Newspapers recently carried the story of a famous religious scholar — a sheikh — who gave a lecture in a mosque. During the lecture, he was interrupted by a group of young men who shouted at him and expressed their contemptuous rejection of his opinion. Though in a mosque, one of the young men angrily waved a small knife at the sheikh who was forced to stop his lecture. He was then escorted by security from the mosque in order to avoid a worsening of the situation. The reason for the young men’s inexcusable reaction was, as far as most people are concerned, inconsequential. The sheikh was speaking about his belief that drums are not forbidden. To say such a thing to people who have always been told — and have always been taught — that music is completely haram (not allowed) was a genuine shock.
The story tells us a number of things. First, there is only one opinion in Saudi Arabia and no such thing as a difference of opinion can exist. Second, to reject an opposing opinion in a violent way is becoming a trend. Third and last: the intolerance we have taught and propagated has now developed and seeks to dominate.
Should we be surprised that those young men reacted in so mistaken a way? Should we be surprised that those young men reacted in a way totally outside Islam’s spirit of tolerance? Should we condemn them as fanatics?
The fault is at least partly — even perhaps totally — with society. We live now in a society that does not accept “the other.” We live in a society that, for the most part, believes uncritically that there is only one possible opinion and that to say or think or write something different is wrong and even worse, should not be tolerated but should be punished. Those young men were the products of this teaching; they have been taught that there is only one opinion and no other is possible. Thus, to reject a different opinion becomes, in their minds, the right, the only thing to do.
A few months ago, a famous religious scholar made the mistake of saying in a film that he believed women could uncover their faces if they wished. He subsequently retracted that statement, saying that he had been wrong. He explained that he had been approached by other scholars who asked him to express the same opinion held by the majority. According to those scholars, it is essential for the scholars of the country to hold the same opinion. It seems that we have come up with the idea — and the practice — of holding only one possible opinion and now we are facing the consequences.
If the young men in the mosque were violent, it is because of their lack of self-assurance plus their own certainty about their beliefs. This has been the cornerstone of their education from the first day of it and it seems they have learned the lesson very well indeed. They have never had an opinion of their own — they have always been told what opinion to hold — and to propose something new means that they have to think and analyze. And this is a skill they do not possess since, not needing it, they have never been taught it. Where, I wonder, could they have possibly acquired the skill?
A columnist for an Arabic newspaper who is from the village where the incident occurred said that he was sad that his native village had such mentalities. He went on to say, however, that considering how our society leans more and more to one side only and omits to teach tolerance that he was not surprised. What worries him even more is that if so minor an issue produced so violent a response, what would happen if major issues were discussed? He ends up rather pessimistically fearing that at some time in the future, scholars will stop giving lectures that include “different” opinions.
We must look back at Islamic history and see how it was full of different groups and sects and how in religion, there are different mazahib — schools of thought. That is sadly only in our history; when it comes to our modern reality, people are too lazy or too ignorant or too stubborn to entertain more than one opinion. What this will inevitably produce is plain to see. What this will inevitably produce is not an open and tolerant society.
End of Exams, Beginning of Emptiness
The newspapers have recently been occupied with the end of the academic year exams and of course students’ complaints. Once those topics had been exhausted, they moved to their usual subject at this time of year — the summer vacation and how young people spend their time. One article blamed young men for wasting their time cruising the streets, basically doing nothing more important than checking out girls. The writer seems to have decided that having no choices leads to the waste of time and a state of emptiness. Another writer told how students destroyed their textbooks after exams. He wondered what kind of attitude to education was reflected in such behavior.
None of this is new. It happens every year and every time we occupy ourselves analyzing the situation. In the final analysis, we always accept the status quo — the easiest thing to do, after all — and wait for the new year. As we wait, however, we record our disappointment at what young people do and do not do, get and do not get in our country. But to be serious, is it right to blame the youth for everything wrong?
I think it is not completely their fault. Yes, they choose not to spend their time in what we might consider useful activities. But shouldn’t we ask ourselves if we’ve offered them other choices? How many families spend any time with their children, teaching them how to manage their time or how to do constructive and beneficial useful activities?
I was with a group of friends when one of them said that she could not understand how other girls of her generation wasted their time doing nothing during vacation. To her, reading, painting and going out with friends were essential to her enjoyment of life and were normal ways of spending time.
Considering what she said, I realized that very few of us think that reading is something worth doing as a hobby or pastime. And consequently, our children grow up unaware of how much reading could add to their lives and their understanding of everything. Of course reading is not the only possibility. What about taking summer courses, taking up a new sport or doing some much-needed community service?
It is all so much wishful thinking, I have to admit, since basically there are not a lot of possibilities. What then do we offer to an intelligent but bored 15 year-old who has all the time in the world? Dare I say, “Nothing.”
