Umar Riaz Abbasi
WE live in the time of complicated global changes; new thought phenomenon has surrounded us.
These phenomenon and changes have encountered us with various challenges in many fields.
Among these modern cultural phenomenon is the phenomenon and process of globalization which is one of the results of modernism and the advancement of information technology.
The phenomenon of globalization has gained great importance due to the numerous influences which had and have on the culture of economy and politics of the countries and nations.
In today’s world, rapid growth and development of mass communications devices and informational-communicative technologies have reduced the distances and broken the borders of time and place, the subject of the globalization is of high importance that we can see its influences on various aspects of life, from the greatest ideals and human values to the smallest matters of life.
One of the most important fields which are discussed in relation with the subject of the globalization is the relationship between religion and the globalization.
Islam is not in conflict with the matter of becoming global and making global, but the characteristics of the globalization differ from the current idiomatic feature of it from the Islamic point of view.
Reviewing the content of religion texts and religion culture confronts us with this undeniable fact that Islam is a global religion and it has always tried to become world-wide in its historical experience.
Also, Islam has brought up the matter of the globalization, establishment of global society and global government.
Globalization is a varied and powerful process which is happening in the cultural, economic, military, political and sports of global society
. About the explanation of globalization, John Talinson states that globalization gains meaning in the process of rapid development of complicated connections among the societies, cultures, institutions and people in all places of the world.
According to aforesaid definition, the principles and characteristics of the globalization are as follows:
1) Globalization is not a single dimensional process, but this phenomenon is a cohesive and consistent process which has infiltrated in all arenas and social fields.
2) This phenomenon is a challengeable one whose dimensions have navigated many classical concepts such as regularity, security, state, national authority, identity, national sovereignty, culture and provided the arena in order to interpret and redefine about them.
3) Globalization is a process and procedure not an ultimate situation. We deal with the process of “becoming” in the globalization; the process which has ignored the national borders with the help of factors such as the universal communications system, international organizations etc.
Also, this process has caused many phenomena to be exposed to revolution, change. As it is said, first globalization is an inevitable procedure.
Second, it is a phenomenon which is resulted from some social revolutions. Third, this process will not remain as stable condition and finally will enter into another stage that some people remember it as a “worldwide unity “.
4) Globalization is neither good nor evil despite the whole oppositions and agreements. It either can or cannot be desirable, in other words, from one hand it can be a savior and on the other hand it can be fatal.
“And we have not sent you but to all the men” .. “And we have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds.
“He it is who sent His messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, that He might cause it to prevail over all religions, though the polytheists may be averse”
It has been pointed in the above verses that Holy Prophet of Islam (Peace be Upon Him) has announced his Qur’anic message, the divine revelation, with the characteristic of eternity for all human beings.
Also, the aforesaid verses imply the world’s inclusion of Islam legal system and this matter that the mission of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) is global and for all human beings.
The West can have influence on the general thinking of world easily via the management of mass media and domination over communicative technologies. Also, it can start the extensive mental war against the Muslims.
Meanwhile, the mass media and especially satellite networks play very important role. We can divide the propaganda of the West against Islam in two categories:
As a result, it can be said that although, the West and especially America dominated over the communicative technologies, the growth and development of these technologies especially internet and satellite have created an atmosphere that this situation can be used well, because today addressee of the media is not passive addressee anymore, they are not affected by the media messages easily, of course, it is an active addressee which selects with s/he understanding and awareness accepts a message, or ignores it.
Also, the exalted messages of Islam religion which are harmonious with human’s instinct can be accepted by the active addressees of the media easily that the dust of negligence has been touched on the pure human nature of them and this matter requires the awareness and acuity of the thinkers of Islamic world that they can use this condition in a better way and prove this principle that Islam is in agreement with globalization.
—The writer is PhD in Islamic Studies, author and academic writer & lecturer at National University of Modern Languages Islamabad.
