Moslem Brotherhood and the Methodology of Reform (23)

Moslem Brotherhood and the Methodology of Reform (23)

By Mahmmud Ezet, the Secretary General of the Moslem Brotherhood

Ikhwan Online 

Why does the Moslem Brotherhood insist to apply the Islamic version of reform? This question was answered in the last article where we stated eight general characteristics of the Islamic reform:

1-    It covers all aspects of life.

2-    It starts with the change of the individual.

3-    The entire nation participates in it.

4-    It is a gradual methodology; individuals, families, communities, then the States which call the nation to perform their part in the civilization.

5-    It is a practical approach based on the individual and constitutional initiatives.

6-    It respects the human beings; it accepts the world civilization, within the Islamic limits.

7-    It is a peaceful reform. It refuses all forms of violence and achieves the pure sense of jihad.

8-    It is a non-stop methodology. The access of power is not the end for it needs supervision and directions. 

The question we will try to answer in this article is “are there any reasons to choose methodology rather than the Islamic one, or to waive some of its characteristics, or to mix it with other approaches that reject the control of the religion over the reform?”

It was said that the Moslem Brotherhood should liberate themselves from the control and the restriction of the Islamic Law over the reform in order to be loyal nationalists, and supporters of freedom and human rights, according to the international standards. This notion is justified by two points.

1-    Non religious calls for freedom and human rights will be met by all different tendencies, nationalism, liberalism and secularism.

2-    The disengagement of religion from the reform will ease the hatred of US and the West, in general, to the political Islam. Moreover, it may stimulate the US to exercise pressure over the deposited ruling systems in the Islamic countries.

Before refuting these two justifications, we can pose a simple question; may Moslems separate the Islam from the reform?  Let the Holy Qura’n answers this question, Allah Says” then it is a part of the Book that you believe in, and do you reject the rest!” then it becomes conclusive when the Qura’n Says” it is not fitting for a Believer, man or women, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger, to have any option about their decision.”

As we announce our belief in the whole Book, we choose only the Islamic methodology. Let’s go back to the refutation of the excuses of the separation between the religion and the reform.

1-    The first excuse is that this separation will call all tendencies to participate in the reform. But if we recall the eight features of the Islamic approach, we find a method that respects human beings; moreover, it accepts the world civilization, in accordance with the Islamic Laws, and contributes to it.

Thus, whoever cares for human beings, Islamic ideology will meet his views. In the same time, it has its own characteristics which stimulate the belief of the majority of people and encourage them to sacrifice and to put up with any difficulties that may encounter them in their way to the reform. On the other hand, if we separate Islam from the reform, the spirits will be low, sacrifices will be hurtful, and self-interests will be dominant. In addition, the Islamic approach will miss one of its prime features; it is a change-encouraging methodology.

       2-As for the second excuse that the separation may drive the US to put pressure on the deposited systems to take reform measures, it is difficult to predict the reality of the American-version reform. Does the US indent to decline the religious slogans or to drop the real reform? If we do so, the US may have the chance to plot a forceful change similar to what happened in the Eastern Europe, in the ex-Soviet Union, in Afghanistan, and finally in Iraq.  

 The Moslem Brotherhood’s Methodology of Reform (13):

Moslem Brotherhood and the Methodology of Reform (23)

The Moslem Brotherhood’s Methodology of Reform (33)