I’ve recieved quite a few messages
asking about the “progressive” movement within Islam. The questions usually use
the premise that progressive-ness is adding something new to Islam that
wasn’t there in its history.
As Muslims, and I believe this is
something all religions do, we value our history more than we value our present
and future. If someone decided something based on the information available at
the time, and if new information has since been made available, should we
ignore the new information and stick to our old ways?
That is what we have done for the
past few generations. And it has been led by monarchs, dictators and violent
governmental parties. The reason for the increased conservatism in Islam has
more to do with politics and power than anything Islam.
Islam pushes us to live as one
Ummah. It is Political Islam that pushes us apart into the realm of otherness.
Muslims believe that the best
Muslims were the ones that lived closest to the time of the Prophet. This just
isn’t true. Read the history. Muslims were murdering each other and causing
divides amongst themselves.
This idea that Muslims before were
better than us now, could possibly be the primary reason for the increase
in conservatism. And when a majority becomes conservatives, the conservatives
become extremists.
A progressive movement in Islam has
existed throughout its history. It is nothing new. Being conservative or
progressive in ones perception is human nature. There were conservatives from
the very beginning trying to stop girls from being educated. And there were
progressives from the very beginning trying to make sure girls were educated.
It just doesn’t seem that way because
the progressive movement within Islam was practically comatosed for the past
few generations. Sent into a coma by conservatives, extremists, monarchs and
tyrants.
Another reason the ideology of
progressivism seems foreign to Islam is because of the narrow vision
of conservatism. Progressive ideology has no problem with a pluralistic
society. Conservatism, on the otherhand, cannot fathom a pluralistic
society; that is why conservatism easily leads to division and hatred for “the
other”, as well as a fascist government.
Conservatism forces conformity. That
“force” can be societal and physical. And perhaps the idea of conformity is not
unusual for religion. Afterall, are we not to conform to Allah’s will? The
answer is, “Yes, we are to conform to Allah’s will, but when giving into
conformity based on conservatism, are we giving into Allah’s will, or the will
of the ignorant, the loud and the violent?”
Conservatism fosters bigotry of all
kind. It cannot eliminate this bigotry. The ideology can only conserve bigotry.
Can a Muslim look at the general
state of Islam today and not wish for change? I would like change. And change
isn’t going to come from an ideology which at its root is about anything but
change. It’s going to come from the ideology that believes in the future.
This change will come from
progressing beyond the state Islam finds itself today. You cannot do the same
actions and hope for different results. Conservatism is a failed ideology. It
helps only those that already have power, because it keeps things the same, so
they can maintain their power.
Progressivism isn’t about changing
the meaning of Islam. It isn’t about changing what we say Allah desires. It
isn’t about changing the meaning of the Quran.
Progressivism is about looking to
the future. It is believing that the best Muslims have yet to come.