IS SOCIALISM OUR VERSION OF SHARIA? I watched a disturbing video of gang violence on public transportation in Paris this morning. I rewatched it to see how the gang prepared themselves to steal something and when caught reacted with violence toward the victim. (Even more disturbing was that fact that this violence seemed to have taken place on a bus line I take regularly when I go to Paris.) The video had been shared 38,193 times and garnered 6862 likes without counting the numerous debates and well intentioned public discussions prompted by this video. (If you would like to view the video, you may do so here: https://facebook/video.php?v=910593672347267&fref=nf. By sharing in this manner you will not benefit from the comments exchanged on my friend Jim Clynes site, following on his posting.) This is urban violence and could be anywhere in the world except that in the context of France it provokes xenophobic and sectarian discussions that are to say the least mal placés. (Similar discussions would take place throught Europe where the problem of uncontrolled immigration has moved to the forefront of European concerns.) Among the French the discussion is almost always focused on the issue of Islam and Sharia law. Traditional European ethnic groups are being overwhelmed by economic migrants from non-Christian societies. In my discussion on Jims page I made the following main points: 1) Being French is not about looking French, but about respecting our fundamental values, including the rule of law and religious tolerance; 2) France as an idea is not much more than shared geographies and shared values, including a collective history; 3) I made the point that current antagonisms between white Europeans and Muslim was not so much a matter of religious belief, but a cultural contest to establish a right (protocol?) of mutual colonization; I mentioned that as an old school protestant I recognized and accepted Islam as a religion of love and peace, in every way worthy of my respect and concluded, | ...socialism is our version of Sharia. We have learned and used the word Sharia | mostly in the context of resistance to Western hegemony: Bin Laden, Salafism, | Wahabism... This has been push-back for almost 200 years of military, | economic and cultural hegemony. But sociologically Sharia is basically a | reglement dintérieur(*) for Muslim society, with an important advantage, which | is that Sharia is a written code that can be debated publicly. As such Sharia is | primarily concerned with social regulation, Charity and good works, honesty and | virtue. | I could live in such a society. (*) a reglement dintérieur for my non-French speaking friends might be called, Articles of Association in English, or a social contract. Would you agree that Sharia is like our unspoken rules about what it means to be an American, a Frenchman or an Englishman?
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 08:44:42 +0000
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