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![]() Does Citizenship Have Meaning in Islam?
The pragmatic Yusuf al-Qaradawi has been known for original views on the interpretation of Muslim principles with the goal of resolving conflicts between Muslims and non-Muslims. Although these new perspectives do not necessarily translate into changes in positions, analysts nevertheless view them as challenging and having a positive effect on his mostly Muslim audience.
This article analyzes his latest attempt at such linguistic deconstruction.
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Tuesday, November 13,2007 07:53 | |||||||
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The pragmatic Yusuf al-Qaradawi has been known for original views on the interpretation of Muslim principles with the goal of resolving conflicts between Muslims and non-Muslims. Although these new perspectives do not necessarily translate into changes in positions, analysts nevertheless view them as challenging and having a positive effect on his mostly Muslim audience. This article analyzes his latest attempt at such linguistic deconstruction. He considers the term to be a historical expression that is no longer adaptable to modern discourse. He advocates use of the neutral term ahl al-dar to refer to non-Muslims residing in countries governed by Muslims. It becomes apparent, however, that not all of Qaradawis objectives in promoting linguistic change are benign. He also relies on several Quranic verses where the term is used to refer to the Jews. He thereby makes the case that the word brotherhood is not restricted to the religious domain, but rather can be applied tovarious situations wherever a bond exists among people, including brotherly nationalism. To illustrate,Qaradawi states that he has no problem in referring to the Christians of Egypt as our Coptic brothers. Qaradawi warns, however, that nationalistic tendencies can become a problem whenever they are in conflict with religious principles, or entirely secular or fanatic in nature. However, discontinuing use of the expression ahl al-dhimma, which had already lost its meaning over the years, would come at a high price elimination of the notion of citizenship. Just look at the Turks, Palestinians and Iranians. The trend in the Middle East is not toward an expansive view of the world, but rather toward a narrower one. If nationalism is losing ground, it is not in favor of the greater Ummah. |
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Posted in MB Opinions , Islamic Issues |
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