This presentation on globalization among others discusses the nature and differences that exist between the modern and Muslim concepts of globalization. Since it is not possible for the Muslims to live in total isolation from the things that are happening in a globalized world, they can at least come up with a strategic plan in how to position themselves in dealing with the issues and problems related to globalization. Besides that, this presentation also highlights the ideal scenario that should be prevalent in the Muslim world that can be beneficial for the Muslims as well as for others who share the space with them in this world. In realizing how the internet and social media have been wrongfully used in a globalized world, the presenters suggest on how the Muslims can use them in a productive and ethical manner. The last thing that this presentation intends to highlight is the philosophy of co-existence which should be given due consideration by people of different civilizations that live on this planet. It is the conviction of the presenters that people of different civilizations can learn all that are positive from one another and can live in peace and harmony.

2. Muslim Ummah in Facing the Challenges of
Globalization
By:
Dr. Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak
(maarji@iium.edu.my)
Dr. Abdul Salam @ Zulkifli B.Muhamad Shukri (Usul al-Din & Comparative Religion)
Department of Inter-Disciplinary Studies
Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences
International Islamic University Malaysia
Presented to:
Academic Centre for Education, Culture & Research
Tehran, Iran
March, 2017
© ACECR & maarji

3. This presentation on globalization among others discusses the nature and
differences that exist between the modern and Muslim concepts of
globalization. Since it is not possible for the Muslims to live in total isolation
from the things that are happening in a globalized world, they can at least come
up with a strategic plan in how to position themselves in dealing with the issues
and problems related to globalization. Besides that, this presentation also
highlights the ideal scenario that should be prevalent in the Muslim world that
can be beneficial for the Muslims as well as for others who share the space with
them in this world. In realizing how the internet and social media have been
wrongfully used in a globalized world, the presenters suggest on how the
Muslims can use them in a productive and ethical manner. The last thing that
this presentation intends to highlight is the philosophy of co-existence which
should be given due consideration by people of different civilizations that live on
this planet. It is the conviction of the presenters that people of different
civilizations can learn all that are positive from one another and can live in peace
and harmony.
Abstract

4. Globalization is a Buzz Word
• Close to three decades already people are still
debating on modern globalization
• Modern globalization is mainly coming from the
West
• A lot of people are interested in this topic
• A favourite topic among politicians, policy-makers,
business people, academicians ,NGOs’, etc
• There are people who favour and against modern
globalization

5. During Muslim Era of Globalization
• Activities: scientific research, exploration and expedition
• Utilized Ideas taken from earlier civilizations
• Approach: Adopt, Adapt and Assimilate new knowledge &
scientific ideas
• Globalization is used for knowledge sharing & spread of the
religion
• No oppression on the non-Muslim minorities
• A philosophy of co-existence was observed in dealing with
other civilizations
• The decline of Islamic Civilization started with the fall of
Baghdad in 1258
• Muslims were caught in the internal problems (Mohd Abbas)
World Journal of Islamic History and Civilization, 1 (1): 59-69, 2011
ISSN 2225-0883
© IDOSI Publications, 2011

6. • One after another all the Muslim empires fell
• The Ottoman empire was the last to fall
• Failed to contribute during the Industrial Revolution
• Muslim countries were colonized. This created
dependency on the West
• After independence Muslims countries were faced
with the Knowledge & Technological Gaps
• After independence, Muslim countries have to face
neocolonialism, disunity, sectarian violence, foreign
occupation, western globalization, war on terror
and the latest Islamophobia
Decline of the Muslim Civilization after 1258

7. What is Western Globalization
• Globalization first appeared in the Webster’s English
dictionary in 1961
• Roland Robertson coined the word in his ‘Globalization:
Social Theory and Global Culture’ (1992)
• Globalization also means Internationalization ,
Liberalization, Universalization, Westernization and
Deterritorialization (Jan Aart Scholte,2011)
• Western colonization of the East & Africa is also seen as
a form of globalization (Mohd Abbas)
World Journal of Islamic History and Civilization, 1 (1): 59-69, 2011
ISSN 2225-0883
© IDOSI Publications, 2011

8. Globalization in the Modern Era
• Globalization means free flow of capital, people,
news and information via electronic media
• The process of globalization is being sped up by
internet & social media usage
• Globalization explains the scenario whereby people
of the world live in a borderless world without any
geographical restrictions and the world is
transformed into a single ‘global village’
• One sided; mainly dominated by the West
• Ethical & Moral principles are missing

9. Aims of Education in the Past
In the olden days, education was seen:
• As a means of transferring, transmitting and
inculcating beneficial knowledge, information,
culture, heritage, positive values, good thinking,
skills, expertise, civilization, language, customs and
religion from one generation to the other
• Ultimate aim of education is produce a good
citizen(Western) and Good Man/Insan Soleh,Insan
Kamil(Perfect Man) (Islamic perspective) (Mohd Abbas)
World Journal of Islamic History and Civilization, 1 (1): 59-69, 2011
ISSN 2225-0883
© IDOSI Publications, 2011

10. Changing Aims of Education
• In modern times, education is seen a passport for
achieving good life
• Education has been sought for material gain
• The process of commodification of education has
taken place all over the world
• The learner has become less concern of the
community and the well-being of the nation state
• The learner has become individualized and
egocentric
• Education is to cater for the job market
• Education is losing its moral & spiritual emphasis

11. Impact on Education
• Learning by using VCD, CD-Rom, Email, E-Chat, LMS,
Facebook, digital library, LCD & other technology-mediated
learning
• This development also brought changes in the way Islamic
studies are being taught
• Teachers are not seen as providers of knowledge, but as
facilitators in the learning institutions
• Nowadays, the face-to-face interaction with a teacher is
deemed less important as there exist others means of
learning for a student

12. Eric Fromm
• Modern man is alienated from himself, from
his fellow men, and from nature. He has been
transformed into a commodity, experiences
his life forces as an investment which must
bring him the maximum profit obtainable
under existing market conditions.
(Eric Fromm(1995), The Art of Living. London: Thorsons,p.67)

13. We live in a human space where proximity between
teacher and students make tangible communication
possible. Body language, tone of voice, personality
and emotion are all indispensable elements in the
formal activity of instruction. More than the facts, we
need the elusive intimation of how they are being
received, comprehended and evaluated. Teachers
convey more than the subject matter under
discussion. No matter what the topic they also
embody something of what it means to be a human
being (David Walsh,1999,p.A29)
David Walsh

14. English as a Dominant Language
• The publishing house in the UK and US are
making huge profit by producing books and
software
• Greater usage of English in the
underdeveloped and developing countries
• Marginalization of local languages in Asia and
Africa

15. Impact on Culture
• People in the developing countries are in the habit
of imitating foreign culture.
• The way they dress, eat and entertain all reflect
Western culture
• They eat fast food like KFC, McDonald, Pizza and
drink Coca-Cola
• Watch American movies
• Crime and violence happening in one part of the
world influences people living the other parts of the
world

16. Today’s Reality in the Muslim world
• Colonization has created dependency on the West
• Politics dominates the hearts and minds of people
• Muslim countries are lagging behind others when it comes
to technology
• Critical & creative thinking, innovative and progressive
thinking are all missing in the Muslim world
• Muslims have become one of the largest consumer society
in this planet. All branded items in science & technology
are produced by non-Muslim countries
• Development in the Muslim countries are held back due to
over politicking

17. Cont.
• Left behind compared to the rest of the world due to war,
sectarian violence, illiteracy, tribal culture, etc.
• War has caused humanitarian crisis in many parts of the
Muslim world
• The conflict among different sects in Islam is a never ending
one. No permanent solution has been found to put a stop
to this age old problem
• Brain drain phenomenon. Muslim countries lose talented
scientists and scholars to the West
• Refugee and asylum seekers going to the West
• Muslim countries and organizations have passed on the
Muslims problems to the West to deal with

18. Cont.
• Disunity among Muslim countries is a major issue
• Some try to change the world into Islamic by violent
means
• Expecting others to solve dispute among Muslim
countries (U.S., UN, EU, Nato, etc)
• Wealth generated from oil and gas is not put into
productive means to improve the pathetic
conditions of the Muslim Ummah

19. The Way Forward
• Muhammad Iqbal, Jamaluddin Al-Afghani,
Muhammad Abduh believe that the Muslim
Ummah can be productive if they can make a
marriage between the Zikr(spirituality) and Fikr
(knowledge & scientific investigation) mentioned in
the Qur’an
• All Muslim countries must allocate large amount of
their national budget for education, scientific
research, sustainable development and at the same
time reduce the percentage spent on the purchase
of armaments

20. Cont.
• Prevent ‘brain drain’ by introducing ‘brain gain’ and ‘brain
retention’
• After electing a new government, Muslim countries must
go on with their agenda on nation building and stop over
politicking, slander campaign, character assassination, etc
• All conspiracies to overthrow a legitimately elected
government, undemocratic means of grabbing power, coup
d'état , should be avoided
• Invest and produce new technology of their own
• Muslims must be prepared to learn and co-exist with
others

21. Cont.
• Following the path of moderation preached in the Qur’an
and Sunnah
• Promulgate Islam with beautiful preaching and good
character
• Muslims must be prepared to learn the good and useful
things that come from others
• Stop all uncalled wars and sectarian violence. Learn from
those nations that were into war in the past. After two
World Wars Europeans started to respect human lives. The
Japanese too stopped going into war. At the moment, all
these countries are into science and technology and their
countries are developing at a rapid pace

22. Dangers of Globalization
• Perverted sexuality promoted through internet
• Act of terror, extremism propagated through social
media
• Internet, Facebook, Smartphone and other social
media addiction
• Anti-religious, gossip, hate campaign, character
assassination, Islamophobia, etc. are all coming
through the internet

23. How should Muslims Respond to
Globalization
• Since globalization is irreversible, Muslims
must strategize to face the situation
• Muslims should use globalization for a good
purpose.
• The internet should be used to propagate the
true knowledge on Islam
• Muslim countries should collaborate and work
together for a common goal for the Ummah.

24. Internet and social media provide
information & good communication tools.
But our lives should not be enslaved to
them. At times we have to pause and see
the world through our own eyes and not
through a borrowed vision. Seeing things
as they are promises the birth of wisdom.
(Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak)
IIUM
Social Media

25. Response to Globalization
Facing the challenges of globalization with all the negative
impacts of Americanization, secularization, materialism, neo-
imperialism, debt-bondage to World Bank and IMF,
unilateralism, militant liberal capitalism, global media
conglomerates’ manipulation and deception, impoverishment
and homogenization of culture, bullying by the powerful,
imposed liberalization, dominance of the global market,
international and regional competition, commodification of
education, environmental degradation, moral decadence,
high tech crime, violence and war-all these and more at a
time when the Muslim world is divided, weak and poor
(Mohd Kamal Hassan, 2003)

26. Response to Globalization
Muslim countries and Muslim governments have a duty to
ensure that globalization will not result in the marginalization
of their countries as happened with the Industrial Revolution
and Industrial Age. We cannot afford it this time. If once
again we miss this opportunity to keep pace with the radical
and rapid advances now being made with technology and the
sciences, and the changes they cause to the world’s
perceptions of things, the new ideas and concepts in human
and international relations; if we miss all these and fail to
handle them, then we will not only be marginalized, but be
dominated and hegemonized permanently (Mahathir
Muhamad, 2003)

27. Is Globalization Equal to Colonization
If colonization is to suppress and oppress others to
make one nation to stay high and mighty, definitely
globalization shares a lot in common with
colonization. Globalization is an idea and ideology
that comes from the West, is mainly intended to make
them rich and to put them high above the Asians,
Africans and others (Mohd Abbas)
World Journal of Islamic History and Civilization, 1 (1): 59-69, 2011
ISSN 2225-0883
© IDOSI Publications, 2011

28. Cont.
Globalization is in fact colonization in disguise.
Using it as a tool and a means, the West intends
to control the hearts and minds of the young
and old in the underprivileged countries of the
world. They control us with a press of a button
using the internet, international media and
other modern and sophisticated ways of
telecommunication (Mohd Abbas)
World Journal of Islamic History and Civilization, 1 (1): 59-69, 2011
ISSN 2225-0883
© IDOSI Publications, 2011

29. What makes the rainbow beautiful and
interesting are the different shades of
colours.
What makes humanity interesting is the
variation of our race, colour,
language, culture, etc. So, why fight and kill
one another
(Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak)
IIUM
Humanity

30. Clash of civilizations brings
disharmony. Co-existence of
civilizations inspires us to see
beauty and acceptance of one
another
(Mohd Abbas Abdul Razak)
IIUM
Civilization

31. Conclusion
• Globalization has some good and bad effects on
the Muslims
• Education should not be separated from its lofty
ideals
• Good and healthy culture that comes from the
West should be imitated
• Leave the bad & immoral culture that can be
detrimental to the Muslims (Abbas)
World Journal of Islamic History and Civilization, 1 (1): 59-69, 2011
ISSN 2225-0883
© IDOSI Publications, 2011

32. Moteshakeram
Syukran Jazilan
Terima Kasih
ThankYou