I think you're viewing this far too myopically.
And besides Pan-Arabism and Pan-Islamism are too different ideologies which often conflict with each other simply because one is based on Arab Nationalism whilst the other on what its proponents call the Islamic concept of Nationalism. You have to understand that Gamal Abdel Nasser's Pan-Arabism got suckered punched by Egyption Nationalism and Pan-Islamism - so its more or less a thing of the past.
Of course I understand the difference between pan-Arabism & pan-Islamism, which is why I used the term pan-Arab Islamism (in light of the events of the "Arab Spring"). But I would argue, that in light of the current "Arab Spring", that pan-Arab nationalism is having a huge overlap with pan-Islamism, uniting all the Arab nations under "the caliphate". I talked to a "religious Muslim cleric" from Egypt, & another one from Tunisia living in the US, & both of them were pleased by the "Arab Spring", as they thought this was an Islamic revival, which would eventually result in the "puppet regimes" being overthrown for an Islamic caliphate. The results of Libya post Gaddafi are for everyone to see, which I had predicted for a long time.
And I get your point about the rise of a certain brand of Islam; however labeling it anything but Extremism would be highly irresponsible of us because I've personally known a lot of liberal and progressive Salafis out there.
I have not talked about militancy on this thread, because I believe there are certain reasons as to why anyone belonging to any religion or creed can become militant. But my concern is that whatever societies pan-Islamists govern are backward, intolerant, chauvinistic, uneducated, impoverished. It shows me that the Muslim world needs a revival inside before coming out to the world. The fundamental problem with pan-Islamism/Salafism is that it is reformist. It believes the world has deviated so much from the true meaning of Islam, that they need to reform everything. They believe women should have a limited role in society, they believe education that goes against their
understanding of Islam is haram. They think Shias & Sunni Barelvis, & Muslims around the world do biddat & shirk. They have a general belief that everything that did not happen in the Prophet(S)'s life is impermissible.
We have to understand that places like Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan - all those war ravaged lands - are hot beds for any kind of extremist indoctrination - the Ultraconservative Communist or the Ultra-right Christian fundamentalist regimes were created in very similar circumstances. Additionally there are many religious extremists (forget the liberals ones) who are already present in our societies and we, the Muslims, are to blame for that. In Pakistan for example, we've got bearded baboons trying to espouse the greatness of an interpretation of Islam which, at least to me, seems perverse and severely lacking academically. In Iran they've got the same guys following a different denomination. And these people seem to command popular support which is terribly worrying.
Btw, I do not support Iran either, the way they have influenced Iraq, Syria, Lebanon & even Pakistan in terms of extremism is there to see. The concept of Taqleed is means for them to politically control the Shia Muslim population under one banner, a similar concept to "the caliphate" in Arab countries/pan-Islamist countries. But the effect of pan-Islamism is much more profound and greater to see, I have been to Iran, Syria; & these societies are not as suppressed as pan-Islamist societies.
However, the other side of the coin depicts a more promising picture : Many Pakistanis and other citizens of the Islamic States out there are being increasingly exposed to Western ideas and in some case - Western indoctrination.
I do not think a Western style democracy (as much as I would like that) is necessarily the best way for Pakistan. I am perfectly fine with Pakistan being the Islamic republic of Pakistan, as long as the Islam, unless the "Islam" we are talking about is the Sufi-flavored Sunni Barelvi Islam, alongside which Shias, non-Muslims, other groups etc have co-existed peacefully for centuries. The rise of the Deobandis (who are ideologically close to the Salafis) & the Salafis is threatening that co-existence, & is threatening to radicalize the followers of the ideology alongside which people have co-existed peacefully for for centuries.
Thankfully as our levels of education are steadily increasing so are the last two groups. Moreover, most of us who've had the exposure of the outside world are realizing the differences between what these self-styled religious scholars are saying, what really propelled the West to the forefront and what do the facts and truly scholarly work about religion say. All in all a long way to go before we can produce scholars who would rival people like Ghazali, Avicenna, Averroes, Rumi etc. and a well versed populace like that of some of the best times from our past, but I'm still glad that we're inching forward.
I agree with you, some of the names of scholars you have taken here are truly what the Muslim world is missing today. Although I would think there are many good thinkers like Tariq Ramadan, Tahir Qadri etc present in the Muslim world as well. Although we are getting more educated by the day, & are confronting more problems openly, the problems are also increasing at a faster rate, which is why things are becoming more challenging. But I am glad we are debating these things here, in Zia's time, we would not have been able to hold this debate freely on an open forum.
Forgive me,
Mr.Bilal, If I'm being far too presumptuous but I understand that you're a Secularist and a Shite. Well I'm an Islamist and someone who loosely follows the Sunni side of things but because we both can agree to disagree with respect is encouraging and by virtue of our respective ages we represent the future - so the World in general and the Muslim world in particular should be alright. People like us weren't in a multitude 20 odd years back and if this forum and my city is anything to go by, because of the increasing levels of education and some public ownership for governance (long marches and the sort) things are getting better, even if we're just inching forward. Coupled with this is the immense amout of genuine scholarly work, amongst Islamophobia and Revisionism written by Muslims, coming out of some of the truly liberal and pluralistic societies out there. So bhai a change in the status quo is inevitable and Inshallah by the time you and I are fertilizing some plot of land somewhere, the bigots would have numerically regressed even further.
I am a proud Pakistani citizen, first and foremost. My passport says I am a Pakistani citizen, & that is what I am to the world. A Pakistani citizen regardless of religion is more important to me than other Muslims around the world. It is important for a brother to behave like a brother, regardless of religion.
I am a Muslim for myself. I have great affinity to Sunni Barelvism & Sufism as well, although I am from the Shia sect of Islam. I am also a fully practicing Muslim, I have read the Quran a few times with tafseer; & have read Sahih Bokhari, Muslim & al-Tirmidhi as well. I have also read other religious books from other religions, & non-religious books as well.
