Kuwait Times

Published Date: February 19, 2009
By Meshary Alruwaih, Staff columnist

Pakistani government officials announced Monday an agreement with the Taleban to allow Islamic law, or Sharia, to be implemented in parts of North West Frontier Province. The deal is aimed at decreasing the level of violence by the Taleban militants in the region and the spill over to other areas in Pakistan. The first reaction of many observers have been negative, for two reasons.

First, because it seems like the Pakistani state has further conceded another bunch of its sovereignty to the Taleban. Second, the implementation of Sharia law is often associated with cruelty and barbarism, and this deal is no more than a legitimization of whatever this 'primitive' law brings including degradation of women and disrespect of human rights.

It's this second concern that I want to talk about today. There are two sides to these, almost, automatic feelings of disgust with Sharia law. First, we are the children of the secular world, both in the West and the Muslim world, with varying degrees, have always looked at the codification of...with great suspicion. The story of our history has been told in a secular tone and so any 'intervention' from heaven in the writing of our social and political history is not welcomed.

Second, It's not just Sharia, but those who in charge of its interpretation and implementation that is scaring the heck out of the world; the men of Taleban are the ones who are in charge, so let's expect a lot of intolerance, rigidity, and cruelty in the name of Islam. Taleban are not newcomers to the political and cultural global stage, we have seen them in action, these men are talented at turning a classy religion into an invisible guard where the inspirations of a whole society are imprisoned.

These two ideas are enough to demonize any Islamization attempt in any spot in the world, a dilemma for Muslims who carry on their shoulders, and in their hearts, a religion that has obvious political, economic, and social dimensions. Aside from submission to Allah, Islam is all about taking other people into account, from initiating a short chat to building multilateral institutions Islam seems to have something to offer.

As I mentioned, the problem is not just the inhospitable global political and cultural structures, but also the 'agents' who have been undertaking these Islamization efforts, whether it's Taleban , Al-Qaeda or others, they all lack the intellectual foundations and the moral authority to construct a coherent multi-leveled, and multi-dimensional image of the role of Islam in society and its affairs.

The construction of this image requires individuals who are skilled in creating and manipulating theoretical and conceptual tools, the aim is to connect the spiritual, moral, political, and economic structures in one coherent yet flexible social system.

Modern social sciences have been subject to fierce challenge from interpretive schools of thought like critical theory, post-modernism, and social constructivism. The latter specifically opens the door wide for the integration of an Islamization layer or structure in theory and reality of society, whether it's women's rights or foreign policymaking. Thanks to social constructivism, now we can elegantly insert Islam in the picture, not only as a causal force but as a constitutive structure of shared meaning
s. In this light, I believe Islamization should first take place in colleges of Islamic social sciences by a new generation of Muslim constructivists not in caves by militants.

Email: meshary@kuwaittimes.net