arabia enjoys to be economic center power of Ummah because it takes the combination of the incomes of UAE, Iraq, Kuwait Yemen and Iran’s economic powers, at least to come close to its oil capacity See Shireen et al for more understanding especially the first chapter.
Apart from the ideals that promote productive and equitable material life, majority of Islam followers are experiencing the difficulties that not enviable by any means or standards. As a result, this has appeared to be one of the major paradoxes especially in the Muslim countries that produce a lot of oil. Development and investment in Muslim countries is sluggish due to the fact that most investors are put off by agitations that are too extreme to bear as well as the West’s perception concerning the Islamic proscriptions a good example being the interest generated. Most of the extreme agitations in Islam have adversely affected Muslim dominated countries in terms of education and social relations. As a result, Muslim scholars and investors have resolved to invest in non Islamic economies following the greater number of opportunities available.
According to experts, the major breeding grounds for protest and dissent among the Muslim communities are as a result of inequity of opportunities in education due to economic frustrations. Most Muslim governments have themselves to blame following due to their inability to confront the requirements of education. Modernity is therefore in a core sense inescapable. Modernization has nothing to do with the West. At the same time, it does not mean that degrees of secular knowledge must be given the first priority or prominence in Islamic epistemologies.
According to Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamed, a Muslim leader and a renowned scholar worldwide, there can never be a successful separation of religious and secular knowledge because they are all encompassed by the religion (Islam). It is therefore interesting to see senior religious leaders and scholars like Dr. Mahathir treading a fine line and therefore championing for an independent and progressive Islamic attitude so as to acquire the widest possible range of knowledge, at the same time, trying to placate old fashioned traditional sensibilities by recommending the moral rectitude of studying as the only ideal method of protecting the faith of Islam. Majority of Islam scholars are working hard to ensure that their fellow faithful understands what it means to embrace both Islam and modernization. Researches indicate that the reception met by these intellectuals does not have the prominence that is usually accorded to extremists.
When we talk about Islam and education challenges, Ozay reiterates that one of the most sensitive issues that come in the picture is the citizenship of both students and Muslim teachers. Both teachers and learners in schools across northern England for instance, face a lot challenges some of which are posed by innovations of the curriculum in citizenship education. According to the survey conducted across England, Muslim students are very receptive when it comes to teaching one to be a law abiding citizen, being socially responsible and finally, the survey proved that they are all ready act civil mindedly as opposed to insinuations speculated to be from the west (Ozay 24).
Thailand is also another good example where Islam is the largest religion. The Muslim communities in Thailand are comprised of 2 groups. Thai state has unsuccessfully tended to regard Islamic version of education as old fashioned. This is simply due to their failure to identify their moral relevance. This has therefore led to the promulgation of strategies that sought to rationalize these alongside secular educational perspectives. The contemporary Islamic education system in Thailand is a combination of both Thai curriculum and religious education. Even though all this is sponsored by the government under the Ministry of Education’s supervision, Islamic private schools face two major problems. Firstly, Students are not well prepared to competition in the country’s current jobs that are readily available or even gain good grades that will see them admitted to good universities. The mean standard score for Islamic schools are below average nationally. Secondly, Most Thai Islamic schools learning institutions teach the national curriculum of Thai while in return; they get back a meager fraction of the operating budget from the central government.
Conclusion:
Education reform in most parts of the Islam world and the reforms of the components of curricula is at the crossroads, rapid economic development in the Muslim world, social change and the introduction of religious ideologies. Philosophers and Islamic scholars should lead the Muslim out of the old fashioned traditional way of life. Oppressive ideologies should be abolished since they hinder economic development among the Muslim.
Works Cited
Kamali, Mohamed. Islam in Southeast Asia: Political, Social, and Strategic Challenges for the 21st Century. Singapore: S.U.P. 2005. Print.
Malik, Shireen et al. Modernization, Democracy and Islam. Washington D.C: Praeger. 2005. Print.
Mehmet, Ozay. Islamic Identity and Development: Studies of the Islamic Periphery. New York: Rutledge Publishers, 1990. Print.
