Humanity’s Need for Ali Ibn Abi Taleb: The Voice of Human Justice⁽[1]⁾

Who stands behind the Conflict of Civilizations?

The idea of the “conflict of civilizations” matured by the arrogant western governments after the dissolution of the Soviet Union as the international power opposing them. Western ideology had always been based on the presence (or the creation of the presence) of an enemy, real or imagined. The purpose of this policy is to convince their own populations about their aggressive policies which contradict the simplest tenets of human rights, and so they may continue to absorb the wealth of other nations and communities with their expansionism, and so they can continue to accumulate their own wealth at the expense of the deprivation of other nations. The presence of an enemy would justify those policies and rally their peoples around them to face that imagined enemy, and their people would follow them blindly, deceived by their false claims.

After the destruction of the Soviet Union, they deceived their people into believing that Islam is their new enemy; and to that end they overrated its danger, and went into great lengths in warning about its danger, and the necessity of facing it. International Zionism only exacerbates this issue as it does not wish for the Islamic and Christian worlds to go closer, as it views this as an existential threat to its interests. The Zionists are deeply concerned with creating enmity between the two worlds and widening the split between them as they are the only ones who have an inherent enmity for Islam and Muslims. Otherwise, there is no essential enmity between Muslims and Christians as mere Muslims and Christians, as Allah (Exalted is He) says: “Strongest among men in enmity to the believers wilt thou find the Jews and Pagans; and nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who say, "We are Christians": because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant” [Surah of the Table: 82].

The Creation of Subservience and Exploitation:

The unfortunate dimension of the issue is the fact that both parties are heedless of this fact, and thus lost in their conflicts. However, I do see the signs of a certain awareness in the Muslim and Christian worlds to this Zionist conspiracy as both worlds came to the realization that bringing the two civilizations together is possible, and that the conflicts between them have no real basis. There are several proofs of this increase awareness, such as the latest European survey which revealed that most people consider Israel as the number one cause of worry and terrorism in the world. The majority of people in Belgium and Canada also expressed their wish to sever all relations with Israel.

The haughty ones of this world have always sought to impose their domination over the world, and particularly over the Muslim east due to its immense resources and strategic position which makes it crucial to their interests. They invented the concept of “globalization” for that end, and what it simply means is turning the whole world into one entity which thinks, moves, and lives as they wish for it to live. This had always been the logic of the arrogant ones of this world, as the Holy Quran narrates about Pharaoh: “I but point out to you that which I see (myself)” [Surah of the Forgiver: 29], “O my people! Does not the dominion of Egypt belong to me, (witness) these streams flowing underneath my (palace)?” [Surah of the Ornaments: 51]. No one is allowed to disagree with them, or to go out of their sphere of influence and interest or he will be subject to all sorts of woes. They have devised to this end a tremendous military apparatus which is capable of hunting down anyone who dares to rebel against them, and financial institutions capable of swallowing any country through immersing it in debt and inflation which makes its survival almost impossible, so it has to inevitably become subservient to them without any will independent of their own. They have exported their shallow culture to us, created meaningless symbols for us to imitate and follow in our thoughts and aspirations. Throughout all this, they created for themselves an aura of invincibility and glamour in their matchless scientific and technological superiority. They attempted to turn all this into the foundations of intellectual, moral, and social subservience, stripping us in the process of all strength in the aspects they envy us for. It is clear that they will never be pleased with us until we give up these aspects.

Cultural Confrontation:

Thus, it is the duty of our intellectuals to go through the following steps:

1- Opening both civilizations to each other, recognizing the truth about each on in its foundations, purposes, mechanisms, and other aspects of each civilization. This would be a great step forward, and a crucial prelude for meeting with it.

2- The presentation of complete model of our symbols with a study of their biographies and an analysis of those biographies, highlighting the points of greatness –which are many, with Allah’s grace. The first of those symbols is the most perfect of creations, Muhammad the Messenger of Allah (Prayers of Allah and His Peace upon him and his household). There is also the Prince of the Faithful Ali Ibn Abi Taleb, the Prophet’s brother, (Peace upon him), and the pure Imams and their pious companions. It is part of human nature to be influenced by major symbols and to follow their suit. The Holy Quran pointed out the importance of this style in education, which is following the example of perfect human prototypes, as Allah (Exalted is He) says: “Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day” [Surah of the Clans: 21]. If we do not provide the people with such examples then they will follow trifle idols such as sportsmen and singers and so on.

3- We must become proficient in the language of dialogue with the other party, and to understand well the proper entrances to their hearts and minds and souls. For instance, you cannot explain to a westerner that the reason of Imam Al-Hussein’s revolution against Yazid was that the latter drank wine, committed adultery, and played the drums, and someone like Al-Hussein (Peace upon him) would never give allegiance to someone like him. In this instance the westerner would not find any problem Yazid’s attitude, for he sees that the purpose of his life is to enjoy those very things: sex, alcohol and music, and thus would find to valid reason for Imam Al-Hussein’s rebellion. If, however, Yazid is presented as someone who killed for no valid reason, confiscated public freedoms, stole public money to spend it on his own pleasures, holding power through force without reference to the people and their representatives, then the causes of revolution against him would be clear and impressive.

Those are the ideas presented by George Jordac in his book “The Voice of Human Justice”. The author is Christian who came to know one of the great men of Islam, formed by the hands of the Messenger whose miracle was the Quran, and this “The Quran is with Ali and Ali is with the Quran”. The author lived in the shadow of this great blessed character and find plenty of inspiration which he presented with a great eloquence and an intellectual perspective which corresponded well with the tastes of his generation and his own personal ideas. Although this book was written half a century again (1956), it discusses human rights such as freedom, justice, rebellion against injustice, genius, and principles. The book is introduced with an analytical study about biographies as a good example for humanity, shedding light on its path so that perfect humanity would be realized, justice would prevail, and people would finally have bliss. This is far from being beyond Allah’s Capability.