Islam and the West
How do you see Islam offering an alternative to modernity as defined by the West? Is this alternative oppositional to or complementary with the West or both? Why or why not? Focus on specific examples.
Globalization is a phenomenon that has touched all spheres of human life. Made pervasive with the aid of technology, globalization has come to define the manner in which we lead our lives. Be it social, physical or emotional aspects, all of these are now considered in a broad perspective. But in this realm of the world being rendered a global village, the fact remains that globalization is seen as a Western phenomenon where the entire world, specially the East is seen as a passive object that was awaiting for the Western led tide of modernism take over its primitive traditions and ways of life. (Hobson)[footnoteRef:1] [1: Hobson, John M. "Eastern Agents of Globalisation: Oriental Globalisation In The Rise Of Western Capitalism ." Hobson, John M. Everyday Politics of the World Economy. Cambridge University Press, 2009. 141-159 .]
The author, John Hobson, in his book, called" Eastern Agents of Globalization: Oriental Globalization in the Rise of Western Capitalism" terms this approach taken by the Western world as Eurocentricism. Eurocentricism is a derivative of the term ethnocentrism and implies that due to the progress of the Western World, and its dominance in world affairs, the thought that Western ideals are the best and that every other culture is derived from theirs. According to Hobson (Hobson):
"In the conventional Eurocentric historiography, the year 1492 traditionally represents the moment when the Europeans came of age and then launched the 'Voyages of Discovery'. And their significance derives from the assumption that they served to project outwards the Western capitalist system as the Europeans 'battered down the walls' of the so-called inward-looking, backward Eastern regions thereby transforming them into outward-looking capitalist economies." (Hobson 196)
As the main proponent of the way the modern state has turned out to be, the Western world has had a dominant role to play and has influenced the world in a way so as to conform to its ideology of capitalism and of civil liberties. The fact that modernism has been defined primarily in terms of Western values is a given in the current circumstances and contemporary scholars are now looking for means to reverse this 'marginalization' of eastern philosophies given the way that events in the current world climate have panned out. (Acharya)[footnoteRef:2] [2: Acharya, Amitav. "Dialogue and Discovery: In Search of International Relations Theories Beyond the West ." Millennium: Journal of International Studies 39.3 (2011): 619-637.]
The recent spate of events and conflicts as well as the anguish shown by many groups has led to indications that may be things are not as bright as they are made out to be. The financial crisis has led many to question whether western ideologies really are the panacea that they are made out to be, or in their ignorance of other major religions, have become a curse. This has been evident in the Occupy Wall Street Protest, where common people are demanding a change in the system. (Gabbatt and Devereux)[footnoteRef:3] [3: Gabbatt, Adam and Ryan Devereux. "Wall Street protesters to occupy foreclosed homes." The Guardian 6 December 2011.]
The current system of democracy in the West has been used in a form of a 'cookie-cutter approach' as stated by leading economist Joseph Stiglitz who has said that the Washington -- based institutions such as the IMF, and the World Bank, backed primarily by Western powers, has spread the trade liberalization approach to many countries, sometimes at a disadvantage to the debt-taking country. The arguments posed by the economist state that IMF and World Bank policies are led by the powers that are also the main funding countries. Weaker countries who want to take loans to avoid defaults are given loans on conditions that make structural reforms compulsory, and this compulsory clause has been used by the IMF on behalf of world powers to spread capitalism and liberalization philosophies all over the world. (Stiglitz)[footnoteRef:4] [4: Stiglitz, Joseph. Challenging the Washington Consensus Lindsey Schoenfelder. 7 May 2002.]
In such a situation where the world peoples are increasingly voicing their concerns with the current world order and with the manner in which modernity and progress are being linked to westernization unquestioningly is what is driving this paper to explore alternate ideologies to see if they can better the situation in the world today.
Islamic values
As far as Islam is concerned, the religion has been in force since more than...
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