WESTERN AGENDA

WESTERN AGENDA False Propaganda P RESENT-DAY Muslim scholars and intellectuals generally think that the West has a certain agenda vis-a-vis the ‘Islamic world’, and that it is pursuing that agenda with full force. To cite just one example to illustrate this point, consider a comment by one of the Muslim speakers in a conference on the theme, ‘Is Islam a Threat to the West?’ At this conference, he commented that many Muslim intellectuals stress that while Muslims would like to benefit from the positive things the West has to offer, they do not want to accept its negative things. In response to this statement, some Westerners amongst the conference participants said that the West was not willing to permit Muslims to benefit from its technology, culture and civilizations on these conditions. They were of the opinion that all of these came as a complete package, which Muslims had to either fully accept or fully reject. They did not have the option to pick and choose as they pleased. The comments of the Muslims are a product of lack of awareness of the modern age. In this regard, the modern mindset is what is reflected in this adage about America: ‘The business of America is business.’ The fact of the matter is that the present age is an age of commercialisation. This age was ushered in through modern industrialisation. In this age, almost everything is purchasable if one can pay the price for it. One can buy anything, from a needle to an aeroplane. Without paying the price one cannot get anything at all. There is no ‘Western agenda’ in this matter. As far as the West is concerned, its only concern is to promote its business to the rest of the world. Muslims are unaware of the above fact and have acquired only one thing from this unawareness—baseless hatred for the West. Present-day Muslims have been able to gain nothing positive from it at all. This reflects a miserable intellectual bankruptcy on their part. This bankruptcy of Muslim scholars is ancient. Muslim scholars viewed European colonialism in exactly the same negative manner, and got The notion of an ‘western agenda’ is the product of the Muslim mind. Present-day Muslims have been able to gain nothing positive from it at all. This reflects a miserable intellectual bankruptcy on their part.