Saudi Arabia's Blind Following of the Western Ways Is Courting Trouble for Its Tradition and Religion
By
Rashid Samnakay, New Age Islam
29 August
2022
There
Are Many Things That The Muslims Should Adopt For Themselves From The West But
To Say That The West Is Squeaky Clean Is Being Blind To It Many Faults
Main
Points:
1. Societal
universal moral code for life does not necessarily need the props of Religions.
2. Balance has
to be struck with educating its society and enlightenment and striking the mean
path.
3. Aping the
West in every which way is not necessarily the right path.
4. Religious
tourism to Vatican Makkah is assured for many generations of princes of Saudi
Arabia.
-----
Recently a
clip was making its way round the cyber world in which the Priest (Imam) of the
Haram's sermon (Khutba) was recorded.
For what he
said and for his troubles the Imam was apparently sentenced to ten years in
prison!
The clip
starts:" Saudi Arabia rejects the acquittal of the Imam of the Haram and
sentences him to ten years in prison".
The Sermon
says “Be aware of these cinematic comedy concerts. If they claim that it is
entertainment, then they are nothing but Western Projects..."
It goes on
to criticise the Government, in effect, of blindly following Western ways and
its moral degradation; spending money on it and abandoning Arabian moral
values, mixing of Male Females freely and thus heading for disaster. This wrong
direction of the Authorities (read Kingdom) will be resisted and eventually the
"project" will fail, with the guidance of Quran.
The above
as implied, when taken on its face values contains nothing earth shattering on
the part of the authority's direction and thus the Imam would seem to many as
'out of step' of the general progressive society.
But those
aware of the Kingdom's recent past know very well that pre Muhammad bin
Salman-MBS's reform era, that society under the regime was grossly violating
Human Rights Values and cultivating gender differentiation at an unacceptable
level when compared to international norms and even Quranic code- ad-Deen!
The Imam
therefore cannot be taken at face value.
Therefore,
now to turn to the Regime's following an open ended or blind following of the
Western ways, and that too for people and their
tradition and Religion of centuries is no doubt courting trouble for the
future.
There are
many things that the Muslims should adopt for themselves from the West but to
say that the West is squeaky clean is being blind to it many faults.
As it is to
say that everything of the Muslims practicing in the name of the so called
various Islam, from their Churches various adaptation is Holy and pristine!
The
societal universal moral code for life does not necessarily need the props of
Religions; as is shown by often being poles apart.
The Saudi
Kingdom taking the reins of societal reforms in its hands must learn to
differentiate between Religion, which it is in a hurry to discard, but getting
its society out of the pan into the fire.
A balance
has to be struck with educating its society and enlightenment and striking the
mean path.
Aping the
West in every which way is not necessarily the right path, even if it is driven
by economics and tourist influx from the West.
The
Religious tourism to Vatican Makkah is assured for many generations of princes
of the kingdom yet to come.
At this juncture
one cannot go past poet Iqbal's advice:
Jalaale
Paadshahi Ho Yaa Jamhuri Tamaasha Ho.
Judaa Ho
*Deen* Siyaasat Say Toe Rehjaati Hai Changezi.
----
A regular contributor to New Age Islam, Rashid
Samnakay is an Indian-origin Engineer (Retd.) based in Australia for over forty
years.
URL: https://newageislam.com/the-war-within-islam/saudi-arabia-western-tradition-religion/d/127828
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