Islamic Agenda for a Better World – Part 1

By Dr. Javed Jamil,

Director, International Centre for Applied Islamics , India

It is true that human beings are animals. But it is equally true that ‘human beings’ are human beings. They may eat, mate and die like animals. But in addition, they possess an extraordinarily healthy relationship with fellow human beings, a highly sensitive conscience that censors their activities, and a supreme spirituality that seeks to instil divine virtues in them. "Liberty", in the modern era, has only become an iron-chain prepared by the economic fundamentalists for the purpose of shackling the conscience and spirituality of human beings. These must now be liberated and allowed to function without fear. Once the conscience and spirituality are set free, humanisation of mankind will progress rapidly. Man will then not only enjoy the fruits of material developments, but will also ensure this is done in a way as would not disturb his mental peace and social order. The agenda for the future must be to establish Natural Word Order rather than New World Order. New World Order is unstable by its very meaning; what is new now will become old tomorrow. The Order has only brought chaos at all levels. It has led to the development of a strange kind of world, which appears to be paradise from outside, but as one enters it, one finds nothing but hell. We are living in a world where, thanks to the designs of merchants, immorality reigns. Where it is easier to be bad than good. Where wearing a scarf is banned and baring the body is promoted. Where being a wife or husband is outdated and being a bed partner is smartness. Where piety is ridiculed and impudence glorified. Where prosperity is considered to be the synonym of peace, education that of knowledge and entertainment that of happiness. Where condoms are presented as wonderful little bags possessing everything required for a wholesome life. We are living in a world where children are aborted in the name of women’s rights. Where, murderers and rapists are protected in the name of ‘right to life’. Where, criminals are given all amenities of life in the name of human rights. Where, sexual perverts receive all kinds of sympathy and attention. Where those talking of righteousness in life are condemned as "bloody moralists". Where, the media do everything to change the choices of the people, but if some reformer tries to warn them against evils, he is dubbed as a retrogressive, who has no business to teach lessons of good behaviour to the people. Alcohol, smoking, gambling and unrestrained-sex are considered to be the biggest symbols of liberty, brothels, beaches, bars and casinos the citadels of "freedom". One third of the total population of the world smokes, millions of people take drugs, millions drink and gamble and a sizeable percentage indulges in all forms of unhealthy sexual behaviour, including promiscuity, homosexuality, purchased sex, etc. In short, we are inhabitants of a world where the biggest virtue is to openly indulge in the biggest sin; and the biggest sin is to try to exhibit virtuousness.

The globe of New World Order is therefore rapidly developing into nothing but a fireball of chaos. It is hardly surprising then that

More than 1 million people are murdered every year. (More than 240 million people lost lives in wars in the last century)

More than 2 million people commit suicides

More than 5 million people die of sex related diseases (more than 20 million have died of AIDS in recent years)

More than 2.2 million die of alcohol related problems

More than 5 million die of smoking related problems

More than 70 million children are not allowed to take birth and are aborted.

The deaths due to poverty and unhygienic conditions are also there, but for these, it is ignorance, not knowledge that is to be blamed. They occur in the poor and undeveloped areas and are not the result of the designs of human minds, though the people of the area particularly the leadership has to share the blame. The above-given are however the figures related to damages consequent upon the deliberate acceptance of certain concepts of individual freedom and the deliberate promotion of a legal, social and economic system that supports the interests of the economic fundamentalists. Apart from death, other diseases, addictions, family disintegration, exploitation of men, women and children are other dangerous consequences of economic fundamentalism in the developed regions of the world. So

* More than a hundred million suffer from alcohol related illnesses

* More than 2000 millions smoke

Hundreds of millions indulge in gambling. 500 million are now using Internet alone for gambling. (In US alone, 20 millions show some signs of gambling addiction and 2 million divorces had gambling as a significant factor.)

More than 100 million suffer from sex transmitted diseases (42 million from HIV/AIDS)

Tens of millions of women are in prostitution and other sex related businesses (more than one million Americans alone have served as prostitutes)

More than 1.2 million of children are exploited annually in prostitution and other sex trades

More than 800 million watch pornography

Millions of homes are broken every year

Millions of women are raped every year; in many Western countries one tenth to half of all women have been raped (The total number of women who have been raped at least once is in hundreds of millions)

Sexual abuse of children is on the rise all over the world; in many Western countries up to one third of all people have been sexually abused in their childhood

Drug addiction is also persistent; tens of millions of people are addicted of harmful drugs

Civil wars, wars and riots for various reasons are also not showing any remarkable decline, consuming thousands of lives every year

Economic disparity between different countries and people of the world and among the people of the same countries is continuously growing; poverty may be on the decline but relative poverty is showing steep rise.

It is in the backdrop of this universal disharmony that Islam has to play its role. The whole social, legal, economic, administrative, scientific, health and educational set-up all over the world is founded on un-Islamic premises. Yet Muslims seem to be in a permanent somnolence. Everything that Quran expressly prohibits is destroying the social fabric everywhere. Polytheism of various kinds is prevalent all over the world; even those that are not pagans have become slaves of money, addiction or sex. Alcohol has become the water of life for the people. Early marriage is banned while premarital sex is promoted. Promiscuity is glorified while polygamy is mocked. Sex has become one of the biggest industries with the result that it has become as much associated with death as it has been with life. The economic system is based on exploitation and marketing of evils. Crimes are ever on the rise. For a few hundreds or thousands of deaths caused by "Islamic terrorists", the whole world is being terrorised; for millions of deaths caused by the modern sexuality promoted by merchants of sex, alcohol and smoking, criminal silence is maintained. All international organisations including the UN, WHO, WTO and Amnesty have been dancing to the melody of globalisation trampling, in the process, individual’s physical, mental and spiritual health, family peace and social order.

(to be contd)