Here in Quebec, the recently legislated charter of values (Bill 60) has become all the rage; the bill itself promises several amendments to the internationally praised Charter of Rights and Freedoms, proposing drastic limitations to the presence of religious symbols (specifically kippas, hijabs and turbans) in public offices i.e. schools and hospitals. What is obviously a political ploy to polarise the population and garner votes for an upcoming election has arguably succeeded; with all eyes on the charter, Quebec’s abysmal and unsustainable economy remains relatively unscathed (an economy which, ironically, depends on symbol-carrying immigrants). This proposed legislation, however, is relatively harmless; significantly more distressful, on the other hand, is the profuse amount of ethnocentrism which is allowed, indeed even encouraged, to proliferate in this socio-political climate. Despite its name, ethnocentrism alludes to an innate human tendency that surpasses ethnicity: the imposition of one’s worldview unto others. A good example is that of ‘equality’, which carries countless of definitions across space and time; what is understood and considered equal in one location, may not be the same in another. To fully appreciate ethnocentrism’s potential for oppression, we must first make sense of our selves.
|
“I am the Lord thy God; thou shalt have no other gods before me;” this is the unspoken implication of the critically acclaimed Decalogue I by Krzysztof Kieślowski, a brilliant exposition of the first of the Ten Commandments. The protagonist is a loving father, a highly-educated professor, and an unwavering naturalist; one who believes that everything in the universe is governed by natural law, a form of determinism in which everything that ever happens is the result of a preceding cause in a long chain of cause-and-effects, leaving no room for God. Besides professing his philosophies at the university, he loves spending time with his son, cunningly raising him as one of his students despite his young age. The story begins when the child encounters a dead dog on his way home. “What is death?” the child questions. The father’s response is as cold as it is unforgiving: “one’s vital organs cease to function as the heart stops pumping blood.” Perhaps the most lucid allegory of deterministic naturalism in the entire movie, the father’s explanation paves the way for the incredible finale, bringing to light its fallacy. I won’t spoil the ending – you should watch it yourself – but take note as to how natural determinism, arguably the leading philosophical framework in the Western world, directly conflicts with the first order decreed by God (i.e. setting natural law above God). This movie sets the foundation for a discussion on free will and determinism in modern psychology and Islam.
An article that attempts to take a novel, psychological approach at examining the developmental benefit of Ramadan, which affords us an immense opportunity for personal change. Omar ibn al-Khattab and Malcolm X are used as role models, and a personal example (video games) is taken from my life to make it approachable. It can be found on:
http://www.virtualmosque.com/personaldvlpt/character/the-significance-of-emotions-in-islam/ |
Archives
October 2020
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed