6/8/2015

WeNeedanEthicalRevolution

WeNeedanEthicalRevolution
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"TheIslamicworldingeneralandtheArabworldinparticular,aretryingtochangethestatusquo.

Wewitnessedinthelasttwoyearsapublicuprisingeverywhereandastrongwillforchange.
Apoliticalrevolutionthatremovesacorruptpresidentoratyrantgovernmentisgood,buttherealrevolutionthat
theArab,Islamicandthewholeworldneedsisamoralrevolution!
MaqasidAlShariahisthemethodology,philosophyandthesystemofvaluesofthisdesiredrevolution.
Todaysworldissufferingfromacutecrisesinallaspectsofhumanlife.Ifwereflectuponthesecriseswewill
findthemalltobemoralcrises,whetherinthemoralvaluesorthemoralpractices.FromtheQuran(Corruption
hasspreadinlandandseabecauseofwhatpeoplecommitfromevil.Godwillshowthemtheconsequencesof
theiractionssotheymayrepent.)
Forexample,politicalcrisestodayarebasicallymoralcrises.Syriaisanobviousexample,andPalestine,Iraq,
Burma,Bangladesh,Africa,andintheEastandtheWesttheseareallmoralcrisesinconceptandpractice.Im
verysurprisedofsomepeoplewhohaveenoughimmoralitytosaythattheStateterrorisminSyriaisjustifiedon
moralgroundsonthebaseofthelegitimacyoftheState.
Thissimplymeanswehaveamoralandethicalproblemhere,notjustinthepracticebutintheveryconcepts
anddefinitions.AndthosewhopracticepoliticsinthenameofIslam(butinaMachiavellianway)alsoneedan
ethicalandmaqasidiapproachtocorrectconceptsandpoliticalpracticeswhichareclaimedtobeIslamic.
Andhealthcrisesforasecondexamplearebecauseofanunethicaldefinitionofmedicineasagoodthat
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therichbuyandthepoorbythemillionsdiewhentheydontafforda2or3dollarmedicine.Giant
pharmaceuticalcompaniesoftenhaveunethicalpracticesandtheymanipulatescientificresearchtoproveor
disprovesideeffectsofmedicine,andimmunizationprocedureandfood.Cosmeticsurgerythatchangesthe
creationofGodwithoutanyphysicalorpsychologicalneedisnowpartofthemedicalprofession,
unfortunately.
Educationisalsobecomingagoodratherthanaright,therichgetsitandthepoordoesnt.Itisnowausual
sceneinwarstobombschools.Andthedigitaldivideiswidening,anditisamoralratherthanatechnicalissue,
peoplewhoarenotonlineintodaysworldareincreasinglyinpovertyandlackofeducation.Companiesthat
monopolizewhattheycallknowledgeandinventionswhichbythewayarenormallydevelopedbygeniusesin
poorcountriesforverycheaplaborthesecompaniesbillionsareincreasingoftheirpowertoo.
Majorinternationalcompaniesmonopolizeeconomies,whilemostpeopleareunderthepovertyline
Andrealandhonestartischallengedbydeconstructingartwhichispublicizedbytheentertainmentindustry
andthecelebrityculturethatiscorruptingyouthinthisworld.Letalonethecomputergameindustrywhichkills
intheyouththefeelingsofmercy,gentlenessandhumansocialinteraction.Thisisanothermajormoralcrisis
andIamgivingafewquickexamples.
Ineconomy,thisismoreevident.Majoreconomiccriseskilledmanypeople,drovemanyoutoftheirhomes
andputmanypeopletopoverty.Thesewerecausedbylackofethics,accordingtoeverybody.Major
internationalcompaniesmonopolizeeconomies,whilemostpeopleareunderthepovertyline.Worldeconomic
summitsareheldwithoutdiscussingethics,eventhougheveryeconomicquestionisanethicalquestion.Usury,
monopoly,corruptionandtheexploitationofthemarginalizedandchildrenascheaplaborwithoutgivingthem
basichumanneedstheseareallethicalproblems.
Andenvironmentalcrisesaretiedtotheeconomiccrises.Giantoilcompaniesandcountriesproduce
radioactivewasteanddamagetheenvironmentinAfrica,AsiaandLatinAmerica.Majoreconomiesexploit
naturalresourcesthatarecommontohumanitysuchasair,waterandminerals.Againworldsummitson
environmentdontdiscussethics,justiceorequity,letalonemajorcompaniesandstatesthatmanipulatethe
climateandthesoilstructure.
Andthenwhenthesoilcantfunctionproperly,wehavetechnologythatmanipulategeneticsandmakemoney
bychangingthegenomesofhumans,animalsandplants.Thisisdonewithoutanyethicalguidelinesthat
observehumanandanimalrights.Animalsarekilledbythemillionseverydayinanycountryonlyforsome
peopletobecomemoreobese.Thepooranimaldiesforthehumantoeatasmallpieceortwoofmeat.And
whilesomepeopleareobese,someothersaredyingofhungerandbythemillionseveryyear.Weevenhad
somepeopleshoutingWewantbreadandwaterintheArabrevolutions.
Andwomenareinabadshapeinallcountriesandcultures,eastandwest.Statisticseverywhereshowa
widegapbetweenmenandwomenintermsofeducation,healthandincome.Womentodayareobjectified.You
cannotbuyapen,acarorapieceoffurniturewithoutseeingawomanshowingherornamentsadvertisingforit.
Violenceandmarginalizationareeverywhereandtakedifferentformsindifferentcultures.
Thelastofmyexamplesandnotleastismediaandjournalism,whichisasadethicalcrisis.Ihighlyrespect
allethicaljournalistsincludingthosewhoareheretoday,butIaskingeneral:Whereisthetruth?Andwhereis
thenews?Whatweseeinthemediaisarealitythatisoftennotrealandthenewsthatweheareverydayare
usuallythenumbersofdeadpeopleineverycountryaswehearthenumbersoftemperaturesinweather
forecasts.Whereisthenewsaboutourhumancivilization?Wherearethesuccessstorieshereandthere?Is
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thereanythingelseintheworldotherthankillingandelections?

ObjectivesofIslamicJurisprudence
"Intermsofdefinitions,MaqasidistheansweroftheWhyquestions."

MaqasidAlShariahisendorsedbythiscenterofethics(CILE)inQatarFoundationasamethodologytoface
thesechallengesandtrytoanswerquestionsofethicsinalltheabovefields.
Maqasid,orobjectives,ofIslamicjurisprudencearethemeaningsandthemoralendsthatIslamicJurisprudence
attemptstoachieveinpeoplesrealityasGodrevealedthem.AnddespitethefactthatMaqasidbranchedfrom
theIslamicLaw,andisstillstudiedunderthatdiscipline,itisnowextendingbeyondthelawtothewiderscope
ofhumanitiesandsocialsciences.MaqasidAlShariahcouldoffersolutionsinfiveareaswhichIwilloutline
briefly:Definitions,Values,Priorities,Integration,MethodsandPractices.
Intermsofdefinitions,MaqasidistheansweroftheWhyquestions.ThegreatIslamicscholarsofthepast
answeredthequestionofWhyShariahbyproposingthegeneralobjectivesorMaqasid,suchasthe
preservationandprotectionoffaith,life,mind,dignity,offspringandwealth.Andthereareotherquestionsof
whyintradelaws,suchastransparency,avoidingusuryandfairness,andthepurposesofmarriage,criminal
punishments,judgeshipetc.
ThesechaptersoftheIslamicLawchanged.NowweneedMaqasidformedicine,politics,economics,
educationartsmedia,etc.Andthatiswhatweareworkingon.Ifyouaskwhymedicine,thenthiswill
convertthedefinitionfrombeingabusinesstobeinganethicalprofession.ThegreatobjectivesofIslamic
Jurisprudencewillcorrecttheconceptofmedicineandmedicalpractices.Thenweaskwhypolitics?Whythe
State?Whyart?Whymedia?Andthusweareabletocorrectthedefinitions.
Intermsofvalues,maqasidpresentsasystemofIslamicvaluesandmorals.GoodinIslamisnotseparate
fromthevaluesoftruth,beautyandethics.AndtheIslamicsystemofvaluesismoresophisticatedthanallthe
otherphilosophicalsystemsofvalues.Italsoprioritizesdecisionsasnecessities,thenneedsandthenluxuries,
aswellasdifferentiatingbetweenindividualsandthepublicintermsofprioritiesbetweentheurgentandthe
delayed.
Andinsideeachcategory,suchasnecessities,thereisaprioritization:life,thenmind,thendignity,thenwealth.
Andtheseprioritiesarenecessaryformakingpolicy,lawsandcodesofpractice.Settingprioritiesisanethical
decisioninwhichdecisionmakersgiveprioritytothemostimportantfirstinordertogetmoreattention,effort
andbudget.Thusgoalsaremoreimportantthanmeans,fundamentalsaremoreimportantthandetails,
universalsaremoreimportantthanshapesandvaluesaremoreimportantthanselfishconsiderations.
Maqasidalsopushesresearchinethicstowardsintegrationandmultidimensionality.Thereisnoquestionof
medicineorartsetcthatisnotrelatedsomehowtopolitics,economics,environment,cultureetc.Maqasid
areabstractvaluesthatarebeyonddisciplines.Itexpandsthemintoaholisticmethodology.
MaqasidfinallyaretheproofoftheperfectionofthismessagefromGodthatHerevealedtoHisMessenger,and
thusitpusheshumanconsciousnesstowardsGod.AndifweareclosertoGod,allourcriseswillbesolved."
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