IS ISLAM CHANGING?

Prof Dr Colonel (Retired) K Prabhakar Rao

Islam is generally seen as very rigid and orthodox in it’s religious views, social practices although not always fundamentalist in approach. The modern science and association with West no doubt has made impact on it. In fact, the rigid Mullahs of Islamic countries are shouting hoarse at pitch of their voice that Western cultures, way of life and modern life style and materialistic growth are adversely influencing the Muslim youth. They are very unhappy that medieval Islam is being adversely influenced. This is one of the greatest accusations of the orthodox fundamentalists against West and Christian nations (1). Inspite of rigid and orthodox leanings of the Mullahs, there is no doubt that Muslim world is being rapidly influenced by the modern life, comforts, luxuries and demands of present day. Writing on the walls can be seen in the world today. Muslims who migrated to USA and to other western nations or born and brought up in these countries are westernized in dress, outlook and disposition. They are religious and majority of them do not subscribe to rigid orthodox views. However there could be few fundamentalists too in such societies. Examples of British bred Pakistani Muslims involved in alleged hijacking and bombing plot of US bound air liners in London recently can be quoted. Such exceptions are there everywhere.
Islam prohibits any sort of idol worship, and has strict moral code in day to day life and recommends practice of veil and covering of bodies by women. Taliban are the extreme examples of Muslim orthodoxy in the world in modern times that went to the extent of measuring beards by a scale if not micrometer or vernier and flogging the men who did not adhere to the standards. Similarly, they flogged women who did not adhere to the code. Taliban destroyed Bamiyan Buddha statues on silk route in Afghanistan claiming that they represented idol worship and they were against all types of idol worship and thus these had to be destroyed (2). In 17 Th century, Emperor Aurangzeb of Mughal dynasty in India banished all types of singing and dancing in the Mughal court and these artists were summarily dismissed. All types of art, paintings and sculpture were banned and existing damaged. The emperor invaded Bijapur State in South India ruled by Shiite Adilshai dynasty and conquered the kingdom. He got all the paintings in the palace white washed and has done greatest damage to the art that could have been world heritage today had they existed (3). Aurangzeb has gone down the pages of world history as the greatest religious bigot, recluse, cruel, cunning and despotic ruler to inhabit the earth. He destroyed many Hindu temples and caused untold damage in the Indian sub continent although some historians running after official favors, titles and coppers claim that he was religious and a living Fakir (Pious Muslim). There is no dearth for such acts in India and world wide too.
Mecca and Medina are the two most important and holiest sites for Muslims world wide and greatly revered. Muslims go to Mecca and Medina to perform Hajj, one of the pillars of Islam. Of late, the historical and religious centers of Islam in Mecca and Medina are undergoing radical changes. For centuries, these areas retained their original identity, landscape and ancient look and surroundings. However modern requirements have definitely influenced these areas too. Business and demands for generating revenue for the State no doubt has overtaken the religious sentiments. Result is that Mecca is loosing its look what it had for centuries and identity as a pure homeland of all Muslims in the world. Islam was identified with Mecca and Mecca was identified with Islam.

Every Muslim turns towards Mecca five times a day, the holiest place for Islam and bows to Kaaba where Abraham is believed to have built the temple to God. Mecca is the most revered and Holy site which is visited atlesat once in life time by the Muslims and it is termed Hajj, one of the pillars of Faith. In the quest for modern business and making fast money, the surrounding areas of Kaaba are being transformed into business Malls where fast track business houses such as Starbucks, Cartier and Tiffany and H & M Top shop encounter the visitors who once only stared at the black cube that was the highlight of Mecca. The great Abraj al Bait Mall with all modern American business facilities and entertainment facilities has been built behind the great religious place soaring into sky line. This is part of US $ 13 Billion construction programme in Mecca that has promised to change entire Mecca into a city like Las Vegas of America. Now the attention of the visitor to the holy place is first drawn to the multistory soaring business towers than to the holy place itself that is dwarfed in front of the soaring towers. What a change (4). Some of the areas around the holy place that were cleared for building the great market complex reportedly included the residence of Prophet Mohammed and this was cleared and reportedly the relics were moved to some museum. When this was being contemplated, there was no iota of protest in India where large number of Muslims stay. But the same people rush to the streets, shouting at full throat, demonstrating and beating chests and indulge in violence when roadside Muslim graves or a mosque that severely interferes with traffic flow is touched by the authorities. In India, there are very large number of Muslim graves and mosques that were built in the bye gone years on the center of the roads that have become great points of traffic congestion. These have become hot points of dispute and seeing the inability of the government, Hindu temples are also being constructed on the roadside or in the center of road to counter the problem created by Muslims. These disputes are seen as a matter of convenience for Muslims who most of the times react without any rational thought. Hindus are no less after seeing the Muslims on this aspect. In the past when Israel attacked Grand mosque in Mecca, Muslims attacked Hindu temples in old Hyderabad city in India. Same people do not raise a finger in protest when Saudi Government demolishes religious places in Mecca to build great Malls and Business Houses. Saudi Arabia is the bastion for Wahaabi sect of Muslims and enjoys government patronage and support. When Wahaabi gained control of Mecca and Medina, they destroyed many grave yards in which close relatives of Prophet Mohammed were put to rest. These were seen as the centers of worship amounting to idolatry. They were to be removed as real Islam denounces idol worship in any form. However they spared the grave of Prophet Mohammed with great difficulty (5). Therefore, removal of some of the religious places in Mecca by the government without any hesitation is considered to be in tune with Wahhabi philosophy of negating any identification to a symbol of worship.
Mecca is fast changing and losing its identity associated with founding Islam and its Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). Ali Al Ahmed, Director of Institute for Gulf affairs in Washington, It will have a disastrous effect on Muslims because going to Mecca will have no feeling of visiting the pious place. There is no charm any more. All you see is glass and cement.” On the otherhand, at Jabal Amar a near by place, a mountain is being completely demolished to make way for huge hotel and high-rise complex. Nearly 130 high-rise buildings are likely to come up here. Dr Irfan Ahmed of Islamic heritage foundation in UK formed to protect religious sites in Saudi Arabia including in Mecca and Medina. It was claimed that even during the rule of Ottomans, sanctity of Mecca and Medina was preserved. Infact, there was a strict code on construction in Mecca that banned construction of any building higher than the Grand Mosque. Thus there is no doubt that the sanctity of the city, the holiest place for Muslims in the world has been violated. Sadly, all this is being done under their own government sanctions and planning. Mecca was like fortress for others who were non Muslims. With modern hotels and business houses complexes coming up like in Las Vegas, it would become more an entertainment center than a religious center and this itself can be seen as a great compromise in Islam. It would soon become the happy hunting ground for pleasure seekers and sanctity would be lost. Sight seeing of the Malls and clubs and enjoyment apart from pleasure seeking would soon form the pat of the schedule for the visitors. Probably the much sanctified purpose of the pilgrimage would be defeated. But money plays great role in everything now a days and people of Saudi Arabia are no different. This transformation would be a great blow to Islam as a compromise and these would soon stir the emotions in the hardened Islamic terrorists such as Al Qaeda and Taliban (They are limited to Afghanistan). Al Qaeda has global net work and infact in the Fatwa issued by Osama Bin Laden before the attack on WTC center on 9/11, 2001; he has blamed the adverse influence of West on Islam. The transformation of Mecca into Las Vegas would be seen in very poor light by the AlQaeda and would generate bad blood against the Saudi rulers. Muslims will have no feeling of visiting the pure land of Prophet during Hajj that all most remained untouched for centuries. The sanctity of fifth Pillar of Islam could be adversely influenced and people may loose interest in visiting the place that is like any commercial town (6).
Can this transformation be seen as a compromise in the religion in modern times? Probably true. Hardliners have been shouting that West is adversely influencing Islam and its youth. What is acceptable and progressive to West can be adverse to Muslims. But fact is that the heart of Muslim holy land has fallen to the modern needs and progressive thought in a section of Muslims. This is not a small country that is insignificant. Saudi Arabia enjoys great clout in the world as the care taker of Mecca and Medina, the heartland of Islam. It is under protection of US forces and an ally of America in the region. Saudi Arabia can not be brow beaten by any one. In general, a change is taking place in Muslim masses. In countries like Iran, women are much progressive and pursue higher education till Mullahs emerged out in 1989. Iran was on the western influence. Even today many Iranians are longing for a change throwing out the Mullah rule. Emirates in Middle East are already much on progressive path. Turkey is the only Muslim nation that has kept religion from the government and the secular nation is run on western style. The restriction of veil imposed on women which is the hall mark of Islam as a religious practice is kept aside for work places and women feel highly liberated. In Turkey too, there are some sections demanding changeover to Islamic rule. But Turkey is stable and is being run on western style. Although in case of Pakistan President Musharraf is progressive and hoping to go down the history as another Ata Turk i.e. Mustafa Kamal, his ambitions will not be fulfilled. There is a strong fundamentalist military group influenced by Mullahs that is an hindrance to him. Important point to note is that there is a growing demand for change over to more modern Western style functioning devoid of clergy influenced rule. India although is a secular State, it’s Muslim masses are under iron grip of clergy and they exhibit Muslimness everywhere in face of majority Hindus to maintain their identity. They are much scared of loosing their identity as Muslims in India. They try to make sure that they are identified as Muslims by sporting beards, wearing Skull Caps, Fez caps, Turkey cap ( Rumy cap) apart from Donning Sherwani, Short Pyjama or Achkan, typical Muslim attire. Veil and Burqa (Complete gown head to toe) are rigidly followed in India. They try to speak Urdu as much as possible to make sure that they are identified as Muslims. They mostly stay at one place and in congested colonies and exhibit solidarity. It is unlikely to change in view of living with majority Hindus. One can expect major change in the outlook of Muslim masses atleast in educated class in near future. The tragedy is that fundamentalist Muslims are holding the educated and sane members to ransom in most of the countries blocking them from a change over to more liberal type of life and outlook. Changes in the heartland of Islam itself are indication of things to follow soon. The bastion of Islam has been destabilized in Mecca and its influence will be seen soon in the world at other places too. The most pious and safely protected by Arabs as the religious citadel of Islam has given way to the demand for conversion of the religious place to a commercial and entertainment capital as reportedly on par with Las Vegas in USA. Soon, the night club culture would dawn on the city accompanied by worldly sin too that is inevitable. Of course, the aspect of sin is one’s outlook at the whole thing in prevailing times. An act may be considered as a sin at one place and at other place and society it could be acceptable and considered as nothing wrong. The transformation of Mecca in to commercial and entertainment capital will be a great shock to the Muslim world and would have great impact on the outlook of Muslims and masses and slowly on the religion too. This could be seen as the loosening of the rigid hold of Islam on Muslims. Time only would tell this; probably in affirmation.

Bibliography

1. Prof Dr Colonel (Retired) K Prabhakar Rao, Religious tolerance and Islam, www.faithcommons.org, November. 01, 2006, 12:01

2. Prof Dr Colonel (retired) K Prabhakar Rao, Strategic studies into Muslim fundamentalism and it’s rise in India and its growing threat to India’s security across the borders. Ph D thesis, International University, Independence, USA, 2003, PP 221-228 .

3. Prof Dr Colonel (retired) K Prabhakar Rao, Pseudo Secularism and derailed India ( Kuhana Secularism. Gadi tappina Bharatadesam in Telugu), Saraswati Printers, Hyderabad, AP, India, 2005

4. Hassan M Fattah, (New York Times Service), Construction boom changes face of Mecca in Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad, AP, India, Date Sunday 11 March 2007, PP 11

5. Prof Dr Colonel (Retired) K Prabhakar Rao, Middle East the ever boiling cauldron with hared towards the west, www.faithcommons.org, October 16, 2006, 07:18

6. Hassan M Fattah, (New York Times Service), Construction boom changes face of Mecca in Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad, AP, India, Date Sunday 11 March 2007, PP 11

RELATED LINKS
www.faithcommons.org
By
Prof Dr Colonel (Retired)K Prabhakar Rao

1. Islam and women, October 7, 2006 21:09

2. Religion and world peace, October 10, 2006, 0200

3. Why Islam lags behind West? October 11, 2006, 08:40

4. It is time for USA to battle its enemies more within main land, October 13, 2006, 07:49

5. Islam at cross roads, October 27, 2006, 10:29

6. Al Qaeda is still strong and active. It is time to go full steam against them, November 30, 2006, 11:51