Islam: Between Globalization & Protectionism

During the reign of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as the Prime Minister in 2004, he introduced a concept termed as "Islam Hadhari" which covers ten basic principles of "Islam in the Malaysian Civilization" in order to sweep votes off the rival Islamic party.

Merely reading the concept plan and listening to promotional speeches about Islam Hadhari is extremely convincing. Keep in mind that Malaysia isn't the only country that has progressive plans to "customize the religion" with its own basic tenets and shield it from "undesirable foreign influences". Nevertheless, Malaysia is a lot more open in terms of religious discourse and discussions compared to some other countries.

But can the Muslim laymen draw parallels of such protectionism with "real world examples"? How does it measure up in other fields?

Let's compare it with the issue of globalization and protectionism in the field of economics and we shall see how the key motivating factors of protectionism are almost alike. Later on, we shall read Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradhawi's refutation of such practices.

Free-Trade Agreements (FTAs) vs. Import Tariffs

The field of trade and economics may be divided into two main camps - Pro-FTAs who embrace globalization of trade vs. protectionists who lobby for high import tariffs.

Students of economics would be able to list many obvious advantages of FTAs:
- lower cost of overseas production because of cheap labour, materials, etc.
- lower cost of goods/products
- increased employment in less developed countries
- increased income in less developed countries
- increased technological advancement in less developed countries
- increased number of skilled workers in less developed countries

... and the list could go on and on.

Then the obvious question is - why does protectionism sometimes still prevail?

The main factors reasons why protectionism sometimes still prevail are:

1) False Facade
- Protectionists often portray themselves as "saviours" who are defending the locals' income and traditional source of living
Example: The US employ high taxes on China-made textiles because they want to protect local textile producers.
Reality: This is a false and narrow portrayal of global economics. Local consumers suffer from high prices and local textile producers can remain uncompetitive and can continue to have poor levels of cost-efficiency.

2) Misleading Statements
- Protectionists often use generic statements or bombastic terms that attempt to mislead
Example: Multinational Companies (MNCs) run "sweatshops" that are inhumane and have very poor working conditions.
Reality: Although conditions may be worse compared to factories in developed countries, these factories owned by MNCs are often much better than what exist locally. They help to decrease unemployment rates and the pay is often higher than what local factories provide.

3) Vested Interests
- Protectionists are often protecting their own vested interests, not the interest of others
Example: Politicians gunning for votes in American states that produces steel often promise to protect the local steel industry.
Reality: Protecting local steel industry does not make much economic sense since steel can be imported cheaply. It is however a good political strategy to win votes from local steel workers and their unions

4) Lobby Groups
- Protectionists are often part of an influential lobby group or union that ministers/politicians need to listen to
Example: Steel workers' union in the US often demand protection from the American congress
Reality: Once again, protecting local steel industry does not make much economic sense since steel can be imported cheaply. It is however a good political strategy in order to appease them and ensure longevity in controlling these steel-producing American states.

5) Ignorant Key Personnel & Populace
- Protectionists are often helped by key personnel and populace who are ignorant in the basics of economics
Example: Convincing arguments about "overseas sweatshops", "overseas pollution" and "local employment rates" are often accepted even when research or evidences are narrow and biased.
Reality: Such arguments can easily be refuted with better, honest, broad-based research.


"Localizing the Religion"

Now that we've seen a real-world example in economics, let's relate it back to the issue of "localizing the religion". In the field of religion, there also exist a camp that attempts to drive and promote protectionism to "localize the religion".

Students of religion know that there are many disadvantages of such protectionism:
- scarcity of local scholars and scholarly opinions
- reducing the wide expanse of religious knowledge and opinions
- reduced ability of comparitive studies of various opinions
- reduced ability of detecting local falsehood and waywardness
- forcing upon the local masses to accept local products of questionable quality

Again, the obvious question is - why have such ideas been adopted?

Similarly, the main factors reasons why religious protectionism still prevail are exactly the same as we have seen in the field of economics:

1) False Facade
- Protectionists often portray themselves as "saviours" who are defending the locals' traditional religious practices, the local madhab and the contributions of local/regional scholars of the past
Example: Some religious scholars will defend practices such as mass chanting of dhikr and mass supplication after prayers and claim it to be from the local madhab.
Reality: The local madhab among the local Malay community is the madhab of Imam Shafi'e, and both these practices are not in agreement with the opinions of Imam Shafi'e.

2) Misleading Statements
- Protectionists often use generic statements or bombastic terms that attempt to mislead
Example: The religion needs to be contextualized. Religious laws will differ with differing conditions, time and place.
Reality: Although, conditions are very different from 14 centuries ago and this theory of jurisprudence does exist, it should not be abused. Scholars have come up with strict guidelines on its application and it cannot be applied wantonly to every religious law and in every situation.

3) Vested Interests
- Protectionists are often protecting their own vested interests, not the interest of others
Example: Jihad al-Qital (Armed War) does not exist anymore. The ultimate form of jihad is Jihad an-Nafs (War Against Inner Desires).
Reality: Jihad al-Qital is discussed in almost every book of hadith and book of jurisprudence of revered scholars of the past including Imam Shafi'e and Imam Bukhari. In fact, some scholars consider Jihad al-Qital as one of the pillars of Islam. Claiming the non-existence of Jihad al-Qital contradicts scholarly opinions but it does however win massive support of governments who are pre-occupied with the "War on Terror" and citizenry who prefer a more "humane and inclusive" Islam.

4) Lobby Groups
- Protectionists are often part of an influential lobby group or union that ministers/politicians need to listen to
Example: Proponents of sufism (mystic Islam) and liberal Islam sometimes occupy key positions in religious bodies and fatwa councils, and because of their portrayal of a non-violent strain of Islam, ministers need to adopt and accomodate them as an alternative to less tolerant strains of Islam.
Reality: Proponents of sufism and liberal Islam often do not propagate or educate the correct Islamic methodology to the masses, hence Islamic deviations becomes more widespread. And without good foundations, the Muslim masses are more easily influenced towards deviant sects and ideologies including terrorism. A research paper entitled "Why Salafism and Terrorism Mostly Don't Mix" documents that Muslims who understand and ascribe themselves to the strict methodology of the Salaf (pious predecessors) are very unlikely to veer towards terrorism.

5) Ignorant Key Personnel & Populace
- Protectionists are often helped by key personnel and populace who are ignorant in the basics of Islam
Example: Convincing arguments about differences of opinions (khilaf), fiqh waqi' (reality-based jurisprudence) and other concepts delivered in a vague manner are often accepted even when it has been poorly researched or contains obvious bias.
Reality: Such arguments can easily be refuted with better, honest, broad-based research.


Fatwa of Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradhawi

"This (use of terminologies) is actually one of the plans carried out and placed by the enemies of Islam. Built upon the basis of dividing Islam into different groups as though it is not the one Islam as inspired by Allah swt and as though it is not what is practised by us, the Muslims. They (have created) many different Islam to suit their liking."

"Among them are those who divide Islam based on their regions such as: Islam Asia and Islam Africa."

"Sometimes they give names based on race such as: Islam Arabi, Islam India, Islam Turkey, Islam Malaysia and others."

"And they continue to add new sects: Islam Thawri (Revolution), Islam Radical and Classic, Islam Al-Yamini (Right Wing), Islam Al-Yasari (Left Wing), Islam Al-Mutazammit (Rigid), Al-Islam Al-Munfateh (Liberal) and finally Al-Islam As-Siyasi (Political), Al-Islam Ar-Ruhi (Spiritual), Al-Islam Az-Zamani (Contemporary) were created."

"All these terminologies and divisions are rejected in Islam. There is no Islam except for one Islam and there is nothing equivalent or variances in it. None should be accepted other than it, the only one accepted is the earliest Islam that is sourced from Al-Quran and As-Sunnah. Islam that was understood by the best of generations and centuries from among the Sahabah (Companions) and the Tabi'in (the generation after the Sahabah) who were commended by Allah and His Messenger."

"This is the true Islam, before it is tainted by the stain and the nonsense of ideologies, philosophy, the innovations of various sects, the negative desires of those who like to argue, the difficulties created by extremist sects and the abusive interpretations of the ignorant."

*Note: The fatwa of Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradhawi is used in view of his popularity and fame. However, some of his books do contain some misleading views in various subjects including 'aqeedah, fiqh and hadith sciences. These have been corrected by other major Islamic scholars. May Allah bless his efforts and forgive his errors.

Conclusion

"This day have I perfected your religion for you and completed My favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” [Surah al-Maidah, Verse 3]

"Verily the only acceptable religion to Allah is Islam." [Surah Ali-'Imran, Verse 19]

"And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted from him, and in the life to come he shall be among the losers." [Surah Ali-'Imran, Verse 85]

Say: "Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition." [Surah az-Zumar, Verse 9]

References:

"The Undercover Economist" by Tim Harford

"Al-Qaradhawi Tolak Istilah Islam Moden" by Ustadz Zaharuddin Abdul Rahman