During the nineteenth century in the name of modernization Europe was taking over the world

During the nineteenth century in the name of modernization Technicalized Europe had become the leading power and was taking over the world. 

Religious differences and spiritual ideals must not be allowed to impede the progress of society. Scientists, Monarchs, and government officials insisted that they be free of ecclesiastical control. 

Thus the ideals of Democracy, toleration, human rights and secularism were not simply beautiful ideals dreamed up by political scientists. They were, at least in part dictated by the needs of the modern state.

 It was found that in order to be efficient and productive, a modern Nation had to be organized on a secular, democratic basis.

 It was also found that if a society organized all their institutions according to the new rational and scientific norms, they became indomitable. 

Thus the conventional agrarian states were no match for them.

This all had fateful consequences to the Islamic world. Trading posts and consular missions had been established in Turkey and the Middle East. This had undermined the traditional structure of these societies long before there was actual Western rule.

 This was an entirely different kind of colonization. The new colonial order transformed the lives of the citizens of these colonized countries permanently.

 It was directly responsible for establishing a polity of dependence. It was impossible for the colonized lands to catch up with the institutionalized west.

 Old institutions had been fatally undermined and Muslim society itself was divided between those that had become westernized, and everyone else. 

*What had been a living civilization with its own integrity and identity was gradually being transformed into a group of dependent states. 

As a result they were inadequately prepared to deal with the situations put before them. Europeans had come to believe that their culture was not only superior at the present time but had always been at the forefront of progress.

 They often displayed a superb ignorance of world history. Indians, Egyptians, Syrians, all suffered greatly because of the arrogance of at least the British. 

They felt that they had to be westernized for their own good. This was because they thought of their society as being far superior.

The British thought of themselves in every way superior to the Muslims. They also believed at the time that one of the problems that they had to deal with was overcoming Islam itself. 

During the crusades a very negative feeling for Muslims arose. Muslims themselves had little time or energy to develop an understanding of God in the traditional way.

The year 610 saw Muhammad receive his first revelations for his new religion. By the year 622 Muhammad had many converts to his new religion. 

With these converts he made the first trek from Mecca to Medina. This march is what is traditionally thought of as the beginning of Islam. When Muhammad died just 10 years later he had the satisfaction of knowing his new religion of Islam would survive.

 The new religion finally gave the Arabs a sense of belonging and equality to Judaism and Christianity. They believed that along with the other great religions of the world, or so they thought and hoped for. 

The Islamic world had been convulsed by the modernization process. Instead of being one of the world leaders, Islam was quickly and effectively placed as secondary to European civilization.

 Muslims were exposed to the contempt of the colonialists who were enamored with the modern way of things. They were so impressed by themselves that they were often appalled by what they could only see as backwardness, inefficiency, fatalism, and corruption of Muslim society. 

They assumed the European culture had always been progressive. As a result they failed to realize that they were just seeing a premodern agrarian society. 

They themselves were just a short time ago, also an agrarian society. They often took it for granted that westerners were inherently and racially superior and they expressed their contempt in many ways. 

Western people are often bewildered by the hostility and rage that many Muslims feel for their culture. This was because of their very different experiences. They found this to be both liberating and empowering.

 The Muslim response should not have been unexpected. Because the Muslim world was so widespread and strategically placed that it was the first to be subjected in a concerted, systematic, manner to the colonization process in the Middle East. 

This was also the problem for India, Arabia, Malaya, and a significant part of Africa.

 Muslims in all these places very quickly felt the brunt of the modernizing assault; they would not and will not come into the modern world easily or willingly.

 Lets look at the results to all this and see what we are dealing with as a direct result of colonization, and modernization. It appears to be single handedly the main culprit to our problems with Islam.
 Life Today The Real Story "2005"
  

James Joiner
Gardner, Ma
http://anaverageamericanpatriot.blogspot.com