By Alia Hogben
KINGSTON, Canada: I must be a slow learner.
It is only recently that I startled myself by realizing that my complex identity also includes being Western, along with being Indian, Burmese and Muslim. Because I have lived in other countries I have absorbed so much of other religions and cultures, and yet I had not acknowledged that 50 years of living in Canada has made me Western, and proud of the accomplishments of the West.
One of the reasons why I may have been inattentive to this allegiance is because of how I am perceived by others. Along with my fellow Muslims, I seem to be identified more by my religious affiliation than anything else.
The Lebanese-French writer Amin Maalouf in his book, “In the Name of Identity”, points out that those who claim a complex identity are often marginalized because others perceive them through the lens of only one aspect of their identity
He writes of his own identity as a Christian Arab, a Lebanese and a long-time resident of France, as well as how over the years his identity has changed to include all his experiences. He notes that a person’s identity comprises many allegiances, but when one of these is under attack, we tend to identify with that particular allegiance — such as religion.
This is not a positive attitude — to identify with a single affiliation — because it leads to an exclusionary belonging to one group, and a denial of the other allegiances we have. Newer immigrants must accept the host country has its own history, customs and values, and though a country’s future cannot be a mere extension of its history, the past is of significance.
Maalouf compares the history of the Muslim world and the West and concludes that Muslims in the past — with their flourishing cultures — had confidence and tolerance, and as these dissipated they now feel under threat.
In recent centuries, there has been a revolution in the West — scientific, technological, industrial, intellectual and moral. There are many reasons why it happened in the West and nowhere else, but what has resulted is the predominance of the West.
Maalouf says the rest of the world may acknowledge Western developments but they do so with certain reluctance, bitterness and a profound identity crisis. He observes that not enough attention is paid to the influence of people on religion rather than the reverse. Because of the different histories, he thinks that while Europe modernized Christianity, most of the Muslim world stagnated under colonialism and made little progress.
However, he states that “No doctrine in itself is a liberating force: all of them may be perverted or take a wrong turn; all have blood on their hands — communism, liberalism, nationalism, secularism and each of the great religions. Nobody has a monopoly on fanaticism.”
Maalouf provides an explanation for the rise of fundamentalists in the Arab world. He reminds us that Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, considered a great hero, was a fierce enemy of religious groups with political agendas and it was his reaction to their demands for a greater role in government that led people to turn to religious radicalism.
As an Arab himself, Maalouf believes the Arabs were not tempted to go along the path of religious fundamentalism until all others were blocked, and that the current Islamic movements are a product of our times, not part of Muslim history.
The critical question is why are so many people, especially in Muslim-majority countries, impelled to assert their religious identity more strongly than their other allegiances?
For Muslims, this identity transcends frontiers of race, ethnicity and nationalism, and provides the comfort of universality of the community of believers.
Maalouf appreciates the value of a global tribe, but wants this tribe to be inclusive of all humanity. This global tribe should value universal human rights which allow us to live as full citizens — to be free of persecution, have access to knowledge, choose one’s love and beliefs, respect the freedom of others, and live a decent, honorable life.
Maalouf is right that we must celebrate all our allegiances, including the identification with the global human tribe, and realize that individual and group identities are fluid and can alter with new experiences. This is hopeful indeed.
Alia Hogben is Executive Director of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW). This abridged article is distributed by the Common Ground News Service (CGNews) with permission from the author. The full text can be found at www.thewhig.com.
