Vicar Sayeedi's Blog, page 9
March 31, 2020
Rethinking Globalization in the 2020’s
Rethinking Globalization in the 2020’s
Vicar Sayeedi
April 1, 2020
Over the past twenty-five years or so, the Industrialized World has made great strides in redesigning everything from their back-office operations, customer service platforms and supply chains by participating in and capturing the benefits of a newly globalized marketplace for intermediary and finished goods and services. With the obvious and tantalizing benefit of significant cost reduction, this operational restructuring has also generated many complex business issues and personnel challenges that most corporate bosses have been willing to accept [or in some cases, they’ve simply acquiesced due to the unrelenting competitive pressures from rivals]. They were then able to take advantage of substantially lower costs for components and subassemblies in their supply chain as well as attractive labor contracts for ancillary services including call centers for back office support, IT and Customer Service.
But the COVID-19 Pandemic now raging across Planet Earth provides an unexpected and perhaps unsettling opportunity for Consultants, Corporate Strategists and Managers to reevaluate the benefits and risks of such a geographically dispersed operating model that now underpins their commercial enterprise. Many companies find themselves frighteningly exposed as these essential services that have been offshored to China, India and other low cost labor centers in Asia, now struggle to meet important customer commitments. There is a sense coalescing in the minds of these Consultants, Corporate Strategists and Managers that the Globalized Model works very well in theory as well as in practice, but apparently only in “Blue Sky” scenarios. They now realize that they never considered how they might manage these complex, geographically dispersed business models in an environment in which the “Blue Sky” scenario was replaced by a considerably more “Turbulent Sky”.
Artificial Intelligence is likely to make great contributions in the next few years when applied to customer service support networks, IT network oversight as well as in other areas. With the rapid proliferation of Artificial Narrow Intelligence [ANI] across the geographies of the Industrialized World during these past five years, it’s likely that American and European companies will accelerate their plans to repatriate substantial aspects of what had been off-shored over the past twenty-five years. We are rapidly approaching the point where many of the garments made in the sweat shops of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, or even China, will soon be manufactured in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Miami and San Francisco using highly automated machines requiring minimal input from labor, and hence can be produced at a comparable cost. The days in which low cost labor from the Developing World was seen as attractive to Western Industrialists has been waning for some time and the current Coronavirus Pandemic and simultaneous emergence of ANI is likely to dramatically accelerate restructuring and change.
Perhaps five years from now, the world of business and internal commercial operations will look substantially different than it did in January 2020 when the Coronavirus Pandemic dominated the headlines as the biggest news story of the year. This day may come to be seen as the defining moment in which Western Industrialists retreated from the globalized business models conceived in the post-Soviet era of the 1990’s and resolved to adopt an on-shore approach that heavily leverages AI. This change is likely to be a debilitating and irreversible setback for the Developing World.
The author is an Essayist, Poet and Writer. His most recent book, The Génome Affair is a story about the rise of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on society.
Vicar Sayeedi
April 1, 2020
Over the past twenty-five years or so, the Industrialized World has made great strides in redesigning everything from their back-office operations, customer service platforms and supply chains by participating in and capturing the benefits of a newly globalized marketplace for intermediary and finished goods and services. With the obvious and tantalizing benefit of significant cost reduction, this operational restructuring has also generated many complex business issues and personnel challenges that most corporate bosses have been willing to accept [or in some cases, they’ve simply acquiesced due to the unrelenting competitive pressures from rivals]. They were then able to take advantage of substantially lower costs for components and subassemblies in their supply chain as well as attractive labor contracts for ancillary services including call centers for back office support, IT and Customer Service.
But the COVID-19 Pandemic now raging across Planet Earth provides an unexpected and perhaps unsettling opportunity for Consultants, Corporate Strategists and Managers to reevaluate the benefits and risks of such a geographically dispersed operating model that now underpins their commercial enterprise. Many companies find themselves frighteningly exposed as these essential services that have been offshored to China, India and other low cost labor centers in Asia, now struggle to meet important customer commitments. There is a sense coalescing in the minds of these Consultants, Corporate Strategists and Managers that the Globalized Model works very well in theory as well as in practice, but apparently only in “Blue Sky” scenarios. They now realize that they never considered how they might manage these complex, geographically dispersed business models in an environment in which the “Blue Sky” scenario was replaced by a considerably more “Turbulent Sky”.
Artificial Intelligence is likely to make great contributions in the next few years when applied to customer service support networks, IT network oversight as well as in other areas. With the rapid proliferation of Artificial Narrow Intelligence [ANI] across the geographies of the Industrialized World during these past five years, it’s likely that American and European companies will accelerate their plans to repatriate substantial aspects of what had been off-shored over the past twenty-five years. We are rapidly approaching the point where many of the garments made in the sweat shops of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, or even China, will soon be manufactured in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Miami and San Francisco using highly automated machines requiring minimal input from labor, and hence can be produced at a comparable cost. The days in which low cost labor from the Developing World was seen as attractive to Western Industrialists has been waning for some time and the current Coronavirus Pandemic and simultaneous emergence of ANI is likely to dramatically accelerate restructuring and change.
Perhaps five years from now, the world of business and internal commercial operations will look substantially different than it did in January 2020 when the Coronavirus Pandemic dominated the headlines as the biggest news story of the year. This day may come to be seen as the defining moment in which Western Industrialists retreated from the globalized business models conceived in the post-Soviet era of the 1990’s and resolved to adopt an on-shore approach that heavily leverages AI. This change is likely to be a debilitating and irreversible setback for the Developing World.
The author is an Essayist, Poet and Writer. His most recent book, The Génome Affair is a story about the rise of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on society.
February 26, 2020
How Did We Get Here?
How Did We Get Here?
[Authoritarianism, Lobbying, Trump & Other Lethal Toxins]
Vicar Sayeedi
February 26, 2020
In the early 1990’s, the prominent Political Scientist, Francis Fukuyama infamously proclaimed we had reached, “the end of history.” The political systems and ideologies of governance [Communism and Fascism] that had dominated the 20th Century had fallen by the wayside and the only system left standing was that of the Western Liberal Democracy.
It was a euphoric time. Philosophers, Political Scientists and Thought Leaders cheered the era of the “Peace Dividend” as country after country took steps towards Democracy and governance ideals based upon the Western Humanist tradition – Constitutions, Declarations of Human Rights, Free Press, Free and Open Elections, Separation of Powers, etc. But as the euphoria subsided, the United States began to stray from the settled Western doctrine that constituted the values of the Liberal Democracy, the very doctrine that had defeated Communism. The United States strayed from the Rule of Law.
Thought Leaders on International Affairs have identified three egregious offences [post Cold War] that have done the most damage to the cause of Democracy around the world.
In 2002, Colin Powell appeared before the United Nations Security Council to make the case for war against Iraq. Powell was President Bush’s only Cabinet Member who held an admirable public approval rating and was thus selected to prosecute the fabricated case before the Council that Iraq possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction.
From 2008-2016, the inability/unwillingness of the Department of Justice under the Obama Administration to prosecute those in the Financial Services and Investment Banking industry responsible for the Sub Prime Lending Crisis further undermined America’s commitment to the Rule of Law. These Bankers brought both America’s domestic economy and a number of European economies to their knees. Tens of millions of Americans lost their homes, jobs and savings while those responsible remain unaccountable to this day.
From 2016-Present, the corruption, illegal, immoral and unethical behavior of the Trump Administration has cemented the worldview that the Rule of Law in America no longer applies to the wealthy and powerful.
From an economic policy perspective, once the Cold War ended and Communism had collapsed, America rapidly entered into trade deals with Canada and Mexico. The era of Globalization was upon us as government and industry partnered [colluded], without consideration for workers. Unchecked Globalization led to the collapse of American industries that employed many highly skilled knowledge workers as well as manufacturing workers, and subsequently we have witnessed the collapse of the standard of living afforded to so many in America’s Middle and Working Classes. The collapse of the “Economic Center” [the Bourgeois] has invariably led to the collapse of the “Political Center”.
It seems the need for government and industry to partner in considering the impact to these Classes in America evaporated once the ideological competitors in governance had been defeated. Prior to the collapse of Communism, a strong Bourgeois and Working Class was a major ideological argument for the superiority of Western Liberal Democracy over Communism.
Together, these economic policy and political failures have been identified by Political Scientists and Thought Leaders on International Affairs as the key factors over the past twenty years that have led to the rise of Authoritarianism around the world. During this twenty-year period, no country has made the transition from Authoritarianism to Democracy and the Rule of Law. Conversely, we have witnessed twenty-five countries that were once firmly on a path towards Democracy actually reverse course and return to a particularly severe form of Authoritarianism. The largest and more infamous countries in this category include Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Poland, Russia, Turkey, and Venezuela.
I believe it’s of paramount importance to take a holistic view of how we got where we are [I’ve attempted to highlight key points in this essay but there are so many more important factors]. Identifying only those issues of importance to our Tribe or Special Interest Group is unlikely to afford us much respect in the eyes of our Countrymen; we will rightly be seen as self-serving and selfish. This is a critical factor we must consider as we undertake our strategic planning program. The respect of our fellow citizens must not be discounted if we are to be successful in the long term – we must keep their needs in mind and work towards a just society that serves more than our own narrow self-interest.
The author is an Essayist, Poet and Writer. His most recent book, The Génome Affair is a story about the rise of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on society.
[Authoritarianism, Lobbying, Trump & Other Lethal Toxins]
Vicar Sayeedi
February 26, 2020
In the early 1990’s, the prominent Political Scientist, Francis Fukuyama infamously proclaimed we had reached, “the end of history.” The political systems and ideologies of governance [Communism and Fascism] that had dominated the 20th Century had fallen by the wayside and the only system left standing was that of the Western Liberal Democracy.
It was a euphoric time. Philosophers, Political Scientists and Thought Leaders cheered the era of the “Peace Dividend” as country after country took steps towards Democracy and governance ideals based upon the Western Humanist tradition – Constitutions, Declarations of Human Rights, Free Press, Free and Open Elections, Separation of Powers, etc. But as the euphoria subsided, the United States began to stray from the settled Western doctrine that constituted the values of the Liberal Democracy, the very doctrine that had defeated Communism. The United States strayed from the Rule of Law.
Thought Leaders on International Affairs have identified three egregious offences [post Cold War] that have done the most damage to the cause of Democracy around the world.
In 2002, Colin Powell appeared before the United Nations Security Council to make the case for war against Iraq. Powell was President Bush’s only Cabinet Member who held an admirable public approval rating and was thus selected to prosecute the fabricated case before the Council that Iraq possessed Weapons of Mass Destruction.
From 2008-2016, the inability/unwillingness of the Department of Justice under the Obama Administration to prosecute those in the Financial Services and Investment Banking industry responsible for the Sub Prime Lending Crisis further undermined America’s commitment to the Rule of Law. These Bankers brought both America’s domestic economy and a number of European economies to their knees. Tens of millions of Americans lost their homes, jobs and savings while those responsible remain unaccountable to this day.
From 2016-Present, the corruption, illegal, immoral and unethical behavior of the Trump Administration has cemented the worldview that the Rule of Law in America no longer applies to the wealthy and powerful.
From an economic policy perspective, once the Cold War ended and Communism had collapsed, America rapidly entered into trade deals with Canada and Mexico. The era of Globalization was upon us as government and industry partnered [colluded], without consideration for workers. Unchecked Globalization led to the collapse of American industries that employed many highly skilled knowledge workers as well as manufacturing workers, and subsequently we have witnessed the collapse of the standard of living afforded to so many in America’s Middle and Working Classes. The collapse of the “Economic Center” [the Bourgeois] has invariably led to the collapse of the “Political Center”.
It seems the need for government and industry to partner in considering the impact to these Classes in America evaporated once the ideological competitors in governance had been defeated. Prior to the collapse of Communism, a strong Bourgeois and Working Class was a major ideological argument for the superiority of Western Liberal Democracy over Communism.
Together, these economic policy and political failures have been identified by Political Scientists and Thought Leaders on International Affairs as the key factors over the past twenty years that have led to the rise of Authoritarianism around the world. During this twenty-year period, no country has made the transition from Authoritarianism to Democracy and the Rule of Law. Conversely, we have witnessed twenty-five countries that were once firmly on a path towards Democracy actually reverse course and return to a particularly severe form of Authoritarianism. The largest and more infamous countries in this category include Brazil, China, Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Poland, Russia, Turkey, and Venezuela.
I believe it’s of paramount importance to take a holistic view of how we got where we are [I’ve attempted to highlight key points in this essay but there are so many more important factors]. Identifying only those issues of importance to our Tribe or Special Interest Group is unlikely to afford us much respect in the eyes of our Countrymen; we will rightly be seen as self-serving and selfish. This is a critical factor we must consider as we undertake our strategic planning program. The respect of our fellow citizens must not be discounted if we are to be successful in the long term – we must keep their needs in mind and work towards a just society that serves more than our own narrow self-interest.
The author is an Essayist, Poet and Writer. His most recent book, The Génome Affair is a story about the rise of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on society.
February 18, 2020
A Few Thoughts on China
A Few Thoughts on China
Vicar Sayeedi
February 18, 2020
China is in the news quite a bit these days and unfortunately it’s for all the wrong reasons. As fellow citizens of the world we must wish them well as they contend with this most horrific outbreak of infectious disease.
Many often think of China as a country or nation. The Chinese have done a very good job of shaping the understanding of people around the world into believing that this is the case. But in reality, China is an Empire and Beijing is an Imperial Power ruling over a vast geographically contiguous region made up of very diverse peoples who speak different languages and dialects and who have distinct culture, heritage, traditions, etc.
In this sense, China closely resembles Empires of the past including the Austro-Hungarian, British, French, German, Islamic, Mongol, Mughal, Ottoman, Persian [Safavid and Sassanian], Roman, Russian, Soviet, Spanish, etc. The one thing each of these empires has in common is that they no longer exist.
China watched with great trepidation as the Soviet Empire collapsed following the fall of the Berlin Wall. As is the case in China, the Soviet Union was made up of numerous countries in Central Asia [Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan], the North Caucus Region [Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia], the Baltic Region [Lithuania, Estonia, Moldova, Latvia], Belarus & Ukraine.
From the beginning of the Bolshevik Revolution until the collapse of the Soviet Empire, the Russians did everything in their power to stamp out the distinct identity of the peoples of these diverse societies and force Russian culture upon them. But in the end they failed. This has been the fate of all empires.
Will China succeed where every other empire in history has failed? It’s possible. But history is definitely not on their side. They are struggling to bring Hong Kong and Taiwan back into the fold and are despised by ASEAN for their aggressive actions in the South China Sea. Finally, their actions in Xinjiang are beyond unspeakable.
The people of China have registered a no-confidence motion in the Chinese Leadership and System. No one dare speak out for fear of severe retaliation but they have voted through their actions. Every Chinese elite family [financial, industrial and political] has furrowed money out of the country and has established foreign bank accounts, foreign residences and holds foreign passports. The Chinese authorities have instituted strict capital controls to prevent the elites from taking such illegal actions but nevertheless the Chinese are the number one applicants and recipients around the world of Golden Visas – these are visas awarded to individuals and families who can deposit significant sums in local banks and invest in property.
The Chinese people do not trust their own leaders – there is no just rule of law or separation of powers and the State acts with impunity towards its citizens. They have instituted a system known as the Social Credit Score that is based upon near ubiquitous State Surveillance of their citizens. The Chinese people are watched and monitored around the clock and their Social Credit Score is constantly adjusted according to state sanctioned behaviors. This Score affects every aspect of their life from how much they are charged for groceries and transportation to which jobs are available for them to apply to and to the availability of loans. Absolutely terrifying – imagine life in this society. The State has complete power over their citizens in this way.
China’s greatest weaknesses seem to be internal. There are many positive things others have to say about China, but the realities above are existential threats for the Chinese Empire.
The author is an Essayist, Poet and Writer. His most recent book, The Génome Affair is a story about the rise of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on society.
Vicar Sayeedi
February 18, 2020
China is in the news quite a bit these days and unfortunately it’s for all the wrong reasons. As fellow citizens of the world we must wish them well as they contend with this most horrific outbreak of infectious disease.
Many often think of China as a country or nation. The Chinese have done a very good job of shaping the understanding of people around the world into believing that this is the case. But in reality, China is an Empire and Beijing is an Imperial Power ruling over a vast geographically contiguous region made up of very diverse peoples who speak different languages and dialects and who have distinct culture, heritage, traditions, etc.
In this sense, China closely resembles Empires of the past including the Austro-Hungarian, British, French, German, Islamic, Mongol, Mughal, Ottoman, Persian [Safavid and Sassanian], Roman, Russian, Soviet, Spanish, etc. The one thing each of these empires has in common is that they no longer exist.
China watched with great trepidation as the Soviet Empire collapsed following the fall of the Berlin Wall. As is the case in China, the Soviet Union was made up of numerous countries in Central Asia [Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan], the North Caucus Region [Chechnya, Dagestan, Ingushetia], the Baltic Region [Lithuania, Estonia, Moldova, Latvia], Belarus & Ukraine.
From the beginning of the Bolshevik Revolution until the collapse of the Soviet Empire, the Russians did everything in their power to stamp out the distinct identity of the peoples of these diverse societies and force Russian culture upon them. But in the end they failed. This has been the fate of all empires.
Will China succeed where every other empire in history has failed? It’s possible. But history is definitely not on their side. They are struggling to bring Hong Kong and Taiwan back into the fold and are despised by ASEAN for their aggressive actions in the South China Sea. Finally, their actions in Xinjiang are beyond unspeakable.
The people of China have registered a no-confidence motion in the Chinese Leadership and System. No one dare speak out for fear of severe retaliation but they have voted through their actions. Every Chinese elite family [financial, industrial and political] has furrowed money out of the country and has established foreign bank accounts, foreign residences and holds foreign passports. The Chinese authorities have instituted strict capital controls to prevent the elites from taking such illegal actions but nevertheless the Chinese are the number one applicants and recipients around the world of Golden Visas – these are visas awarded to individuals and families who can deposit significant sums in local banks and invest in property.
The Chinese people do not trust their own leaders – there is no just rule of law or separation of powers and the State acts with impunity towards its citizens. They have instituted a system known as the Social Credit Score that is based upon near ubiquitous State Surveillance of their citizens. The Chinese people are watched and monitored around the clock and their Social Credit Score is constantly adjusted according to state sanctioned behaviors. This Score affects every aspect of their life from how much they are charged for groceries and transportation to which jobs are available for them to apply to and to the availability of loans. Absolutely terrifying – imagine life in this society. The State has complete power over their citizens in this way.
China’s greatest weaknesses seem to be internal. There are many positive things others have to say about China, but the realities above are existential threats for the Chinese Empire.
The author is an Essayist, Poet and Writer. His most recent book, The Génome Affair is a story about the rise of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on society.
May 26, 2018
Why Literature?
The 2017 Nobel Laureate in Literature, Kazuo Ishiguro said, “The historian will tell you what happened; but the writer will tell you what it felt like”. The celebrated Canadian writer, Margaret Atwood believed the reason humankind has always found stories so appealing - when compared to the unvarnished facts, figures and logic appearing in textbooks and journals - is that we are not just creatures of intellect; we are also creatures of emotion. We think and we feel. Our thought process combined with our five senses is how we interact with and experience the universe. Summarily, as a species we are most responsive to ideas rendered through the lens of both reason and emotion.
The Persian writer and poet, Abdul Qasim Firdausi’s epic poem, Shahnameh, The Book of Kings, is a case in point. Completed more than 1000 years ago, in 1010 CE, Firdausi had spent over twenty-five years of his life composing Shahnameh. It was an extraordinary, encyclopedic volume that encapsulated Persian civilization from pre-historic times up until the Arab conquests of the middle seventh century.
The first half of Shahnameh is mythological in character, with stories of dragons and other fantastical creatures battled and subdued by Persian kings, flamboyant attempts to demonstrate their fitness to rule. These were universal stories often found in Anglo Saxon and Nordic mythology, as well. But the second half of Shahnameh was historically accurate and chronological in presentation. The book served as the definitive chronicle of Persian arts, culture, history, language, poetry, religion, rulers and tradition.
Firdausi’s classical work had a remarkable impact on the course of world history more than two hundred years after his death, following the Mongol invasion in the late 1200’s. The Mongols had swept across the Asian Steppes, westward across Central Asia, further west into the Middle East and Eastern Europe and into Southern Russia. The barbaric and ferocious invaders then established themselves in Persian lands. They had little skill in administration so they employed many Persians who were exceptionally adept in administration, along with the functioning of Court and government. In their capacity as administrators, courtiers and viziers, the Persians turned to their extant literary work, the Shahnameh to civilize and educate their otherwise uncouth and uncultured Mongol overlords and taught them all about their civilization, as chronicled in Firdausi’s epic.
It's impossible to identify another episode in human history during which a conquering people, rather than imparting their culture and values upon the society they had subjugated, instead adopted the culture, language, principles, religion, traditions and values of their subjects. The high culture of the Persians was thoroughly imbibed by the Mongols who later conquered South Asia and established the Mughal Islamic Empire, bringing with them the didactic Shahnameh, which substantially influenced the administration, architecture, crafts, court and social culture, decoration, language, ornamentation, religion and values of India’s society, as well. This remarkable series of events was largely enabled by Firdausi’s literary masterpiece, Shahnameh.
The Qur’an as didactic literature is a remarkable sacred text in that it brings forth a message that appeals to the intellect as well as to the heart. Its extensive use of poetic, rhythmic passages alongside descriptive, elegant prose, when rendered in a musical cadence, has the power to entrance the listener.
Many of the Islamic faithful gather in Mosques during the Holy Month of Ramadan in observance of the special night prayer, the Taraweeh. These prayers are led by reciters who are prized and celebrated for their song-like recitation of Qur'anic verses and passages; oral prayer services offered from memory with the power to emotionally move entire congregations, often to tears. Some worshippers may not even understand the classical Arabic language of the Qur'an but the lyrical, musical quality of its words and passages have a powerful effect on the gathering.
Such is the power of literature upon humankind.
Vicar Sayeedi is an independent author, essayist and poet. His novel, The Shariah Parliament is available worldwide on Amazon.
The Persian writer and poet, Abdul Qasim Firdausi’s epic poem, Shahnameh, The Book of Kings, is a case in point. Completed more than 1000 years ago, in 1010 CE, Firdausi had spent over twenty-five years of his life composing Shahnameh. It was an extraordinary, encyclopedic volume that encapsulated Persian civilization from pre-historic times up until the Arab conquests of the middle seventh century.
The first half of Shahnameh is mythological in character, with stories of dragons and other fantastical creatures battled and subdued by Persian kings, flamboyant attempts to demonstrate their fitness to rule. These were universal stories often found in Anglo Saxon and Nordic mythology, as well. But the second half of Shahnameh was historically accurate and chronological in presentation. The book served as the definitive chronicle of Persian arts, culture, history, language, poetry, religion, rulers and tradition.
Firdausi’s classical work had a remarkable impact on the course of world history more than two hundred years after his death, following the Mongol invasion in the late 1200’s. The Mongols had swept across the Asian Steppes, westward across Central Asia, further west into the Middle East and Eastern Europe and into Southern Russia. The barbaric and ferocious invaders then established themselves in Persian lands. They had little skill in administration so they employed many Persians who were exceptionally adept in administration, along with the functioning of Court and government. In their capacity as administrators, courtiers and viziers, the Persians turned to their extant literary work, the Shahnameh to civilize and educate their otherwise uncouth and uncultured Mongol overlords and taught them all about their civilization, as chronicled in Firdausi’s epic.
It's impossible to identify another episode in human history during which a conquering people, rather than imparting their culture and values upon the society they had subjugated, instead adopted the culture, language, principles, religion, traditions and values of their subjects. The high culture of the Persians was thoroughly imbibed by the Mongols who later conquered South Asia and established the Mughal Islamic Empire, bringing with them the didactic Shahnameh, which substantially influenced the administration, architecture, crafts, court and social culture, decoration, language, ornamentation, religion and values of India’s society, as well. This remarkable series of events was largely enabled by Firdausi’s literary masterpiece, Shahnameh.
The Qur’an as didactic literature is a remarkable sacred text in that it brings forth a message that appeals to the intellect as well as to the heart. Its extensive use of poetic, rhythmic passages alongside descriptive, elegant prose, when rendered in a musical cadence, has the power to entrance the listener.
Many of the Islamic faithful gather in Mosques during the Holy Month of Ramadan in observance of the special night prayer, the Taraweeh. These prayers are led by reciters who are prized and celebrated for their song-like recitation of Qur'anic verses and passages; oral prayer services offered from memory with the power to emotionally move entire congregations, often to tears. Some worshippers may not even understand the classical Arabic language of the Qur'an but the lyrical, musical quality of its words and passages have a powerful effect on the gathering.
Such is the power of literature upon humankind.
Vicar Sayeedi is an independent author, essayist and poet. His novel, The Shariah Parliament is available worldwide on Amazon.
April 25, 2018
Should Western Societies Fear Shariah?
These days, the word Shariah is often the elephant in the room. Muslims cower when the word is spoken, hoping no one is looking at them, while the mere mention of Shariah triggers fear and loathing amongst the ordinary citizen on the street. Fear of Shariah amongst ordinary people is certainly understandable. After all, the typical person knows little about what Shariah really is, and is not. Their understanding is generally shaped by events presented in the news media, beheadings of journalists by ISIS in Syria or public flogging by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
But for those interested in a deeper, insightful understanding of Shariah, the story is considerably more encouraging and hopeful. Scholars in the Department of Religious Studies at Columbia University in New York have established a center for the study of Shariah. Visiting academics have been conducting research at this center and have been translating and examining transcripts of court proceedings from Abbasid, Andalusian and Ottoman periods in Islamic history. Historians of both Eastern and Western proclivity have recognized these eras by their multiethnic and multi-religious societies, all working together harmoniously in an extraordinary period during which so much was done to advance the state of civilization in both the arts and sciences. The scholars’ findings have shown that the jurists in these Islamic civilizations adjudicated with extraordinary legal insight and sophistication. Their enlightened, methodical, rational and thoughtful adjudication bears no resemblance to the modern abominations of ISIS or the Taliban, as often characterized by the destruction of world cultural heritage including Palmyra and Bamiyan.
The incidents we often hear about in the news, abominations carried out in the name of Shariah, are largely a reflection of vigilantism and abuse of Islam’s legal code by non-state actors in a post-war environment characterized by anarchy and chaos. These unspeakable acts are not the characteristics of an enlightened, rational Shariah, a comprehensive system of social justice and penal code as implemented by the Abbasids, Andalusians or Ottomans. During 1400 years of Islamic civilization across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, historians have not recorded the destruction of humanity’s shared cultural heritage as has been witnessed in the last few years, nor do the aforementioned court transcripts record punishments such as beheadings or stoning.
It is reasonable to conclude that the collapse of the State leads to chaos and vigilantism in any society. Even minor disturbances in the State can be characterized by the miscarriage of justice in Eastern and Western societies, alike. What we have witnessed in Iraq in recent years at the hands of ISIS is largely vigilantism driven by violent, warring men who know little of Islamic jurisprudence or theology, sacred scripture, prophetic biography and tradition, or Shariah. Thus, to hold Islam and Shariah accountable for the anarchic behavior of non-state actors is a gross injustice and mischaracterization of Islamic civilization and teaching.
If Islam’s system of social justice and its penal code, if it’s legal philosophy, legal canon and jurisprudence were inherently flawed, it would never have been possible to assemble the multiethnic, multi-religious societies that were the hallmarks of 1400 years of Andalusian, Abbasid and Ottoman civilizations. The security and stability of their systems of social justice were primordial to enabling an environment conducive to such extraordinary achievement in the arts and sciences.
Works of mathematics and philosophy by the great thinkers of Classical Antiquity including Socrates, Plato and Aristotle were elevated and refined in the Muslim World in Andalusia and Mesopotamia during the Dark Ages and the High Middle Ages. These works later provided the underpinnings of Renaissance and Age of Enlightenment thought as they influenced great Western thinkers including Thomas Aquinas and René Descartes. These leaders of Western philosophy and thought were also students of works by Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali, Avicenna and Averroes, scholars from Andalusia and Baghdad who translated the mathematical and philosophical works of Classical Antiquity from Greek and Latin into Arabic. The Abbasids and Andalusians then elevated and refined these works with their own scholarly debate and insight, thus infusing the Islamic perspective on law, medicine and philosophy into works that began to influence European thought once they were brought back to France following wave after wave of Crusades.
Thus, Western society’s fear of Shariah is, in effect, a fear of Western history. Important Western legal documents including America’s Declaration of Independence and Constitution are firmly rooted in Europe’s Enlightenment philosophy and legal tradition, which are themselves rooted in Islamic philosophy and legal tradition. Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were frequent visitors to Paris and Versailles during the Age of Enlightenment. Undoubtedly, their contributions to the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were influenced and shaped by Europe’s great Enlightenment thinkers and thus, invariably by the great thinkers of the Muslim World.
Vicar Sayeedi is an independent author, essayist and poet. His novel, The Shariah Parliament is available worldwide.
But for those interested in a deeper, insightful understanding of Shariah, the story is considerably more encouraging and hopeful. Scholars in the Department of Religious Studies at Columbia University in New York have established a center for the study of Shariah. Visiting academics have been conducting research at this center and have been translating and examining transcripts of court proceedings from Abbasid, Andalusian and Ottoman periods in Islamic history. Historians of both Eastern and Western proclivity have recognized these eras by their multiethnic and multi-religious societies, all working together harmoniously in an extraordinary period during which so much was done to advance the state of civilization in both the arts and sciences. The scholars’ findings have shown that the jurists in these Islamic civilizations adjudicated with extraordinary legal insight and sophistication. Their enlightened, methodical, rational and thoughtful adjudication bears no resemblance to the modern abominations of ISIS or the Taliban, as often characterized by the destruction of world cultural heritage including Palmyra and Bamiyan.
The incidents we often hear about in the news, abominations carried out in the name of Shariah, are largely a reflection of vigilantism and abuse of Islam’s legal code by non-state actors in a post-war environment characterized by anarchy and chaos. These unspeakable acts are not the characteristics of an enlightened, rational Shariah, a comprehensive system of social justice and penal code as implemented by the Abbasids, Andalusians or Ottomans. During 1400 years of Islamic civilization across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, historians have not recorded the destruction of humanity’s shared cultural heritage as has been witnessed in the last few years, nor do the aforementioned court transcripts record punishments such as beheadings or stoning.
It is reasonable to conclude that the collapse of the State leads to chaos and vigilantism in any society. Even minor disturbances in the State can be characterized by the miscarriage of justice in Eastern and Western societies, alike. What we have witnessed in Iraq in recent years at the hands of ISIS is largely vigilantism driven by violent, warring men who know little of Islamic jurisprudence or theology, sacred scripture, prophetic biography and tradition, or Shariah. Thus, to hold Islam and Shariah accountable for the anarchic behavior of non-state actors is a gross injustice and mischaracterization of Islamic civilization and teaching.
If Islam’s system of social justice and its penal code, if it’s legal philosophy, legal canon and jurisprudence were inherently flawed, it would never have been possible to assemble the multiethnic, multi-religious societies that were the hallmarks of 1400 years of Andalusian, Abbasid and Ottoman civilizations. The security and stability of their systems of social justice were primordial to enabling an environment conducive to such extraordinary achievement in the arts and sciences.
Works of mathematics and philosophy by the great thinkers of Classical Antiquity including Socrates, Plato and Aristotle were elevated and refined in the Muslim World in Andalusia and Mesopotamia during the Dark Ages and the High Middle Ages. These works later provided the underpinnings of Renaissance and Age of Enlightenment thought as they influenced great Western thinkers including Thomas Aquinas and René Descartes. These leaders of Western philosophy and thought were also students of works by Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali, Avicenna and Averroes, scholars from Andalusia and Baghdad who translated the mathematical and philosophical works of Classical Antiquity from Greek and Latin into Arabic. The Abbasids and Andalusians then elevated and refined these works with their own scholarly debate and insight, thus infusing the Islamic perspective on law, medicine and philosophy into works that began to influence European thought once they were brought back to France following wave after wave of Crusades.
Thus, Western society’s fear of Shariah is, in effect, a fear of Western history. Important Western legal documents including America’s Declaration of Independence and Constitution are firmly rooted in Europe’s Enlightenment philosophy and legal tradition, which are themselves rooted in Islamic philosophy and legal tradition. Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin were frequent visitors to Paris and Versailles during the Age of Enlightenment. Undoubtedly, their contributions to the Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were influenced and shaped by Europe’s great Enlightenment thinkers and thus, invariably by the great thinkers of the Muslim World.
Vicar Sayeedi is an independent author, essayist and poet. His novel, The Shariah Parliament is available worldwide.
March 28, 2018
A Path Towards Reconciliation in the Muslim World
A Path Towards Reconciliation in the Muslim World
As is no doubt the case with many of you, I often read and watch events unfold in the Muslim World with great trepidation. Without taking sides, because these issues are so very complex, it's terribly distressing to observe the proxy war between the Persians and the Gulf Arabs in Yemen. We see death, destruction and suffering amongst so many innocent men, women and children who want no part in any of this, yet they find themselves helplessly trapped in the middle. They are suffering from outbreaks of long since eradicated diseases including cholera and diphtheria and due to the closure of ports for security reasons, food, water, medicines and vaccines have been in desperately short supply. As a result of this awful war many of the facilities previously available to treat people requiring medical care have been destroyed and many of Yemen's medics have been killed or have themselves, fled to safety. Consequently, many of the most vulnerable members of society will suffer and die.
This scenario of suffering of innocents is consistently replicated throughout the Muslim World, most notably in Afghanistan, Burma, China, Iraq, Kashmir, Palestine and of course in Syria, often for similar reasons or sometimes for even more complex reasons. In some cases, the clashes involve domestic disputes juxtaposed alongside Western interests who seek to fulfill their own strategic geopolitical agenda.
Nevertheless, regardless of where the blame lies, the Muslim World appears to be in the midst of World War III. No one has yet used this terminology to describe what is happening there but as the old saying goes, “if it looks like a duck, if it walks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck.” What happened on the European Continent during WW II – specifically, the death and maiming of millions of innocents [sometimes as casualties of war and sometimes as an act of genocide] – is also now happening on a frequent and widespread basis in the Muslim World. The deliberate destruction of European cultural monuments and art, of infrastructure, of economies, of heritage and history that took place during WW II is now happening with religious regularity throughout the Muslim World.
But what are we, the ordinary citizens of this world, to do besides pray for the suffering of so many innocents? Those in power in the Muslim World – Kings and Princes, Presidents and Prime Ministers, Ambassadors and Foreign Ministers, Delegates and Representatives to the Arab League, The Organization for Islamic Cooperation and to the UN, Legislators and Parliamentarians, men and women who hold office and have power and resources at their disposal – seem incapacitated when it comes to finding and delivering solutions.
In the end though, we bow our heads in disbelief, perhaps have a few heated arguments at each other's dinner parties or summer barbecues, perhaps even throw something at our large screen televisions out of extreme frustration. But for me, writing about the Muslim World and then exploring my mind for ideas on how to perhaps navigate our way out from these difficult circumstances is cathartic and my hope is to continue with this because doing so helps me to examine ideas thoughtfully, unencumbered by political realities, almost in a dream like state, to see where things may lead. I had an epiphany, a moment in which a truth became very clear to me while I was consumed in the writing of my book: that knowledge is the understanding of things as they are. Knowledge is the understanding of things as they are. But imagination is the understanding of things as they might be.
I've come to the conclusion that arguing about these matters never produces any tangible results. But literature? Maybe, just maybe my thoughts will fall into enough hands, curious hands, curious minds, thoughtful minds, hopeful minds, minds that might just create a groundswell that can help us find our way out from this morass. The situation in Europe post WW II was arguably worse than what we're presently witnessing in the Muslim World and if their people decided they had had enough of bloodshed, destruction, fighting and the subsequent and inescapable misery, perhaps my thoughts can inspire people, perhaps it can serve as an impetus for them to do the same in the Muslim World.
Readers often say to me, Vicar, I really enjoyed your book. The storyline and characters were fascinating and rich, and your writing style is so vivid, I felt like I was there. But I was wondering, do you really believe that the central theme of your book – that the Shariah Parliament initiative could reunite the Muslim World – is really possible? You’ve obviously spent so much time researching and writing this book; surely you must have some thoughts on this. Can you explain why you think the Shariah Parliament project might actually work?
Since this is such an important question that really goes to the heart of my literary work, please remain engaged with me while I try to explain my thoughts on this critical question since my response is a bit involved. It’s true, I have spent a great deal of time thinking about whether such an initiative is really possible and my unequivocal answer is, yes, I really do think it is. First, a short history lesson that borrows from Europe’s post war history:
The philosophy underlying America's foreign policy agenda towards Europe in the post World War II era was understandably empathetic and egalitarian in character. Anyone familiar with Western history over the past several centuries could easily understand why. After all, the people of America had a great deal in common with Europeans including culture, familial links, history, religion, traditions and values. As a result of these binding ties, American immigration policy between 1790-1952 was quite explicit: it required that anyone granted permission to immigrate be white, European and free.
America's postwar Marshall Plan injected $100B into Europe to accelerate the economic and social recovery on the Continent by helping to rebuild bridges, hospitals, roads, schools and all manner of infrastructure. It was an action and attitude that was deeply appreciated by Europeans to this day. In fact, we still find train stations along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris named after President Roosevelt and streets and monuments named and erected in honor of other Americans.
But America also benefited greatly from her empathetic foreign policy approach towards Europe. America had recently emerged from a decade of economic Depression and had begun to rapidly industrialize during the war years. In those postwar days, America took a long view of the situation and this enabled her to realize that aiding and accelerating Europe's recovery would quickly create new export markets for the products being produced by her new industrial capacity. The Marshall Plan was expected to help European families return to a level of household income that would enable them to soon become customers for products being produced by America’s new industrial powerhouse. Products including toasters, vacuum cleaners, washing machines and the numerous other consumer products she would soon be making. The Marshall plan was a proverbial “win-win” for both America and Europe and is admired to this day by historians and policy think tanks as a crowning achievement of postwar foreign policy success.
Unfortunately though, America’s foreign policy vision in Asia and Africa did not mirror the empathetic and egalitarian spirit exhibited in her foreign policy vision towards Europe in the post war era. Rather, it reflected diametrically opposed foreign policy characteristics that seemed to mirror the classic Imperial European foreign policy trajectory of “Divide and Conquer” cultivated over centuries past. It was difficult to understand why America’s great thinkers and advisors would lead America down this Imperialist foreign policy trajectory, when, after all, the shattered remnants of Europe’s preeminent Imperial powers stood manifest before them, in the persona of Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle.
America's foreign policy towards Asia and Africa initially seemed to be on a course independent of that of Imperial Europe. In fact, in the mid-1950's when Britain, France and Israel commenced a secret plan to attack Egypt in an attempt to force Colonel Naser to reverse his position on the nationalization of the Suez Canal, America openly condemned the actions of these important allies and threatened to impose severe sanctions on them during a Security Council meeting. This was an absolutely unimaginable course of action from the perspective of the times in which we now live. Britain was humiliated at home as the three Nations withdrew from Egypt with great embarrassment.
Nevertheless, Europe's Imperial powers, although waning in global influence in the postwar climate, prevailed as they sought to maintain some semblance of authority and stature by shaping the foreign policy philosophy and trajectory of this new super power, America. The Europeans convinced their American counterparts that they had centuries of experience in foreign policy in Asia and Africa, and so America acquiesced.
But now America's sphere of influence over Asia and Africa, in the view of many critical thinkers and policy analysts has, like the Imperial Europeans before them, also begun to ebb and wane. At the same time as Western spheres of influence across the region recede, China's sphere of influence has been rapidly expanding. Of critical note here, China’s foreign policy philosophy more closely resembles America's previously mentioned egalitarian and empathetic approach towards postwar Europe as opposed to the foreign policy philosophy of Imperial Europe towards Asia and Africa. This point is of a degree and significance whose impact simply cannot be overstated.
When America introduced the Marshall Plan it was understood that Europe would provide the statesmanship to once again subjugate Europeans across the Continent to the rule of law. Jurists, Politicians and Statesman would assume the responsibility in their respective domains to rebuild institutions of civil society in concert with the economic and physical rebuilding efforts of the Marshall Plan. The rule of law and civil society were deemed critical to the overall success of the European Project.
In September of 2013, China announced its Belt and Road Initiative, BRI or One Belt One Road, OBOR. OBOR is essentially a 21st century reincarnation of the ancient Silk Road. OBOR mirrors America and Europe's postwar Marshall Plan with the exception of its scale - you see, OBOR is a $1T project linking nearly seventy countries and two-thirds of the world's population across Asia, Africa and Europe into a single economic zone. Perhaps most importantly from the perspective of my vision for the Shariah Parliament, many of the countries falling within the sphere of this OBOR economic zone also fall within the sphere of the AL/OIC.
China will also have expectations of OBOR member states that they ensure stable societies with a high standard of governance. Thus, the efforts of the Shariah Parliament to develop a legal framework based upon sacred scripture and tradition that countries in the Muslim World already recognize and submit to, should lead to the ratification of this legal framework in the national legislatures of these Islamic countries. I believe such ratification will be directly in line with China's expectations for good governance and rule of law. China will not want to see her unprecedented investment in bridges, power generation facilities, tunnels or any other 21st century OBOR infrastructure damaged or destroyed as a result of banditry or lawlessness.
If we examine the rapidly evolving geopolitical and geostrategic events of the past twenty years and extrapolate where we are most likely headed, it is not difficult to imagine a European Union style federation emerging across the Muslim World. Such a Federation with uniform governance and intact sovereignty for its member states is clearly not without precedent. Furthermore, this model will be best suited to engage and support the OBOR program in a way that can benefit the Muslim World and all OBOR partners for generations to come.
The change in the sphere of influence being cast across the Muslim World from the Imperial and hegemonic policies of the past such as Sykes-Picot that have been blamed for so much of the chaos in the Middle East will no longer serve as the proverbial punching bag for leaders across the region. If they do not recognize the changes so obviously afoot, the OBOR initiative will bypass them altogether, as it has today, and they will relegate their citizens to another century of misery.
In closing, I must share with you that I take great comfort in the words of the Prophet Muhammad when he said, "The ink of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of the martyr."
Indeed! Indeed. For "The pen is", most definitely, "mightier than the sword."
Vicar Sayeedi is the author of the novel, The Shariah Parliament. The book is available on Amazon. He is currently working on Part 2 of the story.
As is no doubt the case with many of you, I often read and watch events unfold in the Muslim World with great trepidation. Without taking sides, because these issues are so very complex, it's terribly distressing to observe the proxy war between the Persians and the Gulf Arabs in Yemen. We see death, destruction and suffering amongst so many innocent men, women and children who want no part in any of this, yet they find themselves helplessly trapped in the middle. They are suffering from outbreaks of long since eradicated diseases including cholera and diphtheria and due to the closure of ports for security reasons, food, water, medicines and vaccines have been in desperately short supply. As a result of this awful war many of the facilities previously available to treat people requiring medical care have been destroyed and many of Yemen's medics have been killed or have themselves, fled to safety. Consequently, many of the most vulnerable members of society will suffer and die.
This scenario of suffering of innocents is consistently replicated throughout the Muslim World, most notably in Afghanistan, Burma, China, Iraq, Kashmir, Palestine and of course in Syria, often for similar reasons or sometimes for even more complex reasons. In some cases, the clashes involve domestic disputes juxtaposed alongside Western interests who seek to fulfill their own strategic geopolitical agenda.
Nevertheless, regardless of where the blame lies, the Muslim World appears to be in the midst of World War III. No one has yet used this terminology to describe what is happening there but as the old saying goes, “if it looks like a duck, if it walks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck.” What happened on the European Continent during WW II – specifically, the death and maiming of millions of innocents [sometimes as casualties of war and sometimes as an act of genocide] – is also now happening on a frequent and widespread basis in the Muslim World. The deliberate destruction of European cultural monuments and art, of infrastructure, of economies, of heritage and history that took place during WW II is now happening with religious regularity throughout the Muslim World.
But what are we, the ordinary citizens of this world, to do besides pray for the suffering of so many innocents? Those in power in the Muslim World – Kings and Princes, Presidents and Prime Ministers, Ambassadors and Foreign Ministers, Delegates and Representatives to the Arab League, The Organization for Islamic Cooperation and to the UN, Legislators and Parliamentarians, men and women who hold office and have power and resources at their disposal – seem incapacitated when it comes to finding and delivering solutions.
In the end though, we bow our heads in disbelief, perhaps have a few heated arguments at each other's dinner parties or summer barbecues, perhaps even throw something at our large screen televisions out of extreme frustration. But for me, writing about the Muslim World and then exploring my mind for ideas on how to perhaps navigate our way out from these difficult circumstances is cathartic and my hope is to continue with this because doing so helps me to examine ideas thoughtfully, unencumbered by political realities, almost in a dream like state, to see where things may lead. I had an epiphany, a moment in which a truth became very clear to me while I was consumed in the writing of my book: that knowledge is the understanding of things as they are. Knowledge is the understanding of things as they are. But imagination is the understanding of things as they might be.
I've come to the conclusion that arguing about these matters never produces any tangible results. But literature? Maybe, just maybe my thoughts will fall into enough hands, curious hands, curious minds, thoughtful minds, hopeful minds, minds that might just create a groundswell that can help us find our way out from this morass. The situation in Europe post WW II was arguably worse than what we're presently witnessing in the Muslim World and if their people decided they had had enough of bloodshed, destruction, fighting and the subsequent and inescapable misery, perhaps my thoughts can inspire people, perhaps it can serve as an impetus for them to do the same in the Muslim World.
Readers often say to me, Vicar, I really enjoyed your book. The storyline and characters were fascinating and rich, and your writing style is so vivid, I felt like I was there. But I was wondering, do you really believe that the central theme of your book – that the Shariah Parliament initiative could reunite the Muslim World – is really possible? You’ve obviously spent so much time researching and writing this book; surely you must have some thoughts on this. Can you explain why you think the Shariah Parliament project might actually work?
Since this is such an important question that really goes to the heart of my literary work, please remain engaged with me while I try to explain my thoughts on this critical question since my response is a bit involved. It’s true, I have spent a great deal of time thinking about whether such an initiative is really possible and my unequivocal answer is, yes, I really do think it is. First, a short history lesson that borrows from Europe’s post war history:
The philosophy underlying America's foreign policy agenda towards Europe in the post World War II era was understandably empathetic and egalitarian in character. Anyone familiar with Western history over the past several centuries could easily understand why. After all, the people of America had a great deal in common with Europeans including culture, familial links, history, religion, traditions and values. As a result of these binding ties, American immigration policy between 1790-1952 was quite explicit: it required that anyone granted permission to immigrate be white, European and free.
America's postwar Marshall Plan injected $100B into Europe to accelerate the economic and social recovery on the Continent by helping to rebuild bridges, hospitals, roads, schools and all manner of infrastructure. It was an action and attitude that was deeply appreciated by Europeans to this day. In fact, we still find train stations along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris named after President Roosevelt and streets and monuments named and erected in honor of other Americans.
But America also benefited greatly from her empathetic foreign policy approach towards Europe. America had recently emerged from a decade of economic Depression and had begun to rapidly industrialize during the war years. In those postwar days, America took a long view of the situation and this enabled her to realize that aiding and accelerating Europe's recovery would quickly create new export markets for the products being produced by her new industrial capacity. The Marshall Plan was expected to help European families return to a level of household income that would enable them to soon become customers for products being produced by America’s new industrial powerhouse. Products including toasters, vacuum cleaners, washing machines and the numerous other consumer products she would soon be making. The Marshall plan was a proverbial “win-win” for both America and Europe and is admired to this day by historians and policy think tanks as a crowning achievement of postwar foreign policy success.
Unfortunately though, America’s foreign policy vision in Asia and Africa did not mirror the empathetic and egalitarian spirit exhibited in her foreign policy vision towards Europe in the post war era. Rather, it reflected diametrically opposed foreign policy characteristics that seemed to mirror the classic Imperial European foreign policy trajectory of “Divide and Conquer” cultivated over centuries past. It was difficult to understand why America’s great thinkers and advisors would lead America down this Imperialist foreign policy trajectory, when, after all, the shattered remnants of Europe’s preeminent Imperial powers stood manifest before them, in the persona of Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle.
America's foreign policy towards Asia and Africa initially seemed to be on a course independent of that of Imperial Europe. In fact, in the mid-1950's when Britain, France and Israel commenced a secret plan to attack Egypt in an attempt to force Colonel Naser to reverse his position on the nationalization of the Suez Canal, America openly condemned the actions of these important allies and threatened to impose severe sanctions on them during a Security Council meeting. This was an absolutely unimaginable course of action from the perspective of the times in which we now live. Britain was humiliated at home as the three Nations withdrew from Egypt with great embarrassment.
Nevertheless, Europe's Imperial powers, although waning in global influence in the postwar climate, prevailed as they sought to maintain some semblance of authority and stature by shaping the foreign policy philosophy and trajectory of this new super power, America. The Europeans convinced their American counterparts that they had centuries of experience in foreign policy in Asia and Africa, and so America acquiesced.
But now America's sphere of influence over Asia and Africa, in the view of many critical thinkers and policy analysts has, like the Imperial Europeans before them, also begun to ebb and wane. At the same time as Western spheres of influence across the region recede, China's sphere of influence has been rapidly expanding. Of critical note here, China’s foreign policy philosophy more closely resembles America's previously mentioned egalitarian and empathetic approach towards postwar Europe as opposed to the foreign policy philosophy of Imperial Europe towards Asia and Africa. This point is of a degree and significance whose impact simply cannot be overstated.
When America introduced the Marshall Plan it was understood that Europe would provide the statesmanship to once again subjugate Europeans across the Continent to the rule of law. Jurists, Politicians and Statesman would assume the responsibility in their respective domains to rebuild institutions of civil society in concert with the economic and physical rebuilding efforts of the Marshall Plan. The rule of law and civil society were deemed critical to the overall success of the European Project.
In September of 2013, China announced its Belt and Road Initiative, BRI or One Belt One Road, OBOR. OBOR is essentially a 21st century reincarnation of the ancient Silk Road. OBOR mirrors America and Europe's postwar Marshall Plan with the exception of its scale - you see, OBOR is a $1T project linking nearly seventy countries and two-thirds of the world's population across Asia, Africa and Europe into a single economic zone. Perhaps most importantly from the perspective of my vision for the Shariah Parliament, many of the countries falling within the sphere of this OBOR economic zone also fall within the sphere of the AL/OIC.
China will also have expectations of OBOR member states that they ensure stable societies with a high standard of governance. Thus, the efforts of the Shariah Parliament to develop a legal framework based upon sacred scripture and tradition that countries in the Muslim World already recognize and submit to, should lead to the ratification of this legal framework in the national legislatures of these Islamic countries. I believe such ratification will be directly in line with China's expectations for good governance and rule of law. China will not want to see her unprecedented investment in bridges, power generation facilities, tunnels or any other 21st century OBOR infrastructure damaged or destroyed as a result of banditry or lawlessness.
If we examine the rapidly evolving geopolitical and geostrategic events of the past twenty years and extrapolate where we are most likely headed, it is not difficult to imagine a European Union style federation emerging across the Muslim World. Such a Federation with uniform governance and intact sovereignty for its member states is clearly not without precedent. Furthermore, this model will be best suited to engage and support the OBOR program in a way that can benefit the Muslim World and all OBOR partners for generations to come.
The change in the sphere of influence being cast across the Muslim World from the Imperial and hegemonic policies of the past such as Sykes-Picot that have been blamed for so much of the chaos in the Middle East will no longer serve as the proverbial punching bag for leaders across the region. If they do not recognize the changes so obviously afoot, the OBOR initiative will bypass them altogether, as it has today, and they will relegate their citizens to another century of misery.
In closing, I must share with you that I take great comfort in the words of the Prophet Muhammad when he said, "The ink of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of the martyr."
Indeed! Indeed. For "The pen is", most definitely, "mightier than the sword."
Vicar Sayeedi is the author of the novel, The Shariah Parliament. The book is available on Amazon. He is currently working on Part 2 of the story.
November 16, 2017
March 30, 2017
An Islamic Renaissance
An Islamic Renaissance
As a student of classical Arabic many years ago, I was quite taken by the depth and breadth of this ancient language. I found its structure to be sophisticated and unique in that the presence of a word in one context or application carried a specific or related series of meanings, but when rendered in a different context or construct the very same word might carry an entirely different meaning or set of possible meanings.
A critical lesson that remains with me until today is that translating a verse of Qur'an from its classical Arabic into English can, at the same time, be correct while also being inaccurate. In other words, the literal translation of a verse was correct but the underlying semantic value or meaning was lost or wrong.
Given the sophistication and nuance of the language, it’s unfortunate that most modern translations of the Qur’an, Islam’s Sacred Text, in the English language are performed without a grasp of this critical issue. The translations today remain quite literal and often serve as the basis for considerable consternation and misunderstanding between various groups.
Nevertheless, it's an easy problem to reconcile [at least in theory]. Scholars [leading historians, jurists, linguists and theologians from around the world] must work together, in an interdisciplinary manner, to produce a 21st century translation of the Qur'an with due consideration given to understanding the Book from these closely linked but diverse disciplines. This work should continue in a similar manner for the works of Sacred Tradition [Sunnah] and Sacred Law [Shariah]. Although it’s a very significant endeavor – perhaps five or six years would be required – it's critically needed and eminently doable. Such an endeavor could be enormously helpful in diffusing tensions and clashes resulting from conflicting interpretations and their value in the eyes of various groups.
The Muslim World is incredibly wealthy and could effortlessly raise $50- $100 million dollars to fund a multi-year initiative and establish an organization to carry out this important work [perhaps under the auspices of the United Nations]. We just need to be open and willing to collaborate across academic disciplines, religious sects and juristic traditions, and work together towards the noble goal of reestablishing religious authority within the Muslim World.
Muslims in the West [particularly, in the US and UK] are unique - they are highly educated, they are free of cultural and tribal constraints that cloud the Islamic practices of fellow Muslims in their homeland and they are [second generation] critical thinkers. This makes them ideal for initiating and leading a multidisciplinary translation of the Qur’an. These were the same attributes present in the societies of Islamic Spain and the Ottomans, characteristics that led to such wonderful achievement during the same era in which Europe was trapped in the Dark Ages.
If we are willing to work together on such critical initiatives, we can once again become an enlightened people and witness the dawn of an Islamic Renaissance.
Vicar Sayeedi
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6MXW99
As a student of classical Arabic many years ago, I was quite taken by the depth and breadth of this ancient language. I found its structure to be sophisticated and unique in that the presence of a word in one context or application carried a specific or related series of meanings, but when rendered in a different context or construct the very same word might carry an entirely different meaning or set of possible meanings.
A critical lesson that remains with me until today is that translating a verse of Qur'an from its classical Arabic into English can, at the same time, be correct while also being inaccurate. In other words, the literal translation of a verse was correct but the underlying semantic value or meaning was lost or wrong.
Given the sophistication and nuance of the language, it’s unfortunate that most modern translations of the Qur’an, Islam’s Sacred Text, in the English language are performed without a grasp of this critical issue. The translations today remain quite literal and often serve as the basis for considerable consternation and misunderstanding between various groups.
Nevertheless, it's an easy problem to reconcile [at least in theory]. Scholars [leading historians, jurists, linguists and theologians from around the world] must work together, in an interdisciplinary manner, to produce a 21st century translation of the Qur'an with due consideration given to understanding the Book from these closely linked but diverse disciplines. This work should continue in a similar manner for the works of Sacred Tradition [Sunnah] and Sacred Law [Shariah]. Although it’s a very significant endeavor – perhaps five or six years would be required – it's critically needed and eminently doable. Such an endeavor could be enormously helpful in diffusing tensions and clashes resulting from conflicting interpretations and their value in the eyes of various groups.
The Muslim World is incredibly wealthy and could effortlessly raise $50- $100 million dollars to fund a multi-year initiative and establish an organization to carry out this important work [perhaps under the auspices of the United Nations]. We just need to be open and willing to collaborate across academic disciplines, religious sects and juristic traditions, and work together towards the noble goal of reestablishing religious authority within the Muslim World.
Muslims in the West [particularly, in the US and UK] are unique - they are highly educated, they are free of cultural and tribal constraints that cloud the Islamic practices of fellow Muslims in their homeland and they are [second generation] critical thinkers. This makes them ideal for initiating and leading a multidisciplinary translation of the Qur’an. These were the same attributes present in the societies of Islamic Spain and the Ottomans, characteristics that led to such wonderful achievement during the same era in which Europe was trapped in the Dark Ages.
If we are willing to work together on such critical initiatives, we can once again become an enlightened people and witness the dawn of an Islamic Renaissance.
Vicar Sayeedi
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6MXW99
March 25, 2017
The Other One Percent – America’s Muslims
The Other One Percent – America’s Muslims
By most credible accounts, the total population of the Muslim World is now approximately 1.6 billion of which over 98% currently live in Asia [East, Central and South Asia as well as in the Middle East] and Africa [North Africa and other parts]. Surprisingly, less than 2% of the world’s Muslim population lives in the West [Western Europe and North America].
Approximately 21 million Muslims live in Western Europe with the largest populations residing in Germany [4.8 million], France [4.7 million], UK [3 million] and Italy [2.2 million]. The US is home to 0.2% of the world’s Muslims and represents only 1% of the US population.
Asian and African Muslim populations contain significant numbers of uneducated people. The educated Muslims within these societies are typically trained in a highly authoritarian manner - free thinking and open challenge of established positions is discouraged and is often met with rebuke and formal discipline.
In marked contrast, the Muslim population living in the West [particularly, in the UK and US] tends to be highly educated relative to their adopted society. Typically, this is a result of immigration policies that strongly favored educated classes that serve to fill gaps and supplement the nation’s need for medical, scientific and technical skill, knowledge and knowhow.
The second generation, descendants of these original Muslim immigrants, are Western educated, trained in critical thinking and knowledgeable about Islam – they’re emboldened and, unlike their forebears, comfortable challenging established religious doctrine, policies and positions.
These Muslims typically practice mainstream Islam, free of customary, familial and tribal encumbrances and intrusions that, for Muslims in Asia and Africa, very frequently blur the lines between cultural practices, religious requirements and tribal law.
This tiny minority of Muslims are very likely to be the best-positioned people within the entire Muslim World to provide the guidance, leadership and vision to the world’s Muslims as they work to study and understand Islam, including the Shariah, from a 21st century perspective.
It’s critical for government officials, intellectuals and scholars in Western countries to recognize these important realities and engage their local Muslim community to work with them, and with the leadership within the broader Muslim World, to address the many challenges that face the world today. Demonizing this Muslim minority – the active and well-funded work of the American Islamophobia industry – is unwise and self-defeating.
The Shariah Parliament
Vicar Sayeedi
By most credible accounts, the total population of the Muslim World is now approximately 1.6 billion of which over 98% currently live in Asia [East, Central and South Asia as well as in the Middle East] and Africa [North Africa and other parts]. Surprisingly, less than 2% of the world’s Muslim population lives in the West [Western Europe and North America].
Approximately 21 million Muslims live in Western Europe with the largest populations residing in Germany [4.8 million], France [4.7 million], UK [3 million] and Italy [2.2 million]. The US is home to 0.2% of the world’s Muslims and represents only 1% of the US population.
Asian and African Muslim populations contain significant numbers of uneducated people. The educated Muslims within these societies are typically trained in a highly authoritarian manner - free thinking and open challenge of established positions is discouraged and is often met with rebuke and formal discipline.
In marked contrast, the Muslim population living in the West [particularly, in the UK and US] tends to be highly educated relative to their adopted society. Typically, this is a result of immigration policies that strongly favored educated classes that serve to fill gaps and supplement the nation’s need for medical, scientific and technical skill, knowledge and knowhow.
The second generation, descendants of these original Muslim immigrants, are Western educated, trained in critical thinking and knowledgeable about Islam – they’re emboldened and, unlike their forebears, comfortable challenging established religious doctrine, policies and positions.
These Muslims typically practice mainstream Islam, free of customary, familial and tribal encumbrances and intrusions that, for Muslims in Asia and Africa, very frequently blur the lines between cultural practices, religious requirements and tribal law.
This tiny minority of Muslims are very likely to be the best-positioned people within the entire Muslim World to provide the guidance, leadership and vision to the world’s Muslims as they work to study and understand Islam, including the Shariah, from a 21st century perspective.
It’s critical for government officials, intellectuals and scholars in Western countries to recognize these important realities and engage their local Muslim community to work with them, and with the leadership within the broader Muslim World, to address the many challenges that face the world today. Demonizing this Muslim minority – the active and well-funded work of the American Islamophobia industry – is unwise and self-defeating.
The Shariah Parliament
Vicar Sayeedi
March 21, 2017
Building Bridges
My work as an author is dedicated to writing stories about the Muslim World with the express goal of improving and increasing understanding around the globe.
There is much fear about the Muslims these days and I want to help dispel this through my writing. I want to write the stories that build bridges between different peoples.
Please ask me anything you like about my new novel, The Shariah Parliament or other questions related to Islam you may have. Together, we can help build this critical infrastructure one brick at a time.
The Shariah Parliament
There is much fear about the Muslims these days and I want to help dispel this through my writing. I want to write the stories that build bridges between different peoples.
Please ask me anything you like about my new novel, The Shariah Parliament or other questions related to Islam you may have. Together, we can help build this critical infrastructure one brick at a time.
The Shariah Parliament
