The Ruinous Cyclone
Whenever the social standard of an Islamic state reaches a certain
conspicuous level comparable to Western culture, the Muslim clergy,
in collaboration with the conservative elements, scheme to trigger
its downfall. Whenever a certain group of people of an Islamic state
becomes progressive and attempts to attain and maintain a certain
degree of high personal freedom of choice in arts, dress,
appearance, association and entertainment, Islamic states of the
Abode of Peace accuse the progressive class of Western trends. They
describe it as un-Islamic, corrupted by Western values and a bad
influence on the Islamic society. In the name of religion and
morality, conservative elements, together with the clergy of the
Abode of Peace States, help bring down to utter ruin an era of
progress and prosperity that took them decades to achieve, as
witnessed in Iran under the Shah, in Algeria and recently in
Lebanon. As a result, Islamic states push their people back to their
old traditional way of life. They restore their ethical values,
revert to their old tactics of confronting non-Islamic cultures
pressuring them to curb their cultural activities and accept the
rule of Islamic system of government. Newcomers to power denounce
any change in the field of social education, freedom of expression,
entertainment, arts and sports as un-Islamic. Any attempt to lift
political restrictions and ease social reforms is looked at by the
Muslim conservatives as counter-revolutionary and anti-religious. As
soon as the conservative power challengers grab power, they attack
and destroy anything they view as un-Islamic. Whirling like a
vicious cyclone they ban and destroy whatever comes in their path
that is different from the Islamic culture as immoral, deviant and
unnatural. In Iran, the overwhelming colour is black as if all are
in mourning. Some fountains in public parks and cemeteries sprinkle
red-coloured water, signifying blood of the martyrs shed for their
country.
Afghanistan is in ruin; the warlords have destroyed its
infrastructure due to factional power struggles. Most of the road
network, public buildings and residential areas have been destroyed
or are in appalling condition. Females are denied formal education.
All female schools have been closed down. Women are encouraged to
stay at home. They restrict their dress according to the Islamic
law. They must cover themselves from head to toe. They are not
allowed to work. They are banned from joining the workforce as
social workers and public servants, in pursuit of an honourable
career to earn an honest livelihood. Algeria is in a blood bath; its
roads and highways are death traps for the native Berber and its
cities and villages are battlefields. Lebanon is re-emerging from
the rubble of 17 years of raging sectarian war and destruction, to
an ominous future. The militant Hezbullah (God's Party) is
determined to bring Lebanon under the thumb of the shari’ah rule of
the Islamic Abode of Peace. Northern Iraq is living the life of a
potentially volatile volcano on the verge of eruption. Since the
advent of Islam, the enthusiasm of the Muslim sectarian leaders to
proving themselves right and asserting themselves as the future
world dominant rulers has not diminished a bit. How could other
cultures survive in their midst? Saudi Arabia, as a pioneer, has
purged the whole of the Arab Peninsula from non-Islamic religions
and local democratic opposition. Iran and other Islamic states such
as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and Sudan are following suit. It
is puzzling that wearing blue jeans in most Islamic countries is
acceptable, while wearing a tie in others, like Iran and
Afghanistan, is rejected as a symbol of Western imperialism. They
form Council of Guardians to protect their country from Western
influence.
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