CC BY
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A. Niyazi,
Ph. D. (Hist.), IOS RAS,
Deputy editor of the bulletin
"Russia and the Moslem World"
FROM DIFFERENT INTERPRETATION
OF FREEDOM TO COLLISION OF ANTI-CULTURE
The terrorist attack on editorial office of the satirical magazine "Charlie Hebdo", that occurred January 7, 2015, terrified Europe. This cynical and cold-blooded shooting of Parisians, when 12 people were killed and 11 injured, shocked the world. The terrorist act was a revenge for the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed, published in the magazine. It's impossible to find any justification for this insane slaughter. Millions of people around the world, Muslims and nonMuslims, have protested against this inhuman act of self-appointed executioners from religion. "Charlie Hebdo" has become a symbol of the struggle between the good and the evil, since the name of the publication continues to be mentioned in the mass media after acts of terror and vandalism in various countries around the world.
Nevertheless, a lot of sensible citizens of different states do not support the editorial policy of the magazine. The representative of the well-known European aristocratic family Carl-Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Anjou, explained his position as follows: "Charlie Hebdo" - is a vulgar piece, despising any opinion except its own, engaged in
provocation under the pretext of freedom of expression. "Charlie Hebdo" is an aggressive edition spreading hate among religious people and calling it humor. "Charlie Hebdo" is a representative of the European atheistic society undermining public order and sowing enmity among people, regardless of race, color or religion." Having condemned this barbaric act and expressed condolences to the families of the victims, the Duke refused to participate in the "national sacred action for "Charlie", considering it meaningless, and denounced the hypocrisy of people who either have never read this humorous weekly, or criticized it.
Many people expressed their outrage at the encroachment on the sacred values for the Europeans - human rights, civil society, the rule of law and secular policy. For some it was an occasion to speak out against excessive political correctness, multiculturalism, ostentatious self-isolation of migrants and manifestations of Islamic radicalism becoming more frequent.
It is worth remembering that the traditions of secularism, liberation of people from church dogmas, and victory of secular ethics over religious began to assert themselves in France more than two centuries ago, in the epoch of Romanticism and the Enlightenment. However, certain limits of decency were always observed. "Charlie Hebdo" is the trend of modern times, it opposes right radicals, positioning itself as a publication that reflects "all components of left pluralism." For many years it has enjoyed a reputation as an unscrupulous, non-conformist weekly of anti-clerical and even anti-religious orientation, flaunting with obscenity, its credo is cynical mockery of all famous characters in the world, and its goal is to win fame by any means and, as a result, earn more money. It seems that the reasons for this phenomenon should be sought in serious socio-cultural shifts, in changing ideas of freedom taking place in Western
civilization. They are related primarily to the expansion of neoliberal capitalism. The prevailing market freedom needs to remove constraints to promote it, both at the national and global levels.
The technological basis of contemporary transnational capitalism requires the formation of corresponding superstructure in the form of World Society for unlimited consumption. It is intended to preserve the system of the dictatorship of the market to increase its influence. Such a society is beneficial to the system. The modern average homo-economicus learns to think primarily in economic terms. His lifestyle is nothing but unlimited consumption. The homo-economicus forces himself to slave away and often work for more hours due to insatiable desire for enrichment. His educational background is limited and subordinated to execution of professional tasks. He is a man of primitive mass culture, easily controlled by the authorities.
Culture in its broad sense is focused on the spiritual, moral and ethical development to a lesser extent in modern society. Art, science and education are considered commercial products, above all, simplified and dehumanized. Their regulatory and protective social functions are significantly reduced.
The cultural and spiritual life of western society has not been changed for the better over the past decade. In this context, "Charlie Hebdo" can legitimately be regarded as a product illustrating the modern mass consumer society.
Naturally, the trends destroying spiritual life cause protests in the East, especially in the Islamic world - the world of traditional culture, where faith and ethics are bound together, and where community ties are strong.
More and more Muslims have been protesting against the Western interpretation of freedom of speech, insulting their religious and moral feelings. Many people have regarded it anti-Islamic and also
anti-democratic, because the Muslim section of European society cannot bring those who commit blatant sacrilege to legal responsibility. In turn, Western public holds the view of the incompatibility of Islamic values with advanced democracy. Such mindsets are seriously alarming and can lead to dangerous consequences.
However, many followers of Islam live in democratic countries of the West or in the democratic conditions in their own countries. They use all democratic mechanisms and freedoms in order to protect their rights and participate in political parties and movements. Of course, far from all democratic freedoms and human rights current in the West are suitable for Muslims.
Islamic organizations, public figures and scholars have developed their own Declaration of Human Rights, which are not contrary to the fundamental tenets of the human rights adopted in the West. (Universal Islamic Declaration of Human Rights. 1981; Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam. 1990). It is unreasonable to reject the generally accepted norms of human rights, as implacable ideologues of Islamism do, for whom all the Western standards of life are sinful. The UN Resolution of 1948 granted equal civil and political rights and opportunities to all mankind, which reflected the fundamental principles of living, such as equality before the law, security of person and property, freedom of thought, religious, political and social beliefs, and gender equality. These rights deny racism and nationalism, exploitation of children and women, harm to their health, guarantee the right to work and pensions, as well as education and health. They are in line with the Islamic concern for people, and meet beliefs of millions of followers of Islam.
The fusion of permissiveness, unprincipled commerce and boundless egotism, which is interpreted as progress in the West, is one of the causes of natural irritation in the Muslim world. Whereas faith,
ethics and law relating to Islam have kept the pursuit of justice, mutual responsibility for the present and the future, and spiritual and physical health as great cultural values to this day. This includes diligence, temperance, concern for the family and for those in need, condemnation of greed and parasitism, and respect for the world around the Muslims. Millions of people follow or try to follow these principles. Islam is a way of life that preserves human dignity and spiritual balance, a culture that defines the limits of freedom, the freedom that does not contradict the fundamental humanitarian gains of mankind, but saves its own civilizational values.
The theme of the clash of civilizations has begun to be discussed again after the tragic shooting in "Charlie Hebdo" and the subsequent acts of terror and vandalism in different countries of the world. This is a provocative concept, drawing a picture of the fatal incompatibility of Western culture with Eastern, and, above all, with Islamic culture. In fact, the example of "Charlie Hebdo" is not a struggle of civilizations, but a clash of ignorance with ignorance, barbarism with a lack of culture, cynical sacrilege with blind religious fanaticism. Some allow themselves permissiveness on behalf of the primacy of human rights, while others - in the name of God. Insurmountable contradictions have arisen between anti-cultures, but not between the world's civilizations.
The above reflections on the deterioration of socio-cultural changes in the Western world should not be taken as a phenomenon of the total decline of Western civilization. The fundamental cultural achievements continue to define the mindset and behavior of a considerable part of people in the West, enrich and continue to enrich the culture of other nations. At the same time, they absorb values of the rest of the world. High European culture is alive and prevents reducing
individuals to the average level of "homo-ekonomicus", and it generates advanced ideas of world development.
Islamic civilization has passed a long way of evolution, retaining its fundamental moral and ethical values. The principles to implement various elements of Islamic economics, democracy and social state construction are built on that basis. Summarizing, we can say that they offer a specific "third way" of development - a middle option between the extremes of neo-liberalism and a rigid socialist experiment, degrading private property, individual incentives and the freedom of citizens to a minimum. Modern Islam puts forward the concept of the middle way. It covers the most important aspects of life of Muslims, ranging from theology and education to law, politics and economics. There is a hope to balance personal and social interests and preserve high ideals of Islamic culture.
From this position, Islamic teachings do not reject the market economy, but call for a fair and reasonable regulation and do not reject a democratic system. At the same time there should be limits to the market society of boundless consumption, and moderation and harmony with the environment, that is consonant with the Western concept of ethical economy and sustainable development, which is gaining popularity now.
The manifestations of jihadist terror, which is on everyone's mind, are nothing but examples of savagery, barbarism, tyranny and ignorance. It's a return to the past, which is doomed to contempt and failure in the modern world, including the Muslim world. We should not forget that Islam was born in the fight against savagery.
This article was submitted by the author for publication in the bulletin "Russia and the Moslem World".
