It is construed in certain circles of Western intelligentsia that as things had gone badly wrong in the lands of Islam as compared with Christendom in the course of twentieth century the political Islam, antagonized by the economic conditions of the masses has turned against the West, mainly Christian, for a vengeful onslaught that is relentless, coercive, unprincipled and dogmatic in nature and contents.

This misplaced and erroneous perception of the Islamic world and Islam is mainly based on faulty understanding of Islam and its institutions by the orientalists who in their own right have claimed authority on Islam and its all-encom-passing teachings.

Some terrorist acts in the West committed by certain extremist elements and organizations, which profess Islam and operate in the Islamic world, do not provide any good reason to pass judgement on Islam whose contribution in the advancement of human civilization cannot be discounted by any fair-minded anthropologist. No doubt, there exist certain extremist outfits in Muslim countries, which had been allowed to operate under certain conditions, however, most of them, and the most violent of them so to speak, were erstwhile partners of the West for their own vested interests.

Al-Qaeda fought in Afghanistan on behalf of the US for so many years. It only used Islam for rallying support for its own cause. The US and its supportive governments in Pakistan under Ziaul Haq turned blind eye on certain sections closely knit to parent Al-Qaeda organization that played havoc with people and property of certain sections of society that did not adhere to their interpretation of Islam. Shia in Pakistan, so to speak, were at the receiving end of the unceasing ire of first Sipah-e-Sabaha, then Janghavi, Riaz Basra, Akram Lahori groups etc and many other nondescript rebellious factions of the same organization since 1985.

Pakistan society was torn asunder; however, ‘greater national interest,’ while serving the interest of the US, sealed the mouths of the people in power corridors. It is not difficult to visualize the situation at home if 11 September’s diabolical event had not taken place and the Al-Qaeda had not been taken good care of by the US. Pakistan would have completely become pre-September 11 Afghanistan by now. Saddam, like Al-Qaeda, was West’s erstwhile partner. Later he turned against them when he was ditched at the end. Presently Mujahideen-e-Khalq working against Iran are being supported by the US in Iraq on the same lines as of Al-Qaeda, and if in near future it turns against the US, it should not blame anybody else rather curse its own Frankenstein fate.

There is not doubt that hegemonic, autocratic and interventionist policies of the West especially of the US in 20th century have angered many a youth in the Muslim world, however, at the same time there cannot be uglier distortion of truth than to consider Osama bin Ladan as representative of Islam and give him unchallenged right to speak for Islam and the Islamic world. Those who are doing this are not doing any service to the West or the world peace.

The West should note that all extremist elements in the lands of Islam are in contravention to Islamic teachings and they are not in conjunction with Islamic precepts. Further, it is quite obvious and noteworthy that such extremist organizations even do not have popular support among Muslim masses. A very acute minority pursues violent policies and it is presently being taken good care of in all the lands of Islam. This is our renaissance whose result is ‘More Islam’ not secularism as it happened at the end of European Renaissance in sixteenth century.

Islamic scholars perceive that at the end of dark tunnel of West’s doubts, mistrust and suspicions of Islam, there are new and refreshing orientation of thought process of Western mind to place Islamic ideology in true perspective. The dialogue thus initiated between civilizations will benefit all and the social institutions of both the Christian and the Islamic lands will benefit from such change. While we talk about Islam, the perceptions and concepts of Western philosophy do not generally convey fuller meanings regarding the contents and nature of Islam and the kind of orientation it promotes and sustains regarding human-life and its
institutions.

It is quite easy to confuse people by using terms such as “fundamental Islam, dogmatic Islam, extremism, political Islam, social Islam, enlightened Islam etc. The scholars of the West got to realise that Islam is just Islam and that it has a certain set of rules and regulations that encompass all political, social, religious as well as spiritual and corporal aspects of human life. These rules and regulations are essentially to be respected and followed by its adherents and that no compartmentalization on the lines of the Secular and the Spiritual is recognized in Islam.

Yes, of course, political set-up in the lands of Islam has been on the
decline since the early days of Islam. The rot has been slow but steady, however, it was held at bay because of the strong and unyielding ideological bearings of Islamic ideology. The Islamic society did not degenerate into a total amiss, although, dictatorship has remained the style of governance for many centuries. Umayyad, Abbasids, then Othmanites and other small principalities in the Islamic world never allowed the peoples’ voice to hold sway. People were never allowed any chance to organize their public life according to their wishes. Authoritarian, autocratic and totalitarian governments succeeded one another, whereas, castle intrigues, machinations and intrigues swayed the court life.

However, the rulers could not go against the pristine precepts of Islam and the spirit and contents of Islamic civilization. They could not change the texture, quality, and vitality of its society. A lot of attempts were made to relegate the role of Islam in society to minimum in the past, rather, the agnostic and secular forces have always been doing that all along through out the history of Islam; however, the strength and vitality of the ideology have always declined to yield to any such infringement and contravention so that the structure and constitution of humane psychology that Islam has always tried to constitute has remained unyielding and obdurate. Whenever there has been a chance, defying the external pressures,
Muslims have raised the voice for independence, liberty, human dignity and tolerance.

Therefore, President Musharraf’s concept of enlightened and moderate Islam is not a new thing. It has been there since centuries and over a period of time many movements were started to bring to fore the real tolerant, accommodating, and forbearing message of Islam. The success of all Sufi movements resides in the single fact of tolerance, accommodation and consideration for others. Can there be more humane ideology than the one who has respect for human life and dignity to such an extent as to say, “He who deprives an honoured or an innocent life not implicated in a charge of criminal homicide or of spreading corruption or mischief on earth, will have committed, as it were, massacre of all communities of innocent people. And he who preserves it and defends it will have protected, as it were, all communities of innocent people.” The Holy Quran 5:32.