THE SECTARIAN PHENOMENON

this psyche of tahazzub refuse to listen to any criticism of themselves, no matter how legitimate it may be. Religious factionalism is certainly an issue. It is not, however, an eternal problem. Under the influence of circumstances, this happens with every religiously-defined community. But, alongside this, a solution to this problem is also undoubtedly present — and that is, introspection. An individual introspecting about himself or herself is one sort of introspection. In addition to this, the Quran also teaches us what can be called ‘collective introspection’, as the following Quranic verse indicates: Believers, turn to God, every one of you, so that you may prosper. THE QURAN 24: 31 From this verse, we learn that success, in the sense of reforming one’s conditions, is linked to collective repentance. In this regard, Muslim community institutions must clearly and openly decry sectarian rivalry; they must issue relevant fatwas; and the Muslim media should publish articles about this issue. In this way, joint efforts can be made towards the collective repentance that the Quran talks about. This is the way to help solve the phenomenon of sectarianism. o Positions of Power Positions of power have always been objects of envy for people. However, these coveted seats lose their charm as soon as they come within our grasp. The price we pay for them is our freedom — mental, moral, emotional and physical — and, surely, renunciation of such freedoms is too great a price to pay for anything so purely material.