1. Why should Muslim countries not admire or emulate Western society?
Western capitalist, secular, liberal societies are drowning under a sea of social and moral problems - all caused by the values and laws of their system. Within Western capitalist states, crime is at epidemic proportions. In the US, one third of Americans have been arrested by the age of 23. In the UK, the government is grappling with huge levels of gun and knife-crime. Last year, hundreds of youth engaged in a rampage of mindless violence across various cities of England - looting, destroying property, and setting fire to homes and businesses. Western states are also suffering with unacceptable levels of alcoholism and drug abuse. In the UK, 1 adult in every 13 is dependent on alcohol. In the US according to data from the National Institute of Health, 1 in 7 of the population are considered "problem drinkers". In addition to this, Western nations are afflicted with a widespread culture of disrespect, anti-social behaviour, and lack of responsibility towards others, especially affecting the youth who display a behaviour of rudeness to parents, teachers, and society in general. Neglect and abuse of the elderly and children has become commonplace. One in four young adults in the population were severely maltreated in childhood. A third of the UK's elderly population live alone, including half of all women over 65. Of the million elderly men who live alone, half have no contact with friends or family.
These are also states where the abuse and sexual exploitation of women is rampant. In the US, a woman is raped every 2 minutes, beaten every 15 seconds, and 3 women are murdered by their partners every day. In the UK a woman is subjected to rape or attempted rape every 10 minutes, while across Europe 1 in 4 women are victims of domestic violence. Alongside all this is the meltdown of the family unit within Western secular societies due to a culture where promiscuity is celebrated resulting in millions of single-mothers, many bearing children from different fathers. In the UK 40% of children are born out of wedlock, nearly 1 in 2 marriages end in divorce, and 9 out of 10 children between the ages of 13 and 17 have been in a sexual relationship. It is clear that the capitalist, secular, liberal system and its values have sown social and moral devastation within their societies and is no model for the Muslim world to emulate.
2. Do Western countries have a healthy society? If they do not then what are the causes for their social problems?
It is clear that the Western nations do not have a healthy society - socially or morally - and this can be directly attributed to the capitalist liberal system that it implements. Capitalism, that sets securing maximum pleasure as the goal of life, individual desires the measure of right and wrong, and the pursuit of personal benefit and economic interests as the criterion for actions has nurtured a dangerous mindset of "do whatever, to whoever, for whatever." It has created a materialistic, consumerism-dominated environment where value and worth is given to wealth and possessions over all else. All this has fuelled crime to unacceptable levels within society. It has generated rampant individualism where the primary concern of individuals is securing self-interest at any cost, rather than nurturing a mentality of responsibility towards others. The consequence has been the neglect of children, the elderly, the rights of neighbours, and those most vulnerable within society. Capitalism, that values securing the dollar over the dignity of women, has also given permit to the exploitation of the bodies of women in advertising, entertainment and the beauty and sex industries, devaluing and cheapening the status of women within society. This has contributed to the high level of abuse against women.
Liberal values that promote and sanctify the pursuit of ones whims and desires are also to blame for the social and moral chaos afflicting Western societies. Personal freedom has generated a self-gratifying culture resulting in the epidemic of alcohol and drug abuse. Sexual freedom that celebrates the right of individuals to have an intimate relationship with whoever they like has caused the spiralling rates of extramarital relationships, the breakdown of family life, and the discarding of the rights of the child to be brought up in a loving environment with a mother and father. Freedom of expression has given license for individuals to insult, defame, and mock the religious beliefs of Muslims and others as we saw with the disgusting Danish cartoons of the Messenger(saw), and the recent repulsive US film, "Innocence of Muslims" that slandered our beloved Prophet(saw). Under freedom of expression, racist right-wing groups are permitted to exist and even enter government. All this has not only created a culture of disrespect towards others but also tension and violence between communities, rising levels of racism and increasing Islamophobia. The consequence has been countless verbal and physical attacks on Muslims in the West.
It is clear that the capitalist, liberal system has failed to create societies that are safe, harmonious, respectful and morally elevated.
3. Are the problems that Western society suffers from just an aberration from the norm or a psychological anomaly?
Some have attributed psychological illness as the causal factors behind particular problems afflicting Western societies such as child sex abuse, or mass murders such as the recent shootings at the Sikh temple in the US state of Wisconsin. Although it cannot be denied that some perpetrators of these heinous crimes were mentally ill, the scale of such problems within these societies points to the fact that they are not caused solely by psychological factors but rather fuelled by the values of these states. The gun rampage at the Sikh temple was executed by a man who was reported to have had white supremacist links and beliefs. Anders Breivik, the man who murdered 77 people in Norway in 2011 was motivated by anti-Islamic sentiments. Such beliefs and sentiments are permitted to be entertained and promoted within Western liberal states under the premise of freedom of expression.
Even with regards to depression and suicide, the level of these problems within secular states points to the fact that they are not simply the result of psychological illness but rather exacerbated by the values of the society. A 2011 survey by the UK women's charity Platform 51 found that almost 1/3 of women aged over 18 have taken anti-depressants. There are over a million reported attempted suicides every year in the US, while in England someone takes their life every 2 hours. The crippling nature of the problems caused by capitalism and the meaningless materialistic-dominated lifestyle has led to such shocking statistics. In addition, the spiritual emptiness resulting from the secular creed that fails to give clear answers to the purpose of life or clear direction in how to live ones life or solve ones problems results in a life that is devoid of tranquillity, laying the path to anxiety, depression or even suicide. Therefore, a significant proportion of the blame for the problems of Western society needs to be placed at the door of its beliefs, values and system.
4. Can the West Solve these Social Problems?
Western states that continue to implement the capitalist liberal system will never be able to solve these issues for they fail to recognise or acknowledge that this social and moral quagmire is the direct fall-out of their ideology. The consequence is they introduce various laws or policies in an attempt to curb various crimes or social problems such as increasing prison sentences, having more CCTV on streets to catch criminals, or even teaching sex education to 5 year olds in a desperate attempt to reduce pregnancies amongst young girls that has resulted from the promiscuous liberal lifestyle. However, these are nothing but patchwork solutions that have failed to address the route causes of these problems - which is the capitalist, liberal values. Consequently, such governmental actions have failed to even cause a dent in the level of the social crises afflicting their societies.
5. What is the contribution of the Muslim community in the West to address these problems?
Many Muslims in the West are engaging in discussions with the wider society at grass-route, in universities, institutions, and on the media to try and raise awareness of the failings of the capitalist secular way of life as well as present the Islamic ideology as an alternative model by which to successfully solve the political, economic, legal, social, and moral problems of mankind. In addition, Muslims are also striving to remove non-Islamic secular ideas and behaviour from their own Muslim community and instill the Islamic values inorder to treat these problems that unfortunately also exist amongst Muslims in the West. There are also Muslims who work as youth workers, social counsellors, or doctors in projects and initiatives that seek to reform individuals engaged in crime or who are affected by alcohol or drug abuse. However, although such initiatives may help some to overcome their problems, they are working against the tide of the social-fallout of the system and therefore clearly do not provide a real solution to this social meltdown.
6. How does Islam prevent and resolve these issues?
Islam defines the purpose of life, not as securing maximum pleasure but to worship Allah(swt) and to secure His(swt)'s Pleasure. Allah(swt) says, "I have not created man and jinn except as a worship unto me" [TMQ 51:56]. Actions are not decided based upon attaining individual benefit or economic profit but upon the Command of Allah(swt). All this destroys the materialistic-led mentality and nurtures a mindset of accountability in every deed to a higher authority. The result is a personality that shuns individualism; abhors racism and nationalism; takes care of the needs of their family, elders and neighbours; aids and protects the vulnerable; is respectful towards others; avoids criminal or immoral activity; and lives life with a sense of responsibility towards the rights of others and the society in which they live - all commanded by Islam.
Islam rejects liberal freedoms, recognizing the social chaos that results from people living life according to their desires, as Allah(swt) describes in Surah Al-Mu'minun,"If the truth had been in accord with their desires, truly the heavens and the earth and all beings therein would have been in confusion and corruption! Nay we have sent them their admonition but they turn away from their admonition." [TMQ Al-Mu'minun: 71]. It rather promotes obedience to the Creator and his laws that includes rejection of the self-gratifying lifestyle of drugs, alcohol, and extra-marital relationships. It praises modesty and chastity, and contains a whole social system that regulates the relationship between men and women to secure these values within society, leading to the protection of marriage, the family unit, and the rights of children. It also rejects the corrosive capitalist principle of placing money over morals, and hence prohibits the exploitation and devaluing of women, defining their honour as sacred and its protection an obligation, with severe punishments for those who harm them or violate their dignity.
And finally, in contrast to the flawed secular belief, Islam provides clear answers to the purpose of life and rejects the irrational secular philosophy that the human being (who is weak and limited in knowledge) rather than the Creator (the One who has all knowledge of all things) should decide how to live his or her life or solve their problems. Allah(swt) says, "We made for you a law, so follow it, and follow not the fancies of those who have no knowledge." [TMQ 45:18]. Consequently, the believer lives life with tranquility in their heart in the knowledge that they are performing the correct actions in life and solving their problems in a sound manner.
When these beliefs, values and laws are implemented on a societal level as is the case within the Khilafah "Caliphate" state, the citizens enjoy the true benefits of living under a system where crime, immorality, injustice, poverty, family breakdown, abuse, and tension between those of different beliefs is minimized, preventing the widespread depression, anxiety and misery that affects capitalist societies due to flawed man-made values and laws. It is therefore Islam which is the true cure to the ills and bad social health of Western states; and the Khilafah "Caliphate" the true model that the Muslim world should embrace to create a progressive, harmonious, safe, and civilized society.
Dr. Nazreen Nawaz
Central Media Representative, Hizb ut-Tahrir
