Imperialism And Resistance

La guerra suave
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Durante la lucha del pueblo marroquí contra los colonialistas españoles y franceses y, principalmente, en las ciudades, el velo negro se impuso sobre el blanco. Al nivel de los sistemas de significación, es importante subrayar que el negro nunca ha expresado duelo o aflicción entre la sociedad musulmana marroquí. Significo una aptitud de lucha: la adopción del negro respondía al deseo de presionar simbólicamente al ocupante, por lo tanto de escoger sus propios símbolos. haz click aqui para leer mas

Click here to read the English version of this classic article ..

The Uncultured Wars is a searing intervention by a political thinker who incisively critiques US liberalism, anti-Arab racism, Islamophobia, and the brutal excesses of empire. Salaita’s eloquent, honest and witty analysis challenges contemporary thinking about race, religion, feminism, indigeneity, the ‘war on terror’ and the Middle East. This is a book that anyone interested in cultural politics must read.’ – Sunaina Maira, University of California: Davis

The Uncultured Wars is a powerful indictment of dominant American liberal-left discourse. Through twelve stylish essays Steven Salaita returns again and again to his core themes of anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia and the inadequacy of critical thought amongst the ‘chattering classes’, showing how racism continues to exist in the places where we would least expect it.

Continuing on the theme of Islam-e-Muhammadi, here are some more verses by Allama Iqbal. This is taken from his poem – Bandagi Namah, translated as “The Book Of Slaves.”

The “slave” that Iqbal is referring to is not Abdullah (the slave of Allah) – this is about those who make themselves slaves to the world, and to its oppressive rulers. Iqbal suggests, in the verses below, that this kind of a slave gives away his soul -in exchange for the preservation of his material self. And by doing so, he becomes a worshipper of a fake god – fearing the might of the ruler, and forgetting Allah.

When we separate, and compartmentalize ourselves, it is easy to fall prey to fake authority – we forget that our ultimate security is with Allah, not with those who may offer the world – but only in exchange for the hereafter.

Imam Khomeini in his book Forty Hadith says:

“Tawakkul means entrusting all the maters to their Master and relying on His trusteeship. Some urafa have said: Tawakkul means throwing the body down (as in prostration) in servitude to Allah, and attaching the heart to Lordship… Tawakkul on Allah means the severance by the servant of all hopes and expectations from the creatures (and, instead, attaching them to Allah). ”

Allama Iqbal’s verses:

“…he gives away his soul
To save his body, and although the name
of God is on his lips, the object of
His worship is the ruler’s might-a might
Which is a living, growing lie and which
Gives birth to nothing but more lies. It is
An idol which is God to you so long
As you kneel down and worship it, but which
Falls to the ground if you stand up to it.
The real God provides both life and bread,
While the false god provides bread but takes life.
The real God is One; this god is in
A hundred bits. The One is Providence;
The other is a helpless thing. The One
Heals gaps; the other breeds disunity.
The false god teaches men to be his slaves,
Divesting their eyes, ears and minds of faith.”

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Excellencies

We, the undersigned, – scientific, cultural, artistic and non-governmental personalities who look at the global culture from a logical and legal perspective – and are deeply concerned and astonished about the uncivilized behavior on the part of some of the European governments, media and pressure groups and through this culturally and ethically motivated statement, protest against such defiling, slandering and Fascistic anti-Islam and anti-Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) propaganda and call on you to exercise logic, ethics, freedom and negate all sorts of censorship and offence towards Islam. We also invite you to a transparent and open dialogue in the presence of world conscience.

We are deeply concerned that the unfair and violent project that is currently underway against Islam and the Muslims in Europe, producing hatred and fear against this Divine religion and waging a savage psychological war – which is a clear example of propaganda terrorism, cultural violence and breach of human rights of 1.5 billion Muslims across the world – against the radiant personality of the great Messenger of God, Muhammad (PBUH), who was a great teacher of ethics and spirituality, an apostle of mercy, rationality and justice for all mankind, would lead to unpredictable and unpreventable consequences of international dimensions.

… the multitudes of Guantanamo-like prisons will not be the solution to the crisis faced by the liberalistic capitalist system, which is the last of the materialist ideologies of the Western modernism. If Europe is suffering from the past history of its religion and religiosity, and if the past memories of the medieval ages and the domination of popes, the inquisition courts, crusade wars, Christian torture houses, animosity against science, or the burning of scientists agonizes the collective conscience of Europe, it should be kept in mind that the solution to such problems does not lie in campaigning against any kind of religion and spirituality. Europe should not take the revenge of its medieval age from Islam, which is the religion of knowledge, rationality, human rights and justice. Isn’t it true that the history of modern civilization of Europe bears eloquent testimony to the fact that the transition of Europe from the Medieval Age and its acquaintance with the modem sciences and its scientific and religious renaissance for the first time took place through its contacts with the Islamic civilization, translation of modern sciences of the Islamic world and the acquaintance of the West with the Islamic laboratories, universities, libraries and hospitals?

What the Muslims expect from you is not tolerance or even pluralism, any more. Rather what they expect is some degree of politeness and fairness. Unfortunately, the people of the world have lost faith in international organizations. However, resorting to the existing secular, oligarchic, dogmatic approaches, excessively suppressive methods, using the language of “humiliation and accusation” and the dictatorial, belligerent disciplines that have been adopted by the Western capitalist system would only fan the flames of extremism.

Slandering the illuminating personality of the Noble Prophet of Islam (PBUH), who is a divine mercy for the entire mankind, is a proof of secular fundamentalism to the exclusion of rationality, love and ethics from the world of media and international politics.

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