Intellectual Discourse (Journal)
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The American Evangelical Christians and the U.S. Middle East policy: A case study of the Christians United for Israel (CUFI)
Get PDFThis study examines the relationship between religious belief and interest group activism in influencing American foreign policy making by highlighting a group within the American Evangelical Christians namely, Christians United for Israel (CUFI). At present, the organization is actively involved in lobbying for influence over American foreign policy towards the Middle East in general and Israel in particular. This study explores the background and strategies of CUFI, by discussing how its underpinning religious beliefs (notably Eschatology and attitude towards End-Time) provide the basis of support for the state of Israel. It contends that the activism of the organization demonstrates how religious beliefs can constitute a strong factor in motivating lobbying activities for a potential impact on US foreign policy making
Globalization: Explaining the dynamics and challenges of the ḥalāl food surge
Get PDFWestern dietary regulations are not in conformity with Islamic prescriptions for eatable meat (ḥalāl meat). This has led to the mushrooming of privately-driven ḥalāl regimes in many countries. This paper examines the increasing interest in ḥalāl food, analyses the factors behind this surge, its complexities, dynamics, progress and challenges. It investigates the interrelatedness of globalization, religious identity and multiculturalism in the context of ḥalāl, and the growing expression of Islamic cultural identity in a globalized world. A survey and analysis of thirty-six ḥalāl certification agencies in 18 countries, where foods are exported to Muslim countries, show that ḥalāl certification is largely championed by private and non-governmental bodies that seek to entrench Islamic food codes in the national laws. The paper identifies some countries that have institutionalized ḥalāl certification regimes for all food imports and exports
Muslims in modern Turkey: Kemalism, modernism and the revolt of the Islamic intellectuals. By Sena Karasipahi
Get PDFThe impact of ḥadīth perception on disputes between ahl al-Sunnah and al-Shī‘ah al-Imāmiyyah al-Ithnā ‘Ashariyyah
No full textOne of the main reasons for the controversies among legal schools in Islam revolves around the methodology of distinguishing authentic aḥādīth from those of rejected ones and applying the acceptable aḥādīth to different cases. This article studies ḥadīth perception in the light of this methodology to reveal the nature of disputes between ahl al-Sunnah and al-Shī'ah al-Imāmiyyah al-Ithnā 'Ashariyyah which is the biggest madhhab (school) among other madhāhib apart from the ahl al-Sunnah. The disagreements among the madhhab of the ahl al-Sunnah are confined to al-furū' (applications related to secondary issues), whereas the disputes between the Sunni and the Shī'ah schools are based on both al-uṣūl (principles) and al-furū'. The main ground for this difference is their perception of ḥadīth. If this fact is overlooked, the differences between the two schools cannot be grasped appropriately
Modernity in the discourse of Abdelwahab Elmessiri
Get PDFAdapting Western self-critical discourse, the Arab Egyptian intellectual Abdelwahab Elmessiri (1938-2008) attempted to Islamize modernity; however, he did this ironically via Western critique itself. This paper follows a comparative approach to show how Elmessiri’s construction of the duality of immanence (Western modernity) and transcendence (Islamic monotheism) is based on the critiques introduced by Eric Voegelin (1901-1985) and Zygmunt Bauman (1925- ). However, while Bauman saw the role of critical theory as the modest comment on human experience, Elmessiri and Voegelin uncovered the dominance of immanence in Western modernity so as to contrast it with Islamic monotheism and the Christian humanistic legacy, respectively. The critiques introduced by Elmessiri and Voegelin reach their climax when modernity is compared to a form of heretical Gnosticism
Iqbal and Nietzsche’s concept of eternal recurrence
Get PDFNietzsche has been a strong influence on some influential Muslim thinkers. He has been appropriated in divergent perspectives from mystical to nihilistic. Amongst the responses of Muslim thinkers to Nietzsche, Iqbal’s is perhaps the most articulate and interesting. The present paper has two main objectives: to examine a critical understanding of the Nietzsche’s most ambiguous idea of eternal recurrence and to explore Iqbal’s response to it. Nietzsche’s concept of eternal recurrence, seen by some philosophers as his most significant concept, has been questioned by Iqbal as the weakest link in his philosophy. Iqbal argues the case for transcendence and upholds the Islamic doctrine of fate which allows enough space for freedom of spirit in contrast to the absolutely deterministic view of Nietzsche. Iqbal’s sufi conception of the Perfect Man differs from Nietzsche’s Superman in the ability to deploy creativity and freedom for remoulding of the self and appropriating divine attributes. Thus, Iqbal deploys Islamic mystical resources in problematizing alternative models of human perfection and the response to tragic fact that a horizontal existence of man in an “indifferent universe” seems to be
Tradition and modernity in Islam: A reading through power, property and philanthropy
Get PDFThis study analyses some basic Islamic political, economic, and social traditions under three headings – power, property and philanthropy – to show that the Islamic tradition has embedded principles and concepts thought to be “modern” by many in the present world. It claims that the social responsibility principle of Islamic tradition that promotes devolution and good governance seems to be modern, and thus has survived for the last 1400 years. Thus, in fulfilling individual responsibility (as goods and service regulators, creators, and consumers), Muslims need to serve the interests of the nation, irrespective of business entities (or employees), and the community by following the traditions in Islam. In order to do that, Muslims need to comprehend and adhere to the comprehensive principles of Islam including its guidance for political, property, and social relationships, to become “modern.