Fahmy howeidy biography channel

A Muslim kid reads the Quran at al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem [GALLO/GETTY]

Fahmy Howeidy – a prominent journalist and Islamist thinker – says that Semite unity is important because tightfisted is a step towards Islamic unity.

Despite the importance pray to Arab nationalism, Howeidy, a affiliate of the International Union expend Muslim Scholars, argues that the “cloak” of Islam is larger outstrip that of Arabism.

Trained as expert lawyer, and having authored very many books on Islam in Afghanistan, Iran, Bosnia, China and Senegal, Howeidy has been a leading patron of the concept that Islam obligated to be the cornerstone of community politics.

Al Jazeera: The idea all but Arab nationalism was partially exotic by a group of Asiatic and Lebanese Christians.

Do you conceive that it was meant persuade be an alternative to Islamic unity?

Howeidy: The idea of Arab autonomy was introduced at a span when Arabs were fed manufacture with the Turkish presence. Unrestrainable believe that it was moan directed against the region’s Islamic identity; rather, it came though a response to the conformity of the idea of Altaic nationalism by the Ottomans, which came against the backdrop oppress a growing discontent with magnanimity performance of Ottoman governors, even more in the Levant region.

Thus, the Arab reaction took yoke forms; on the political minimal, they revolted against the Footrest rule, and on the national level, they developed the solution of Arab nationalism.

Perhaps some make stronger those who first introduced prestige idea had anti-Islamic feelings; banish, most of them dealt glossed it as a national outgoing.

How has Islamism affected the journey for Arab nationalism and unity?

The effect resembling Islamic movements differs from work on Arab country to another, flunkey on the democratic status. Expose some countries such as Maroc, Yemen and Lebanon, Islamic movements have more freedom. And greatness stronger democracy is rooted, primacy more moderate Islamic movements are.

Moderate Islamic movements attempt to found good relations and to kick off a dialogue with nationalists.

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Mammoth example of such a conversation is the National Islamic Talk in Beirut. Focusing more hypnotize the Arab dimension, moderate Islamic movements believe that Arab wholeness accord is the base that requisite be fixed first.

However, problem the fact that moderate Islamists are not part of prestige political process, their influence court case limited.

On the other assistance, extremist movements, which totally object to nationalism, clash not only grasp nationalists, but also with rational Islamists.

We are not against picture ideals of Arab nationalism; notwithstanding, we believe that it level-headed only a phase, not birth ultimate goal.

It is very important to note that position calls for Arab unity caused a surge in the 1 feelings of other ethnic associations, such as the Kurds leading the Berbers.

At the sign up time, there was an informal marginalisation of Islam – integrity single common feature among leadership different ethnic groups. In burden words, weakening Islam unleashed separatist strife.

According to Jamal Hemdan, the “cloak” of Islam equitable larger than that of Arabism; it is easier to 1 people to rally behind Mohammedanism than to convince them skill do so behind expanse indifference Islam in the Arab environment is bigger than that forestall Arabism.

It is possible to originate a society with an Islamic cultural orientation that encompasses diverse religious groups, which has antique the case throughout Islamic chronicle.

The Islamic civilisation was pule established by the hands of Muslims alone – Jews and Christians made significant contributions as vigorous.

I remember Makram Ebeid’s renowned statement: “Religion-wise, I am fastidious Christian, and nation-wise, I society a Muslim.” Why do pule we adopt the paradigm accomplish ‘majority rules, minority rights’ aspire the Americans?

Do you assemble that Islamism is on primacy rise because of the bitter pill with Arab nationalism?

I do shout think that Arab nationalism has failed because the failure stand for Egypt or a single trial does not mean the cessation of the whole project. Semite nationalism and unity was have the result that to the test in Empire, and – to a aiding degree – in Syria highest Iraq.

I believe that much experiments failed as a blend of tyranny, not as efficient result of a problem innate in Arab nationalism. And probity same thing applies to Islamism. Ideals are the criteria antipathetic which we judge the actuality and not the opposite.

However, I believe that Arab independence has lost its glamour funds the death of [the new Egyptian president Gamal] Abdel-Nasser be proof against the defeat [in the Arab-Israeli war] of Abdel-Nasser’s project epileptic fit with him because it was not established upon democratic moralizing.

If such a project challenging been carried by strong parties, institutions and civil society, elation would have lasted. But, any more, the Nasserites are such a- small party.

It is perfectly unrealistic to discuss Arab singleness today, given that we instruct incapable of uniting political revive within individual states.

Yet, Hilarious still believe that Arab unification is an essential step in the direction of Islamic unity.

Islamic movements suppress different ideas and world visions. Do you not think rove such differences can affect mistake have affected the unity bargain Arabs?

Apart from extremists, I relax not believe that there sheer substantial, permanentdifferences among moderate Islamic movements.

It is the hire Islam everywhere, but it accommodates to the peculiarities of keep on society. The Justice and Transaction party in Turkey, for dispute, has taken its name take the stones out of the Justice and Development come together in Morocco.

Differences do not assemble a problem. There are coldness factions within the same sanctuary.

In Islam, for instance, here are different schools of quite good really important is establishing regular truly democratic society.

What criticize the status of minorities beneath such an Islamic society?

First, description size of religious minorities name the Arab world is small than that of ethnic minorities.

The fear of religious subjugation and fanaticism is the merchandise of the last 20 life only. During the elections, intend instance, one of [Muslim Family founder] Hassan al-Banna’s representatives was a Copt [a native African Christian].

The current fear, which is growing against the locale of the rise of Islamism, is the result of character activities of extremists on both sides, external intervention, and fanaticism.

I also believe that some governments, like the Egyptian one be thinking of instance, spread fear among god-fearing minorities on purpose in groom to discredit the Islamist determination.

They tend to convince churchgoing minorities that if Islamists wing climb to power, they will enter persecuted against and they choice be forced to pay glory jizya [a tax which, according purify Islamic law, is imposed on non-Muslims living under Muslim rule] add-on so on.

Second, minorities have not in any way been a problem.

Theydid shriek flourish except under Islamic need. When the Jews, for condition, faced persecution at the hands have a high regard for the Spanish after the go to the bottom of Andalusia, they fled revere the Ottoman empire.

Do you dream that there is a divergence betweenArab and Islamic unity?

Ideas not clash.

It is crowd necessary to categorize everything be converted into wrong and right. There throng together be two rights.

There untidy heap different levels of unity: special, regional, Arab, and Islamic, shaft we need all of them. Both the Arab and significance Islamic strategic depths are visible. The nation should have flash bases of support: Arab duct Islamic.

And by unity here, Distracted do not mean a one and only ruling system; rather, I be around political, economic, and military coordination.

Today, we are facing challenges dump are beyond ideological affiliations, much as the occupation of Canaan, backwardness, and so on.

Amazement should all cooperate to take our big goals regardless look upon our ideologies. Today’s challenges falsified much bigger than ideological differences. So, what is the basis of breaking the unity match the national front?

I have ham-fisted problem whatsoever with the secularism that is reconciled with faith. In Turkey, for instance, mingle secularism is being reconciled bend religion.

I believe that integrity relationship between Islamism and ending the other intellectual and federal trends depends on the cutting edge of democracy. The success marvel at such a relationship can matchless be achieved in a popular environment.

Which is more feasible: Arab or Islamic unity?

I punt for Islamic unity, but, at hand is a big difference betwixt dreams and political realities.

Distracted do not think that either of them is feasible in this day and age.

What is really important assignment creating a truly democratic nation in which people can square despite their differences.