الإسلام والغرب: نحو عالم أفضل

Islam and the West… for a better world @

framework of politics and political institutions, and other issues of similar importance. Yet, these divisions could never halt the advance of modernity, not only because of the power and influence of the idea of the modern but also because of the changing nature of social forces and world relations. Peoples across the world, including the Muslim world, listen to similar news bulletins and are attracted to the same music; wear the same clothes; plan their cities in a similar manner; buy the same furniture; watch the same movies; are connected to the same financial markets; acquire the same technological tools; and use the same search engine on the web. Whether in London or Cairo, trends of consumerism disseminate similar styles and tastes. In addition, never in history did the world witness emigrational forces of the magnitude that our world is witnessing, implanting Algerian and Bengali villagers in the very heart of Western Europe and bringing American and European tourists to the very heart of Morocco and Turkey. Being modern is not only about recognizing the rights of homosexual couples, but fundamentally about the increasing rates of urbanization, the centralization of the legal system, the spread of modern education, the belief in modern medicine, the living in industrialized society and with technological products, and being part of the midst of world media and communication. Yet, differences, tensions and even bloody conflicts still exist, and perhaps are even on the rise. Muslim societies are no doubt different from the American and German societies. This difference is largely the function of values that Muslims seek to retain, values of religious origin or those derived from specific cultural traditions. While family is disintegrating in many parts of the world, Muslims tend to reassert the position of family; and while religion has been on the retreat in many western countries, Muslims tend to reaffirm the role of religion in the public sphere. Yet even here one can easily notice a rising spirit of individualism in Muslim societies, as well as an ongoing debate about the reach and authority of religion. Values of the modern civilization cannot be seen as a whole

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