Ulama-Military relation of the third world countries
By zhyntativ
Here, I would like to contribute a bit of theoretical thinking which is likely to invite further elaborate and suggestion. This will suggest that the current problems of multifaceted tragedy experienced by many of the third world countries are not necessarily result of internal stagnancies, rather vast interests and dictates of external world-shaping powers have been significantly accentuating the scene. What I want to promote is that all Muslim individuals, be they rulers, Ulama, military or and civil, should best realize the above defiance while offering an expected solution that may theoretically and practically be reached out and finally help us attain a desirable future of Islamic society। This short note challenges a bit of popular perception that Ulama (religious scholars) and military are not inseparable to shaping the governed society of, with the special reference to, the third world countries and argues that both Ulama and military are and have been, not to mention other significant components, playing their determining role to fashion their country including its ups and downs. These two elements have much to do with their societies.
There have been many obvious reasons for our discomfort about the legacy of imperialism and unilateralism that the United State has been managing into such a condition where all events of the world, partly its socio-economic and political formations, are to be compromised to its endurable interests. And the US seems to keep it that way so far that no other power is constantly able to compete against its contested authority. What the US has done to assist the others was merely pretense or camouflage through which they pledged to counter its challenging enemy, The USSR, and other perceived threats that undoubtedly might be posed by any transnational terrorist movement.
All of America’s handiwork therefore, has been conducted under the guise of freedom and democracy। And it is its self-perception which reveals that the US acts as a unique post-colonial free nation that is charged with the responsibility of leading the way for others in their quest for freedom। This presumably has created a felling of common hatred and anonymous perspective that are globally in full flourish। From the US’s way of looking at these challenges however, Bolshevism, Socialism, Communism and currently ongoing religious extremism have been suggesting its policy of waging wars, whether they were proxies, pre-emptive or preventive, that might result, as it always claimed, in ending all wars and unity of mankind. This seemingly acceptable project proved how selfishly powerful and determinant the US’s role is. As the Soviet Union collapsed, Fukuyama’s end of the History seemed to be apparently proven.
The US, however perceived that it could no longer sustain its long-span and grave superiority unless if it could annihilate a long-perceived threat of Islamic extremism. Samuel Huntington’s Clash of Civilization seemed to be among those theses contributed by intellectuals to this climate of ill-opinion and misgiving. Among what is implicit here is that Ummah, a conception that suggested an Islamic unity-in-diversity, is to be discouraged and if possible totally abolished from the soil. It is this “crime” that has made especially Muslims and other communities of the third world countries suffered a multidimensional burden that remained inescapably sophisticated.
This is to note that there has been a popular stereotype in these countries which tends to reveal, among other assumptions, the failure of colonialism to draw guiding line that might help them adopt all scientific and technological advancements West had acquired। Apparently, men of the third worlds have been stuck much in such perpetual backwardness whilst the range of which they were determined to chase after the superpowers, has been becoming wider, thus making both parties separable and differences more obvious। These characterizations and statements have, for obvious reason, significantly worsened by the era of Cold War. There was when the Third World countries had been victims of wars which The United State and Union of State Socialist Russia fought and of global tensions they might have caused.
The Third World Countries
It is necessary then to put forward how the ground realities of the third world countries are, and what severe realities they have been confronted with as results of the all-encompassing US’s imperialist role. Terminology of the third world countries is often given different interpretations. Among those interpretations is one that reveals the third world as meant not to be associated with the degree of socio-economic development in those particular countries. There are some quarters in the second world countries that are actually poorer than the third ones. This terminology was originally promoted by Alfred Sauvy of French in 1952 to distinguish numbers of countries impartial to neither the West (the US and its allies) nor the East (the Soviet and its allies), among whom the Cold War emerged. The former may be called the first world countries whereas the later the second world ones.
Apart from that, this would be worthwhile to point out that among the legacies of imperialism is military dictatorship that almost the third world countries experienced (even in today’s general occurrences)। Some sorts of socio-political and economic instability, in addition to other post-imperialist chaotic causes, drove those (military) rulers to avail their utmost strength and power of imposing or forcing so as to retain their throne by managing all ways available. Meanwhile, this very intend of the rulers collided with the necessity of better life which the masses always demanded, thus leading to formation of opposing powers that might address a challenge against the former’s authority. Such scenario of perpetual uncertainty and severe contention among the rulers and masses of the third world countries has been taking place whereby (Islamic) unity could hardly find its space of manifestation. That is the way it is now. That is just the fact the US likes it.
Military regime
Meanwhile, relation of civil-military role in the third world countries differs from that in the West. It shows more of complexity. While the West shared communal acceptance that military is subordinate to civil power, the relation of both sides in the third world countries tended to be developed and framed according to how historical processes and political culture occurred. Centralistic function of the third world countries’ military role bears on its expertise, cooperation and a firmed bureaucracy. Military therefore, has every integrative function to state’s creation. It is cohesive, integral and relatively committed not to a class or culture-based conflicts which most of the third world countries faced. This is true to substantial extent, although not entirely. Among motives that force the military involvement in state fashioning is the fading dignity of the present government in administering its function. It since then looses credibility and direction of winning the masses’ support. Bureaucratic disagreement among the organic institutions of the state apparently exacerbated by internal or external threats has stimulated the military role of counterinsurgency to take over the authority of the country. This, it upholds, is the way out as it is supposed to be. It is now the military reign wherein such conflict and instability are all but unthinkable.
Political involvement of Ulama
Ulama are guardians of the past and present, as assessors of the tradition and innovation, mediators between the Islamic ruler and the masses. They, by their learning, are to safeguard the principles upon which the religious institutions are grounded, and by their manner of life they are to win the respect and affection of the people. They defined the limits to which law and custom could accommodate all innovations. As in case of political toleration, the Ulama have exercised their role of mediation between (military) political power and its civil society. They have tolerated and even worked with oppressive (military) rulers. Some instances may be noteworthy like the issuance of fatwas in 1960’s to justify Nasser’s socialism and fifteen years later fatwas justifying Sadat’s capitalism.
This seemingly contradictory attitude of the Ulama might be traced back to what Al-Gazhali called Doctrine of Necessity revealing that life under tyrant ruler will amount to a lesser suffer and burden compared to that under a chaotic and anarchic condition। The Ulama has considerable power in many muslim countries, but their influence on the society is dependent upon how the strength of the secular authorities is. The Ulama, therefore cooperate with the rulers and play defending role or silently accepting the political decision of the authorities.
The Ulama has great influence on most Muslims, but this influence is easily destroyed when the Ulama loses its credibility. The credibility of the Ulama depends very much on their level of independence; if there is too much cooperation with the rulers; people will turn away from the ulama to find their religious guidance somewhere else, resulting in Ulama without power. Ulama which do not cooperate at all with the governments will face suppression and economic difficulties. There are cases where the Ulama have overthrown the governments, as it happened in 1979 in Iran.
In some cases, the relationship between the Ulama and the military, the holder of the power had common people puzzled। Some Ulama, in one hand, used to provide religious legitimation for the de-facto power holder, while in other hand, they share a general awareness that power corrupts and that proximity to those in power impairs the Ulama’s moral authority and integrity of their learning. The government’s efforts to involve the ulama in certain development programmes in order to lend them religious legitimation have at times caused these ulama some moral discomfort although this was no doubt attenuated by various forms of compensation. The Ulama since then find it difficult to define their positions, especially when confronted with the attitude of many government authorities.
Conclusion
Democracy, good governance or whatever pretext and excuse, for which the military regime imposed its forcing power is a natural process. I urge that it will not be any good forcing democracy to people. They need to come and acquire it very slowly. The military can not go out and impose democracy with a gun, for it would be like waging war for its sake. Undoubtedly, Retaining military-led authoritarian regime under the cover of the democracy and quoting religious justification on it is inevitably unjustified and fallible.
I would like to point out here, that Ulama, instead of being fooled by the corrupt (military) government, should better act as means of mobilizing Muslim support for the government’s development policies। They are to translate its policies into languages that the Ummah understands. It is about a discourse conceding the significance to which Ulama should better stand above all political processes and keep themselves not trying to gain any political power or control of the state. Their role is to offer advice and guidance to all those who are part of the political system. They should direct their criticism to both the ruling power as well as the opposition. Their moral and ethical guidance is accordingly not to be deleted; instead it should entirely frame the state’s running. That way they would be truly impartial and they would be free from the constraints of politics.
Military and Ulama are then side-by-side to function integrally as part of the state’s formation. Each should respect other’s very existence and work professionally to contribute to progress and development. All are committed to working together within a mutual understanding. Righteous leader presumably need to come up to accommodate this necessity and successfully fuse these two elements into a single and mutual readiness to run the government.
Reference:
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