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Caught in the middle - a
good place to be
Al-Qalam A few weeks ago, a meeting took place in Johannesburg at the offices of the Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal between leaders of the Muslim community and government representatives. Government had requested the meeting and it had arisen out of concerns from both sides on issues of national security. The question for us, of course, is whether the government needs to be concerned about the Muslim community regarding national security. And, conversely, does the Muslim community need to be concerned about how it is perceived on this question. Some recent happenings indicate there might be cause for concern – from both sides. The Estcourt incident which – justifiably – raised much anger in the Muslim community is one such case. Two Muslim men, one a prominent community member, were abducted in the middle of the night by unknown persons and disappeared for a few days. Fortunately, they both have resurfaced. Then there has been the monitoring, by South African intelligence, of a number of darul ulooms, their students and staff. The leader of a Muslim relief organisation was prevented from boarding a plane in Dubai while en route to ‘umrah with his family and told that his government requested he be turned back, a charge the South African government denies. A number of Muslim leaders are being overtly monitored and followed. At the same time, we have the existence of ‘jihad training’ in various locations in the country, with Muslims claiming to be preparing themselves for battle (against whom, Allah knows best). We have Muslim leaders publicly lauding the actions of the Taliban and Al-Qaida, talking about how democracy is ‘against Islam’ and how Muslims should not engage with a ‘kaafir government’. It is therefore unsurprising that there is anxiety – from government and from the community – about the current situation of Muslims in South Africa. But this interaction also raises bigger questions: how should Muslims – in South Africa and globally – respond to these kinds of challenges; how does Islam require Muslims to live in a world that has become defined by the events of the 11 September 2001; how do Muslims live a life balanced between the extremisms that plague our world; what is the Qur’ānic imperative in such a world. These are questions that need urgent contemplation by Muslims, by all Muslims and not just by ‘Muslim leaders’. In the recent past, it has often seemed that Muslims are caught in the middle, trying to survive between extreme positions, none of which they can agree with as Muslims who are true to their faith. Globally, the Muslim ummah has been placed in an extremely defensive position. On one hand, the onward brutal march of imperialism and occupation challenges us to strongly respond by standing for justice and against oppression. On the other hand, we regularly witness certain actions – even atrocities – committed in our names: bombings where innocent civilians are killed, abductions, murders… Our dilemma, then, is that we cannot acquiesce with imperialism and the agenda of the powerful. This is not the Islamic way. At the same time, however, we cannot be apologists for crimes committed by Muslims; we cannot remain silent. So, we are caught in the middle. But being ‘caught in the middle’ is not always a bad thing. Indeed, in this instance, it is a good thing. In Surah Baqara (Verse 143), Allah indicates a direction that could highlight some options for us. ‘And We have made you,’ Allah says, ‘a middle nation, that you may be witnesses against humankind, and that the messenger may be a witness against you.’ What is the meaning of this ummatun wasata or ‘middle nation’ that Allah refers to? Some commentators translate the word wasata as ‘moderate’, some as ‘justly balanced’ and some as ‘medium’. (I have my own reasons for disliking the term ‘moderate Muslim’ – because that is how PW Botha referred to Muslims who supported apartheid and that is how George Bush refers to Muslims willing to support his neo-con ideology.) But I also think that the other usual translations of wasata are inadequate to explain our role in a world of extremisms. In Surah ‘Adiyat, Allah uses the word wasata in a different sense. ‘And penetrate forthwith,’ Allah says, ‘into the midst (of the enemy) en masse.’ Here we find a different meaning of wasata: to be at the centre of the action, to be centrally involved – as opposed to burying one’s head in the sand. Trying to apply both these meanings complicates the situation. Both meanings, simultaneously, indicate our role: to be a ‘middle’ non-extremist community and, at the same time, to be centrally involved in what is taking place. What, then, are the implications of this verse and this position for Muslims in South Africa? Firstly, we need to admit that we do have problems in our Muslim community. We do have, within the community, elements who want to engage in ‘jihad training’, wanting to be ‘battle ready’, regarding democracy as unIslamic and for whom only a militant form of Islam is acceptable. (Strange how many of these people had not an ounce of ‘militancy’ in the apartheid era when many Muslim activists were arrested, detained and killed.) And, in making this admission, we should be careful that we do not simply place blame on foreign Muslims – as both South African Muslims and government representatives are sometimes wont to do. We must admit too that, for many years, an ideology of hatred has been perpetuated in our community. It might be hatred of non-Muslims, of Jews, of Shi’as, of women, of africans. We cannot afford to be protective or defensive of such unIslamic attitudes. They have to be exposed and dealt with. And, in dealing with them, South African Muslims should also develop a strong sense of patriotism and allegiance to our country and its people. But patriotism does not mean blind support for the government of the day. It is necessary, rather, to maintain a critical approach to government, supporting it where necessary but being prepared to criticise it when the moment demands. Extremes, as I said, are not what the Qur’ān requires of us. It neither requires blind opposition to democracy and the government in South Africa, nor does it require blind support for government and all it does. Maintaining a balance between these two – the wasata – is the challenge all South African Muslims face.
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