Chandra Muzaffar
Speech made at AMAN Assembly Plenary 2 : People-Centered Political Power and Governance with Integrity, Transparency and Accountability organised by Asian Muslim Network (AMAN) and Global Movement of Moderates held at IDFR on 6 June 2015
Governance is fundamental to Islam. It is a vital dimension of the Qur’an. At the most profound level, it is Allah’s governance that accounts for the workings of the universes. It is Allah’s governance that sustains the earth as a planet. Creating the human being and placing her here on earth is also part of Allah’s plan for governance.
The human being, in turn, according to the Qur’an has assumed the role of khalifah (vicegerent) on earth which means that she has to live a life guided by the values and principles conveyed to her by all the Prophets since the beginning of time. In other words, she has to govern herself guided by Allah’s perennial Wisdom. This is the amanah, the trust she has to fulfil. It is the whole purpose of her creation. It is the reason why she is here on earth.
Of all human beings, those who rule over others, the leaders, bear a greater responsibility. Their amanah is of special significance. It is measured by justice. This is clearly stated in the Qur’an. It says, “O Daud, surely we have made thee a ruler in the land, so judge between men justly and follow not desire lest it leads thee astray from the path of Allah.” (38:26) The Quran also tells rulers that they are required to consult the people. (42:38)
Of course, the Prophet Muhammad himself was an outstanding example of an exemplary leader in every sense. He was just and honest, firm and fair, humble and kind, magnanimous and compassionate. He defended the weak and used his power for the well-being of his people. The Righteous Caliphs who came after him (from Abu-Bakr to Ali) sought to follow his example. There were other rulers in later years like Umar Ibn-Abdul Aziz (682-720) and Salahuddin Al-Ayoubi (1138-1193) who also shone as magnificent leaders. The former raised the status of the poor and powerless while the latter combined courage with compassion.
It was because wise leadership and good governance were so central to Islamic teachings that a huge corpus of writings developed which emphasized these. The most famous was the letter that the fourth Caliph, Sayyidina Ali IbnTalib, wrote to his Governor in Egypt, Malik Ashtar. It is a brilliant treatise on the principles of good governance and their application. Ali outlines how justice should be dispensed, how corruption should be combatted, why oppression should be eliminated, why profiteering and hoarding weaken the social fabric and what is required for the equitable distribution of wealth in society.
Through the ages,illustrious scholars such as Al-Kindi (801-873 ), Al-Farabi (870-950 ), Al-Mawardi ( 972-1058 ), Al-Ghazali ( 1058-1111 ) and Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406 ) have elaborated on the attributes of good leadership and good governance. IbnKhaldun in particular examined the political and social realities that impact upon governance. He discovered through empirical research that when a dynasty first emerges it adheres to the virtues of governance but later after it has consolidated its power and enjoys affluence and indulges in luxury, it becomes corrupt and succumbs to vices which eventually lead to its downfall. Ibn Khaldun saw this as an unerring pattern in the rise and fall of civilizations. He also realized that both internal and external factors contributed to the decline of a civilization. In the case of Muslim civilization, corruption and decadence within the ruling class was aggravated by the pillage and plunder caused by the Mongol invasions of the 13th century.
If this is the past, what is the situation like today in the Muslim world? Both internal and external factors are also at play. Corruption and decadence and the elite betrayal of the people in general are widespread in the Muslim ummah. There are very few governments of integrity which are totally committed to justice and the welfare of their people.
At the same time, there is a huge external challenge. This is the challenge of hegemony — essentially United States’ helmed hegemony. Sometimes described as a continuation of colonialism or neo-colonialism, the hegemon seeks to control resources belonging to others, strategic routes, the economy, politics and even culture of other nations in its drive for global dominance. Many Muslim nations have been victims of hegemony mainly because they are exporters of oil and gas, the lifeblood of modern civilization. Besides, Israel is right in the middle of the Arab world and the hegemon is determined to protect Israel’s so-called security. These are the reasons which explain the hegemon’s conquest of Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya and its continuing drive to conquer Syria. But let there be no mistake. Buddhist states in Southeast Asia such as Vietnam and Cambodia and Christian societies in Latin America such as Chile, Argentina Peru, Nicaragua and Panama and even an agnostic state such as Cuba have all been victims of US hegemony at some point or other. The desire for power and control were the motivating forces behind the hegemon’s agenda in these and many other cases.
Needless to say, hegemony distorts the development of societies that are caught in its grip. It emasculates their ability to nurture their own system of governance. It spawns weak, effete leaders who are just pawns and puppets of the hegemon. If hegemony is such a vile threat to the sovereignty and independence of nations everywhere,why does it persist with such tenacity?
Underscoring US helmed hegemony is global capitalism. To put it starkly, if the hegemon seeks to control foreign resources and strategic routes, it is because it is perceived as vital for an economic system that is driven by the maximization of profits and the continuous acquisition and accumulation of wealth. True, capitalism has benefitted segments of humankind in certain ways. It has helped to reduce absolute poverty in some parts of the world, accelerated social mobility for certain groups, and stimulated individual enterprise and innovation. Nonetheless, it is a system that has wrought grave injustices. Yawning disparities between the very rich and the very poor would be perhaps the most severe. According to a well-known investment firm, Credit Suisse, in 2014, the top 1% of the wealthiest people on the planet owned nearly 50% of the world’s assets while the bottom 50% of the global population combined owned less than 1% of the world’s wealth. Global inequalities have surged since 2008. This concentration of wealth and these disparities have adverse repercussions for the environment, for politics, for culture and for society as a whole in that it perpetuates a global order that serves the interests of the rich and powerful to the detriment of the poor and the powerless.
There are many civil society groups all over the world that are critical of the capitalist system. Some of them are Muslim based. While they have been able to propound alternative ideas in relation to specific aspects of the economy or politics or administration or culture, they have by and large failed to articulate a realistic vision of a holistic, integrated alternative social order that can resolve not only the injustices of the present but also address the most pressing challenges of the future.
This is the real challenge before the youth of the world, both Muslim and non-Muslim alike. Can they develop through their reflections and their actions an alternative that draws from Islam and other spiritual and moral philosophies the critical elements of a comprehensive vision for change that will guide humanity in the decades ahead? Are precepts such as God-Consciousness, the position of the human being as vicegerent on earth, the vicegerent’s profound commitment to justice, equality, love, compassion, honesty, integrity, humility, kindness, and unity among other similar values some of the resources that we can harness from Islam in our endeavor to forge a new vision for the future? More specifically, are there concrete principles too that we can absorb from our faith in this task, principles such as the prohibition of riba in the entire operations of the economy, or ensuring that means are not separated from ends in politics, or nourishing music and art and poetry to reinforce character rather than treating them as mere expressions of emotion and intuition unconnected to fundamental values and virtues?
Perhaps out of this exercise of action and reflection guided by eternal universal values and principles in our moral and spiritual philosophy will emerge a vision of governance that is contemporary and yet rooted in the Qur’an. Are AMAN youths prepared to help create such a vision?