SECULARISM AND SECULARIZATION: The promotion of secularism is against the conclusion of mainstream Islamic thought because Islam cannot

accept the separation of human life from religion, spirituality and the hereafter; this is the position understood from revelation, prophethood and the understanding of sound human intellect as well as intellectual consensus in the Community. Acceptance of secularism amounts to excluding oneself from the sacred community. IQBAL VS SEPARATION OF RELIGION AND STATE: THE RECONSTRUCTION He says: The state is the essential factor in national life which determines the character and function of all other factors. They, therefore, reject old ideas about the function of State and Religion, and accentuate the separation of Church and State. Now the structure of Islam as a religio-political system, no doubt, does permit such a view, though personally I think it is a mistake to suppose that the idea of state is more dominant and rules all other ideas embodied in the system of Islam. In Islam the spiritual and the temporal are not two distinct domains, and the nature of an act, however secular in its import, is determined by the attitude of mind with which the agent does it. It is the invisible mental background of the act which ultimately determines its character IAIS Malaysia and Department of National Unity and Integration, Prime Minister's Department hosted the Closed Door Roundtable Discussion in conjunction with the World Interfaith Harmony Week celebration. With the theme 'Strengthening Commonalities, Minimizing and Respecting Differences', YBhg Emeritus Professor Dato Dr Osman Bakar (Deputy CEO, IAIS Malaysia) moderated the roundtable discussion. 27.2.2012 Mercy descends when the Righteous are mentioned and remembered." ~ Abdullah ibn Mubarak (may Allah be well-pleased with him)

Al-Bara bin Azib radhi Allahu 'anh reported that Sayyiduna RasoolAllah sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam as saying, "Beautify the Qur'an with your voices." [Ahmad, Abu Dawud, ibn Majah, Darami] Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu Revelation - 8th Rabi al-Thani 1433 (1st March 2012)

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas (Radi-Allahu 'anhu): Allah's Apostle (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) was the most generous of all the people, and he used to reach the peak in generosity in the month of Ramadan when Gabriel met him. Gabriel used to meet him every night of Ramadan to teach him the Qur'an. Allah's Apostle (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) was the most generous person, even more generous than the strong uncontrollable wind (in readiness and haste to do charitable deeds). Bukhari Vol. 1 : No. 5 Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu Tawheed - 6th Rabi al-Thani 1433 (28th February 2012) Narrated Abu Huraira (Radi-Allahu 'anhu): The people of the Scripture used to read the Torah in Hebrew and explain it to the Muslims in Arabic. Then Allah's Apostle (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam) said, "Do not believe the people of the Scripture, and do not disbelieve them, but say, 'We believe in Allah and whatever has been revealed...' "(3.84) Bukhari Vol. 9 : No. 632 Bismillah Walhamdulillah Was Salaatu Was Salaam 'ala Rasulillah<
Be not sad, surely Allah is with us. (Quran 9:40)

As-Salaam Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahi Wa-Barakatuhu Tawheed - 6th Rabi al-Thani 1433 (28th February 2012) Narrated Abu Huraira (Radi-Allahu 'anhu): The people of the Scripture used to read the Torah in Hebrew and explain it to the Muslims in Arabic. Then Allah's Apostle (Sallallahu 'Alaihi Wa

Sallam) said, "Do not believe the people of the Scripture, and do not disbelieve them, but say, 'We believe in Allah and whatever has been revealed...' "(3.84) Bukhari Vol. 9 : No. 632 In the opinion of Prof. Hurgronje "the league of nations founded by prophet of Islam put the principle of international unity of human brotherhood on such Universal foundations as to show candle to other nations." In the words of same Professor "the fact is that no nation of the world can show a parallel to what Islam has done the realization of the idea of the League of Nations.
http://www.insideiran.org/domestic-relations/iranian-support-growing-for-intervention-in-bahrain-toshow-religious-affinity-with-shias/

Iranian Support Growing for Intervention in Bahrain to Show Religious Affinity with Shias
April 27th, 2011 : Critical Comments, Domestic Relations, Foreign Relations

Shayan Ghajar Tension between Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council states heightens daily as diplomatic and political wrangling over the future of Bahrain continues. However, amidst the flurry of articles analyzing the Machiavellian attempts to gain geostrategic dominance in the Persian Gulf, the fact that sectarian tensions are galvanizing widespread outrage in Iran is often overlooked. Iran undoubtedly harbors pragmatic political and strategic hopes that Bahrains ruling Khalifa dynasty will be overthrown in favor of a more friendly government. Iran also makes no effort to disguise its anticipation that such a strategic boon would also lead to a major setback for regional rival, Saudi Arabia, in the form of a Shia uprising. Realpolitik aside, however, dozens of articles in various Iranian news agencies indicate that significant anger over the crackdowns on the Shia in Bahrain is building amongst religious Iranians of all political factions. Many wit hin Irans elite are clamoring for Bahrain to serve as a unifying issue, during a time when the infighting in Irans government is the worst it has been in years. On April 26, Brigadier General and Commander of the Basij Mohammad Reza Naqdi proclaimed that Iranians should unite out of solidarity with their Shia brethren in Bahrain and set aside internal disputes. Naqdi asserted that internal divisions in Iran are because Western nations are trying to restrict us to internal issues in such a dangerous time when the oppressed nations nee d the Islamic Republics assistance. He continued: If the current conditions do not allow us to get directly involved in the battlefield, we should change the conditions and play a direct role on this scene. Naqdis comments were published on Fars News, a semi official site with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The brigadier generals encouragement of direct involvement, which would likely necessitate military conflict, is particula rly noteworthy inasmuch as war between Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council alliance would prove extremely costly for all nations in the Persian Gulf. Strategically, Iran would gain little through overt combat, and stands to lose a great number of lives and endanger its already teetering economy. Thus, while war is highly unlikely, the very fact that one of Irans senior commanders publicly urged direct action is a testament to the power of the sentiments of sp iritual affinity with Bahrains Shia amongst the devout members of Irans establishment.

Naqdis comments urging unity alluded to the dramatic and unprecedented infighting between president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Irans two most powerful men are clashing over the resignation and subsequent un-resignation of the Minister of Intelligence, a man disliked by Ahmadinejads faction but favored by Khamenei and his loyalists. While this strife has divided Irans parliament, MPs have still made time over the next several days to convene regarding the situation in Bahrain. Clearly, at such a critical time in Irans domestic politics, such meetings are more than mere ammunition for anti-Khalifa propagandarather, Irans governing legislative body takes its spiritual ties to the Shia of Bahrain quite seriously. Parilamentary Deputy Abdolreza Torabi, a vocal critic of Ahmadinejads administration, has abandoned his public attacks on the president to make outspoken statements against Bahrains government to the Iranian media. Another parliamentarian went so far as to urge Iranians to boycott the Hajj, incumbent upon all able Muslims, to avoid giving any tourism revenue to the pro-Khalifa Saudi government. Such suggestions go much farther than is necessary for mere propaganda or public relations campaigns against Bahrains government; and calling for a boycott of one of Islams most important testaments of faith, the pilgrimage to Mecca, is no small matter in a nation such as Iran. Tehran has also witnessed days of demonstrations by university students centering on solidarity with Irans Shia. Some overzealous students went so far as to attempt to sail to Bahrain to help the opposition on April 22, before the Iranian Coast Guard stopped them. It is certainly possible that many of the demonstrations against the Saudis and the Khalifa dynasty have been organized by Irans governmentnevertheless, the demonstrations indicate that, at least within Irans politically divided establishment, the treatment of the Shia in Bahrain is distracting the rank and file from the vicious infighting betwee n Ahmadinejad and Khamenei. Additionally, Irans clerical establishment has been galvanized by the increasing anti -Shia measures taken by the Khalifa dynasty, such as the alleged demolition of Shia mosques and firing of hundreds of Shia employees. Grand Ayatollah Saafi Golpayegani, an influential traditional conservative cleric, has repeatedly criticized Bahrains actions against protesters and called for an investigation of the crackdowns, even alleging that Saudi troops burned a Quran in the island nation. Overwhelmingly, stories published to Iranian news agencies indicate that Iranian reactions to the situation in Bahrain stem from more than just power politics, deriving their considerable energy from religious affinity with the Shia of Bahrain.

Research Article Religious Affinities and International Intervention in Ethnic Conflicts in the Middle East and Beyond Jonathan Foxa1 c1, Patrick Jamesa2 c2 and Yitan Lia3 c3
a1

Bar Ilan University University of Southern California Seattle University

a2

a3

Abstract

Abstract. This study asks questions that are important for both theory and policy: Do ethnoreligious minorities attract more intervention than other ethnic minorities? Do Middle Eastern and Islamic ethnic minorities attract more international intervention than ethnic minorities living elsewhere, and if so, why? The Minorities at Risk database, which contains information on intervention in all ethnic conflicts between 1990 and 1995, is used to answer these questions. The findings show that Middle Eastern and Islamic minorities do, in fact, attract more international intervention than other minorities. This is due to a larger pattern where states, especially Islamic ones, rarely intervene on behalf of ethnic minorities with which they share no religious affinities. The results also show that ethnoreligious minorities are more likely to attract political intervention than other ethnic minorities. These results confirm the importance of religious affinities in spite of a general disposition in the field of international relations to minimize their effects.

Rsum. Cette tude rpond des questions d'importance thorique et pratique. Est-ce que les minorits ethnoreligieuses attirent plus d'interventions internationales que les autres types de minorits? Est-ce que les minorits ethniques islamiques et du Moyen-Orient attirent plus d'interventions internationales que les minorits ethniques d'ailleurs et si oui, pour quelle raison? La banque de donnes du programme Minorities at Risk, qui rpertorie les interventions dans tous les conflits ethniques survenus entre 1990 et 1995, est outille pour rpondre ces questions. Les rsultats de recherche dmontrent que les minorits ethniques islamiques et du Moyen-Orient attirent, en effet, plus d'interventions internationales que les autres minorits. Cela s'explique par le fait que les tats, et plus particulirement les tats islamiques, interviennent rarement en faveur des minorits avec lesquelles ils ne partagent aucune affinit religieuse. Les rsultats dmontrent galement que les minorits ethnoreligieuses ont tendance attirer plus d'interventions trangres caractre politique que les autres types de minorits. Les conclusions de recherche confirment donc l'importance que revt l'affinit religieuse pour les interventions internationales dans les conflits ethniques, l'encontre de l'opinion gnrale des experts en relations internationales, qui tendent minimiser son rle.
Correspondence:
c1

Jonathan Fox, Department of Political Studies, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel, foxjon@mail.biu.ac.il.

c2

Patrick James, School of International Relations, University of Southern California, 3518 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA, patrickj@usc.edu.
c3

Yitan Li, Political Science Department, Seattle University, 901 12 Ave., Seattle, WA 98122, USA,liy@seattleu.edu.

th

Article
International Politics (2001) 38, 515532. doi:10.1057/palgrave.ip.8897050

Religious Causes of International Intervention in Ethnic Conflicts

Jonathan Fox1
1

Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, ISRAEL

Correspondence: Jonathan Fox, E-mail: foxjon@mail.biu.ac.il

Abstract
Ethnic conflict and international intervention have become increasingly important items on the international agenda since the end of the Cold War. Yet not all ethnic conflicts attract international intervention. While there are clearly other important motivations for international intervention, this study focuses on the influence of one of them: religion. Are religious conflicts perceived as more important to potential intervenors? Do those who intervene have religious affinities with the ethnic minorities on whose behalf they intervene? The results of this analysis find support for these relationships. Religious conflicts attract more political intervention by foreign governments and kindred groups to the minority living elsewhere. Intervening states are likely to have populations that are religiously similar to those minorities on whose behalf they intervene. Also, religious conflicts involving Christian and Moslem minorities attract military intervention by foreign governments about ten times as often as conflicts involving other religious minorities. These groups also attract more political intervention by kindred groups living elsewhere, whereas

minorities that are not Christian or Moslem attract more intervention by NGOs and multistate organizations.

Article
International Politics 38, 515-532 (December 2001) | doi:10.1057/palgrave.ip.8897050

Religious Causes of International Intervention in Ethnic Conflicts

Jonathan Fox

Abstract Ethnic conflict and international intervention have become increasingly important items on the international agenda since the end of the Cold War. Yet not all ethnic conflicts attract international intervention. While there are clearly other important motivations for international intervention, this study focuses on the influence of one of them: religion. Are religious conflicts perceived as more important to potential intervenors? Do those who intervene have religious affinities with the ethnic minorities on whose behalf they intervene? The results of this analysis find support for these relationships. Religious conflicts attract more political intervention by foreign governments and kindred groups to the minority living elsewhere. Intervening states are likely to have populations that are religiously similar to those minorities on whose behalf they intervene. Also, religious conflicts involving Christian and Moslem minorities attract military intervention by foreign governments about ten times as often as conflicts involving other religious minorities. These groups also attract more political intervention by kindred groups living elsewhere, whereas minorities that are not Christian or Moslem attract more intervention by NGOs and multi-state organizations.