Islamic cognitive unconscious and the other …...Malaysian model
... E.Herriot, French philosopher, defines the culture to be what remains after forgetting everything, while the “tools” for knowledge are more deeper described by Jean Piaget referring the definition of ” cognitive unconscious”, it forms our actions, and the extent we understand events, as well as the mechanisms for dealing with the universe, and the use of knowledge, it is merely affected by the surrounding environment, and social heritage,it can be customized in the minds of the audience when being children, and stay with them unless unwavering configured psychologically and epistemologically by the mobility of an ongoing reformation and heading towards a theory of knowledge that puts things as real as they are …..... while looking at the studies dealt with the construction of Arab mind, it can be concluded that the Arab mind is characterized by by several features - or to say Arabcognitive unconscious - including: -
1 – It considers “Past” as its original stuff, and without it,”New” concepts loose their authenticity / validity, and yielding authority in the end to reach the desert Bedouin ... backward!
2 – It does not produce a record of knowledge but always need the “former example” of to imitate it!
3 – Entirely,it does not accept the conflict of “multiple” ideas, it ,somehow, does not accept the other ... and this is the extract from the situation where a tribal chieftain,and only he, is the dominant!
Whether we agree or disagree about these features and eligible for the critique and critque of criticism, but with a simple look to the Arab current situation, one can confirm validity of these points, with relative differences from one place to another, however, new players have emerged in this game, barely religion, and in this case, Islam, since most majority of Arabs are practicing Islam.
Although text “Quran” - a sacred text first among Muslims - has no such features of the Arab mind, proofing a way that its source isn't based on themselves, meant to be away from falling in the standard as an Arab(ic) text in the form and substance , or to be captive in the past, but rather, it called on the analysis and criticism of the past, and learning lessons from them, leaving referring to the past and encouraging the trend towards the theory of new knowledge based on the human mind of the beholder, not on imitating “cultural/theological heritage”, or the major powers of that time, but referring to the 'wise of man' himself , and most important Quranic point comes in the task that demands respect for the non-combatant “other”.
Although this all, the renaissance of many heritages that have accumulated over a period of time estimated at 14 centuries, was enough to invade the Arab cognitive unconscious - and wholly of time - the three inherent characteristics, to enter the practice of Islam specifically, but not in the text, "Qur'an" as it was impossible to change with the presence of hundreds of thousands of copies in different regions, these practices, human in nature,were playing well in the scope of jurisprudence, and padding explanations, theorizing for “loose” theories introduced by expansionist policy and against the “occupied” people that were dominated by the expansion conquests - Persians and the Romans mostly - .Such situation led to the rising of a form of “right-wing” ,radical, and soaked in traditional “heritage” as well, This was the product of these three overlapping: 'deformed' cognitive unconscious, religion & politics.
Recently, the writings of the so-called "Sahwa Islamiyya = Islamic awakening" - a political expression means the trend toward Islam as a political system, - shows vast amount of ethnic and religious based ethnocentrism, owned in its entirety to the writings of Ibn Taymiyyah Al-Harrany deceased in the beginnings of eighth AH century,who is considered-by the awakening mentors- as the spiritual father of this wake up!!, which no body does know the “cause” behind such awake and such selection in this current !! , This trend, described by the non-Muslim researchers as a completely different direction on the characteristics of "Muslim" thought, these writings legitimize for the sectarian killings, terrorism in the name of religion, not only religion, but also the doctrine, and even murder to disagree on purely secondary issues...Such ideas evolved,naturally, to produce for us the "Islamist" who blows himself up and draw closer to God by killing Shi'ites!! , Or killing innocent people in the streets of Madrid! ... These writings are born in a period of intellectual, cultural and scientific decay, by which the “high scholar spiritual father” considered working with chemistry and math as a kind of illegal magic!!.
Yes, There were along all this history lots and lots of heritage values, which fill the readers minds with progressive thoughts, and hearts are convinced with very dynamic issues, but as a result of certain actor, purely political, we can't see this picture in our streets, mosques, and even universities!.
Historically, less severe infiltration of ethnocentric ideas occurred for other "religious" movements, even shaken the practices, towards the concept of dealing with the “other”, where every different idea is dealt as “the other”, whether difference in religion, doctrine or even a tradition, these ideas to perpetuate the 'isolated' views within the Muslims themselves - and undoubtedly Islamists later – leading to sectarian wars encouraged by power caring that many victims were slaughtered in defense of the "absolute right" doctrine, where one thought he was in "paradise" and the killed was in "hell", this image ,similar to the Middle Ages, is represented in the imagination of many workers in the field of 'Islamic' movements, to be the "state", and what it should do, it should take a situation – deem negative- on the ideas that are different from the "official" religion , nevertheless, no Quranic text supports them, as that view has become in common, and they have this much evidence, not in sense of text, but in sense of heritage, codified in the Middle Ages, and stupidly want to superimpose the same on modern civilized peoples lives!!.
In the Middle East, and under the influence of Islamists and others, you can hear in streets the appreciation of so-called "Malaysian experience/experiment", as if this experience is full of progress, justice and neutrality, - shame that the Arab 'Islamic' cognitive unconscious is not struggling for achieving justice and success, it has not seen any 'state' justice experiences for long,but rather, it considers the measure of success to be the length of staying in power!! - until then, I have managed to visit Malaysia, as a traveler, walking in streets, interviewing people, and entering their homes, mosques, churches, and even temples, I didn't feel alienated, but there were lot of contradictions, where religion and politics are paired in a 'void' marriage, resulting in an illegal 'child' ethnically entrenched idea, it is not a State that has no meaning but only as a passport written in the name of 'majority ' race which is the State name , all aspects of life devoted to sustain ethnic isolation , leading to a very fragile society, it can get out at a moment of unpredictable explosion …... hoping not.
Certainly, Malaysia has not seen the worst so far, but with a simple on-line tour, you can find a radical "Islamic" party is still in power, it is clearly that this is another natural result of efforts supported by petroleum dollars to spread 'Islamic' ideology, calling for an "Islamic a, which is not caused by the religion in any way except being used as an ethnic umbrella, and this miserable failure fueled by ethnic sentiments , and the colossal ignorance of the teachings of religion, ignorance or intentional disregard of the rules of building modern states where we should have freedom of the individual and collective interests,as the state becomes with the specific affiliation; pro-citizen, regardless of religion, race, or ideology, there, Islam is like religions, a matter of individual belief, and as in its root, collectively calls for justice and charity and giving to kinsfolk, ….. not to force people to be hypocrites!!.
Have to ask a question , what would be the case of Malays and others if they are "minority" in the presence of "the ruling majority" of the Chinese race, for example? There is no doubt that the same points listed below will apply with the substitution of the word 'Chinese' rather than 'Malay' ... because who has the power, is only, having the right to say and do .... and rule, but the citizenship remains the ideal solution for every government aiming at establishing justice, which is truly the spirit of religion........any religion whatsoever.
Listing below a number of things observed and taught during my visit to Malaysia and meetings with some people there from different races, it is just giving some comprehension by examples :
1 – Senior governmental posts in the state are confined on the 'Malays'.
2 - Enrollment in public universities is favored by each race ratio, and the highest percentage of ethnic Malays = 'Bumiputera', and who does not find a place will have to attend private paid universities instead.
3 - If a Malay Muslim married a non-Muslim, she must embrace Islam!!!
4 – Cinema movies censor comes sharp on media addressing the issue of religion in some scenes, making the rest unable to achieve complementary scenario , so, in order to watch full Malaysian movie, go to Singapore!
5 - If you want to watch a movie about Jesus, for example, you must be non-Muslim (what about non-religious Muslim, was born to Muslim parents but not formally religious ... must be a hypocrite to deal!).
6 - To build a Church, it must be smaller and shorter up from the nearest mosque!! (fearing swallowing the mosque!).
7 -Non Malay state governors are hardly two, even though with a concentration of certain races in several places, while the studies show statistically that the percentage of Malays is from 54 to 62% at best, and the number of states around 13 states!!.
8 – Riots flared up causing a church catch fire in protest to intercept Malay Christians of using the word "Allah", as fools thought that "Allah” is the Muslims God only, abstract (person) name !! (Arabic Morphology; "Allah" is a combination of “Al-Ilah” = “The God”, facilitated 'Hamza' to be “Al-lah = Allah” not an abstract (person) name/noun!).
9 - If you come across the countryside, you can find a big difference between the houses belonging to Chinese and Indian ethnic which are self-funded, and on the other hand, Malay houses, granted by the government, confined to ethnic Malays, almost looking like houses in city, not rural!
10 -The problem of identity is deeply rooted , when you ask a person there if he/she is Malaysian, you can get an answer as 'Chinese-Malaysian', though has never been to China , but the issue of belonging is subject to ethnic standards!!.
11 -The problem of loyalty, which is more difficult than the identity, noting that loyalty in monarchical ruled countries, involving the king, and hence the situation is that disrupted, there is no doubt that the triangle of loyalty is subjected to doubts "triangle of loyalty in the monarchical states where 'official' religion is Islam: God,home, the King".
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