This document discusses globalization and its impact on the Muslim world. It explores how globalization has affected various areas of life like economics, politics, culture, and education. The paper also examines the Muslim era of globalization, noting that it aimed to peacefully share knowledge and call humanity to justice, not force religion or culture on others. While globalization has helped disseminate information through technology, some scholars argue it is actually Western re-colonization in disguise that benefits Western nations. The conclusion calls for Muslims to engage thoughtfully with globalization and find solutions, rather than total rejection or isolation, while also asking the West to move past past mentalities of domination.
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Globalization and the Muslim World
1. Dr. Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak
Department of General Studies
Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences
Phone: 03-61966155, Fax: 03-61965504, E-mail: maarji@iium.edu.my
Poster
ID:
1373
Globalization and the Muslim World
IIUM Research, Invention and Innovation Exhibition 2013
Introduction
At the moment globalization is a buzz word in everyone’s lips. Now it
has been a few decades already, the subject on globalization has
drawn the interest of many concerned people around the globe,
namely; governments, scholars at the institutions of higher learning,
business community worldwide, economists, students, NGOs’ (non-
governmental organizations) and others. The passion to explore on
the topic on globalization has led many people into conducting
research on the many intricate issues that are interwoven around
globalization. Moreover, at the international forums, the most
frequently discussed and debated question with regard to
globalization is who are the real gainers and losers of globalization.
By identifying the winners and losers, governments and concerned
parties can prepare themselves well to make strategic plans to meet
the challenges they have to face with the coming tides of
globalization. Many scholars have highlighted the fact that
globalization is something devised by the West and directed towards
the developing and underdeveloped countries of the world. It
ramifies into many areas of human lives like economics, politics,
culture, education, social life, etc. Also discussed within the paper is
the brain drain phenomenon that is related to globalization, and on
how Muslim should react to globalization. Finally the paper made an
attempt to answer the crucial question as to whether globalization is
identical to re-colonization or not.
The Muslim Era of Globalization
It can be safely stated here that any reader into Islamic history
and civilization will come to the understanding that the Muslim
globalization was not interested in any atrocities and usurping
of wealth of others. It was not even interested in forcing others
to accept Islam as their faith, and equally not interested in
making others follow the Arab culture and in making the Arabic
language as the lingua franca for the territories that came under
the Islamic rule. If the Arabs were interesting in propagating
their language and culture, then the whole of the Muslim world
should be only speaking Arabic and practicing the Arab culture.
So, what the Muslim globalization was interested in. As a
response to such a question, the researcher is of the opinion
that the Muslim globalization was only interested in sharing the
good news of the Qur’an and calling humanity to the path of
justice and righteousness making this world a better place for
all to live in peace and harmony.
The Impact of Globalization on Education
Explosion of knowledge and information in the era of
information technology has somehow helped the globalization of
education. The introduction of computers and internet and other
technology-mediated learning through the use of VCD, CD-Rom,
Email, E-Chat, database, webpage, LMS, digital library, etc have
helped in the dissemination of information and knowledge to
millions around the world. The emergence of technology-
mediated learning has revolutionized the teaching and learning
process. For instance, through the digital library, a researcher
can get access to books and research works done in other parts
of the world without having the need to travel. He has the
opportunity to view articles, journals and other literary works
with the help of his computer and the internet. Through the use
of internet, VCD, course-wares and other electronic gadgets the
learner can get access to knowledge and information twenty-
four hours in a day without having to go and attend lectures at
the lecture-halls. The development in the information technology
has also challenged the Islamic scholars and experts in
technology to employ the latest technology in teaching and
learning of Islamic Studies. At present, lessons on Islamic
Studies have been made available in VCDs, DVDs and CD-ROMs,
etc. Modern means of Islamic propagation and knowledge has
been made available through the Internet and web-pages.
Globalization is Re-colonization in Disguise
In the Muslim world, scholars can generally be classified into two
main groups with regard to the issue on globalization. The first
group claims that globalization is not too bad an idea as it has some
positive contributions in terms of trade and direct foreign investment
creating plentiful job opportunities in the underdeveloped and
developing nations. The second group deems globalization as bad
because it is a Western idea or ideology that works well to their
benefit. According to this group, globalization is actually colonization
in disguise. They further believe that the West has not changed in
their mindset in their ambition like in the past which brought them
ploughing through the waves to subjugate the East in greed of
power, riches and dominance over the weak and downtrodden.
Through their direct subjugation of the East and Africa, they have
managed to plunder all the wealth of the under-privileged countries.
Globalization as seen by these scholars is nothing new than the old
colonization, except it is done in a more subtle manner, from
distance by using sophisticated media like cable and satellite TV,
internet and other modern means of communications.
Conclusion
The researcher feels that people in the East, particularly those in the third world countries should not totally reject everything that
comes from modern globalization. Muslims should have an open-mind to examine all that come from the West and should pick and
choose whatever that is relevant to their needs and discard all that are dangerous and harmful to their existence as a community and
nation. Certainly the Muslims cannot live in their own enclavement in total seclusion and isolation running away from globalization.
They must view globalization as a challenge and look for solutions to overcome the problems that come along with globalization.
Contribution of a Muslim towards looking for a solution for the betterment of the Islamic Ummah is deemed one form of Jihad in the
path of Allah. The West on its part should cast away its past mentality of colonizing and intruding into the affairs of the East. It should
not impose its hegemony on the East through colonization, neo-colonization or even through globalization. Instead of looking at war
as a solution in overcoming problems with the East, the West should give discussion, dialogue, conference and arbitration as its top
most priority in resolving conflicts. (Note: This research was published as ‘Globalization and the Muslim world’ in Journal for Islam in
Asia,2011 (3). pp. 275-295)
[1] See (Al-Qur’an,8:60)