Will economic development subdue Islam?

[Lynx]

again your trying to reduce Islam to a culture - as if Muslims have a homogenous culture around the world? and all of these cultures are being brought out by the west???

Muslims being born into a western culture are a minority anyway campared to the rest of the Islamic world - so your giving a minority example and applying it to the rest.

Muslims buy products made from China and Japan as well - are they know being effected by Chinese and Japanese Culture - last time I checked they Weren’t .

different Muslim countries have different culture and i am not denying that at all. what ia m saying is that each individual culture is being bought out and that is 'subduing islam' because for many people their culture is so tied with their religion that to take away their culture takes away their religion. the muslim countries are turning into western countries more and more and the 'minority' of muslims being born in the west is going to become a majority when muslim countries are imitations of western countries. also, china sells western products. it has nothing to do with where stuff comes from; it's about what the stuff are. vale lilly describes the phenomenon quite well i think. in 50 years you'er going to see a homogenized culture (the american secular culture) and this is going to force islam into the sidelines because, as i have mentioned, most people are Muslim (and other religions not just picking on Islam) just because they're raised as such; so if you take away that 'being raised' muslim you will start seeing a decline.... UNLESS of course you think that most mUslims sit there and compare and contrast their beliefs with others trying to find the truth...which is not the case. IMO anyway.

 

[InfiniteMercy]

In my opinion the muslim world desperately needs economic development, we have high levels of poverty, illiteracy, etc…economic dev it is the biggest factor to improving peoples’ lives: that means better education, health, social equality, etc... these things are in alignment with what Islam promotes.

So economic development (in the Muslim world) means we will have a more empowered muslim world, thus it can only strengthen Islam.

The question is can this economic development of the muslim world distribute the wealth to the people, avoid corruption and be sustainable?

 

[Woodrow]

China also has the most dollers in reserve - its a very important country now in the economic sphere. How much has this effected american culture?

Some changes I have seen in my lifetime are in the American work ethic. How much is the result of Chinese economics I do not know, but I suspect that is part of the cause.

In the 1940s it was very important for a man to be the sole provider and have his wife stay at home. That was the first time in American history married women worked outside the home in any significant number. Up until then nearly every job required considerable physical strength. Over the next 50 years manufacturing and industrial jobs began vanishing. Most jobs today are essentially sedentary type work, administrative work and clerical type duties. the day of the craftsman, tradesman and laborer is a dieing part of Americana those type jobs are now done overseas often in Chinese owned factories. This change has also resulted in a society that no longer knows how to live off of hard labor and demands instant gratification. Gone are the days of a person not buying anything except when they had saved enough money for it. Today it is all credit and the credit/banking industry is now one of the largest businesses in the USA

 

[جوري]

In my opinion the muslim world desperately needs economic development, we have high levels of poverty, illiteracy, etc…economic dev it is the biggest factor to improving peoples’ lives: that means better education, health, social equality, etc... these things are in alignment with what Islam promotes.

So economic development (in the Muslim world) means we will have a more empowered muslim world, thus it can only strengthen Islam.

The question is can this economic development of the muslim world distribute the wealth to the people, avoid corruption and be sustainable?

The Muslim regions of the world are a fortune of resources, the same way south Africa is for diamonds.. question is how to get the good given bestowment to those who need it? 'ruling families' unfortunately have a sense of entitlement to that which doesn't belong to them exclusively... you'd think the young prince of Brunei would spend 14 million on the poor instead of a w hore like Mariah carey .. these despots in charge are a big reason for the lack of industrialization.. that amongst other things..

 

[Argamemnon]

yes I am Punjabi Pakistani.

That journalist is being too optimistic. Pakistan is no where near Islamic. Rather, people are leaving Islam. Islam is more of a cultural thing for Pakistanis. That is why you will see in general that Pakistani youth criticize "wahhabis" and 'Salafis' as backwards. Moreover, the Pakistani youth is culturally Muslim. They pray Jummah but they have all the DVDs of all American TV shows such as Sex and the City, Lost, Prison Break, Friends. you just name it. Valentine is celebrated with great pomp and show. Pakistani educated youth (doctors, engineers) etc who have access to Western countries are ok with calling atheists, kaafirs, jews and christians "brothers and sisters." Pakistani ppl are okay with watching Hindu/Indian singers on tv. Pakistani ppl are OK with making "friendship with India." They are ok with giving message of "peace to India" while they know that Indian government has screwed them up time and time again.

Pakistani Muslim youth listens to Led Zeppelin, Pink FLoyd, Metallica, and all that. Pakistan has its own "Sufi rock" bands such as Junoon. Pakistan is big on ghazals and qawwalis.

yes some Pakistanis are really good Muslims. Note the word "some." We have the highest number of Muslim sects per capita. Deobandi, Sufi, Barelvi, Qadiani, Shia, Ahl e hadees, tableegi, Qurani etc etc

It saddens me deeply to hear this. I must admit that I was rather naive (or should I say ignorant) because I always thought this was only the case in Turkey. You are absolutely right, young people have practically nothing to do with Islam. I can see this even in my own traditionally very "conservative" (religious) family.

 

[syed_z]

different Muslim countries have different culture and i am not denying that at all. what ia m saying is that each individual culture is being bought out and that is 'subduing islam' because for many people their culture is so tied with their religion that to take away their culture takes away their religion. the muslim countries are turning into western countries more and more and the 'minority' of muslims being born in the west is going to become a majority when muslim countries are imitations of western countries. also, china sells western products. it has nothing to do with where stuff comes from; it's about what the stuff are. vale lilly describes the phenomenon quite well i think. in 50 years you'er going to see a homogenized culture (the american secular culture) and this is going to force islam into the sidelines because, as i have mentioned, most people are Muslim (and other religions not just picking on Islam) just because they're raised as such; so if you take away that 'being raised' muslim you will start seeing a decline.... UNLESS of course you think that most mUslims sit there and compare and contrast their beliefs with others trying to find the truth...which is not the case. IMO anyway.

Salaam/Hello ... thanks for the Topic...


I agree with Zafran... i think that Muslims cannot be sidelined Completely and i say it because Allah (Swt) promises in the Quran and it has taken place, in the past many time, in which Muslims were helped by Allah because there were always some of them who held on to the way of God, even though they were weak in the Land...

I do agree with the fact that, Muslims in Muslim Countries as well as in Western Countries, are very much influenced by the Western Culture and this has always been the Norm in the past, that which Nations are ruling most parts of the World or are influential in their Times, are able to dominate other cultures and subdue them easily... BUT among Muslims there will always be those Muslims who would hold on to the Right way and not be influenced by Westernization.....


I agree that there are many among the Muslims who are becoming Westernized, but i also agree with the fact, that There are many among the Muslims who are turning towards Islam, because of Western War on Terror which has made many of us Humiliated.... the more War on Terror is waged, the more many among the Muslims are going towards Islam, trying to bring back their Lost Glory... AND this is the Way of Allah by which He separates the Good from the bad among the Muslims.... this is His Law....


For example Allah (swt) says... in the Quran..


(3:179) It is Not God's Will (O You who deny the Truth) to abandon the Believers to your way of life: (and) to that end He will set apart the BAD from the GOOD...

the above Verse was revealed at the time, when Muslims were Very weak and few in Madinah...


By many Muslims accepting Westernization and Others trying their best to live strictly according to Islam, in this Age, Muslims are being separated and those who will hold on to the way of the Lord, will eventually become more and more strong because the Weak ones will be filtered out...


So even though the Visions of Europe in 2030..... might seem very much happening, there is always this Divine intervention which takes place... as the Visions do think that Communism was Bought by them, but they forget, that had it not been for those in Afghanistan, the Communist Block would right now be staring at their Face!

so this is my opinion... and God knows best...