“Pluralism is a fact and now we have to deal with it and try to
find solution. It starts with our mind, our intellect, and our way of
understanding and putting things and its quiet challenging. When we
speak about pluralism, we should be at the same time rooted in our
tradition and open to the other traditions.” Philosopher Tariq
Ramadan (Plus*), at 18th annual commemorative lecture of the late Speaker of the
Parliament of Sri Lanka M.A Bakeer Markar, 21st September 2015.
Sri Lankan Muslim community of 21st century is in desperate crisis to
understand and reconcile between the scriptural text and the exemplary
traditions of prophets in line with the higher values and objectives of
Islam such as justice, dignity and respect to humanity in a rational
form.
The
Oxford Professor Tariq Ramadan’s philosophical thoughts explicitly
interconnect the scriptural values (that are Sri Lankan values as well)
with prophet Mohamed’s tradition and illustrate the consistence between
specific individual texts with the overall objectives of scriptural text
(Quran) and demand Sri Lankan Muslims to be consistent with the values
and objectives and become as an asset by their contribution witnessing
and struggling for social justice toward all Sri Lankan communities.
Tariq Ramadan’s thoughts are healing to Sri Lankan Muslim community
who is in desperate need to understand and reconcile within, as to how
to be fully aligned with faith of god and at the same time fully engaged
with local development in every social spectrum to enrich the humanity
at large and witness them as a mercy to humanity.
During the colonial era, Sri Lankan Muslim community intellectuals
were preaching to isolate their community form colonizers to protect
their culture from that of the colonizers due to fear of conversion or
losing faith by the attraction of wealth and mew language. However
subsequent to the freedom from colonizers, the transition from fear,
lack of confidence and self-isolation to mutual understanding, respect
and collective and active contribution within Sri Lankan communities yet
to take place in Sri Lanka, though this post-colonial crisis is common
to all Sri Lankan communities including Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims of
this country. The transformation need to take place within each
communities form colonized victim mentality and ethnic oriented
isolation led by fear and increasing unfamiliarity with historically
rooted values of our own references, stereotyped cultural possessive
mentality etc… Professor Tariq’s thought are timely food to make this
transition which was overdue for decades within all Sri Lankan
communities in common as well as Muslim community in particular.
During September 2015 tour to Sri Lanka Philosopher Tariq was
speaking louder toward the hearts and minds of all Sri Lankan citizens
stressing to get back to their centuries old historical values and come
with value addition in every socio-political domains and be mercy to all
Sri Lankans and beyond. More than that, his talks were heavily targeted
to Sri Lankan Muslims in particular touching their scriptural text
(Quran) and the traditions of prophets.
Citing the scriptural texts professor stated that their faith of
Muslims should motivate them to be active in social contribution in
every social domain until ensure justice and freedom to all Sri Lankans,
alleviating poor from the whole country while respecting the diversity
of culture and identities of people around them. In this respect
professor stated that Islamic philosophy or teachings does not promote
or export any unique system in terms of economy, education, politics
etc.… but it demand to ensure the values of justice and dignity is being
embodied within every systems in a given context. According to the
professor speech, the notion of Islamic Banking, Islamic Economy,
Islamic School are not rooted with the spirit of the values of Islam and
in fact Muslims should be adding value to each and every systems in
this country and ensure those systems uphold social justice, common
good, dignity and prosperity of all citizens and the environment. These
thought are extremely challenging the prevailing conception of
understanding of Islam and Islamic system and demand to re-think of the
conception of Muslim Schools, Islamic banking and other institutions.
Though Professor Ramadan was addressing precisely toward Sri Lankan
Muslims based on the Islamic reference and stressed that the Sri Lankan
Muslims to witness their faith by being an assets to the context and add
value to each and every people and systems and these values such as
justice, dignity and respect derived from the teaching of Islam, those
values are values taught within Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism,
Christianity as well as aesthetics. Further those are collective values
embodied in the constitution of Sri Lankan as well as universal values.
Therefore the issues Philosopher Tariq demands to address are relevant
to whole Sri Lankan communities and that can address collectively as
common issues in Sri Lanka with a common narrative and at the same time
with diverse perspectives.
When it comes to education system as the Oxford professor says that
‘there are no separate system calls Islamic education system’ instead we
need the education system that serves people with wisdom, rationality,
dignity and respect and ultimately enable to bring healthy value based
human being and societies. As we know the prevailing Sri Lankan
education system from kinder garden to higher education system is highly
ethnically and racially profiled and common narratives are yet to
address. Accordingly Tariq’s speech let us as Sri Lankans to think
collectively toward a radical shift in our education system that ensure
that our students are having decent education that enable them to live
as one human society with understanding and respect of diverse cultures
and identities.
In the same manner when it comes to economic and banking system we
need a value based take and continued reform to ensure that the system
leads to social justice. These value additions can come from the
learning rooted from diverse religious and cultural background and that
will be looked at complementing and competing toward making good for all
communities. In the same manner we need value adding contributions from
every social, cultural and faith based groups in every domain that
world bring mercy in terms of justice, affect the Sri Lankans.
This is a challenge but unavoidable and need of the time. On this
respect the arrival of world renounced intellectual and one of the top
hundred influential thinkers’ of world is a milestone value addition
toward the academic and intellectual base in Sri Lanka and can be seen
as an eye opener toward rebuilding our country collectively and ensure
every citizen of this country breath justice, freedom and dignity in all
the way. (Umma Hana)
Plus* ; The Holy Quran says;......man was created weak...(TMQ: 04:28)
More readings of Umma Hana, Could be reached from here>>>
*Ummu Hana contributes on various domains including Pluralism,
Reform, Policy review & development and cultural studies. You can
reach UmmuHana at ummuhana0@gmail.com
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