Rock the Casbah, Essay Example

Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion across the Islamic World by Robin Wright

What is Wright’s argument?

Wright’s book on the Islamic World specifically points out how important religious belief is for the Islamic groups around the globe. Relatively connected to the religious roots and traditions of the Islamic belief, Islamic groups around the world, no matter how differentiated they are in locations consider themselves one country. However, it could be understood that the traditions of the Islamic religion has lead them through the assumptions of unity and it has also become the primary reason behind the failure of the said belief to keep its people in a defined indication of what they are made for and what value they serve as part of their religion.

In a definition of the Islamic religion’s past foundation and its current lifestyle, Wright argues that somehow, modernization and globalization has caused a certain change in the pattern by which the Islamic society imposes a new essence of understanding about the most comprehensive ways of realizing their course of living and how essential it is for them to remain in their religion while surviving a modern world. This particular aspect of development has specifically made it harder for the Islamic groups to live along their traditions while mandating the course of life that follows the pattern of globalization. The division of the Islamic community has become a more refined indication of the division of their beliefs. To this, Bazzi imposes on how Wright placed her written presentation of the modern Islamic culture as he says:”

“Wright’s protagonists include relatively well-known activists like the American Muslim comedians who formed the “Axis of Evil” comedy tour, the Islamic scholar and feminist Amina Wadud (who led Friday prayers at mosques in South Africa and New York) and Saudi clerics who developed a government-backed program to de-radicalize Islamic militants.” (Internet)

While modern members of the Islamic religion intend to become more refined alongside the operations of global development, others remain rooted to the deep foundations of the religion. While the September 2011 incident has placed the attention of the American community against the members of the Islamic religion. Notably, it could be realized that somehow, this particular assumption from the American society and the western communities has placed the Islamic communities in a range of conflict with the world. On the other end, the other members of the said religion are trying to mix in along with the modern society. This is a hard course to take for most of them while they are being prejudiced to be just like the others who had issues of social defiance.

Do you agree with Mohamad Bazzi’s critique of the book?

The vision of Bazzi with regards the writing of Wright is specifically evident and is likely in reference of what he says is obviously seen in the division of Islamic societies present in the world today. Notably, he considers the written work of Wright as a definitive indication of what is happening at present and how the Islamic communities are currently faring especially in the field of embracing the effects of globalization in their traditions and their culture as well as the process by which they live. True, Bazzi agrees on the context by which Wright defines the deep involvement of the Islamic religion into the creation of movements against other races with such violence. However, Bazzi also argues that besides the Islamic belief, there are of course other factors that lead towards these assumptions of social chaos that are happening in the world at present which are most often than not accounted against that of the Islamic communities. In accordance with this Bazzi mentions that:

“For a long time, that sense of possibility seemed out of reach. But the Arab revolts of 2011 are the start of a new journey of reform and renewal. The secular and nationalist visions articulated by Azm, Kassir and others are still alive; but so are the Islamist agendas of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah and Hamas. Indeed, the current Arab revolts are partly driven by Islamist aspirations, but also by a renewed notion of Pan-Arab identity.” (Internet)

Take note from this line how Bazzi points out that the revelation of the reestablishment of the new Islamic rules especially connected with Arab rebels has made the attacks of the said religion towards the western regions more rebellious and violent in form; specifically killing hundreds or at times even thousands of innocent individuals simply caught in the middle of tension. Bazzi points out that even though there are only a few members of the said rebellious groups [at times not even members of the Muslim communities] the attacks they make are extremely planned hence able to contend a large number of victims. Putting such occurrences in the hands of the Islamic communities pointing out that they are the ones who have perpetrated such situations is simply unfair to the said religious group.

Bazzi points out in his review of Wright’s written work that even though the writing does provide a remarkable evidence of where the Islam community stands at today, he considers that somehow, primarily pointing out to the religious beliefs of the said community as the primary reason behind the prejudice that they receive from other races who accuse them of the jihad occurrences around the globe [specifically pointed towards the western regions of the world] is rather unfair as it is obvious how other members of the group simply want nothing but to embrace the effects of globalization as well. Beyond accusations, researched evidences point out the instance from which the creation of organized terrorist attacks could be accounted to come from different arenas of organizations coming together to form their plans. True, the allegiance of Islamic believers upon their faith and their role as member of the said global community has placed some of its members in the considerable position of serving planned operations that are directed to definitive courses of terroristic goals. Nonetheless, the modernist Islamic members view such operations to be over-rated and at times even misguided hence they decide to live aside from such guidance and create a new set of guidelines that would help them make their tradition survive the new waves of globalization while allowing themselves be emerged in the new culture that is less definite about violent wars, hence imposing that jihad is more of a battle against the ill manners of living rather than against actual races of individuals that do not conform to Islamic beliefs. The reformations that have been made in line with the developments of the Islamic beliefs should still be properly understood by one before any particular assumptions or allegations are made against the said community of supposedly united and peaceful people. While Wright presents the massive transition of culture and traditions of the Islamic reform through the years, Bazzi mentions:

“The larger struggle is still playing out on the streets of Cairo, Tunis, Tripoli, Damascus and elsewhere. Like the history itself, that narrative has yet to be written.” (Internet)

Considerably, this then indicates a more responsive aspect from which the Islamic development is heading to especially in the course of following the path of globalization and modernity. Notably, the struggle in the course of retaining tradition while embracing modernization is still currently causing the Islamic divide; and this, according to Bazzi, should be referenced as a rather defiant path that puts the lives of the Islamic society around the globe in jeopardy.

What additional evidence would you like to have that would help you predict how things will unfold in the Middle East? Why would this information be helpful?

Perhaps, intelligence reports that have been garnered from the different operations of the government entities could actually help in defining the supposed future of the Islamic regions around the globe and specifically on those living in the Middle East. This information from the said sources could help identify the realities behind the activities that these groups embrace and the reasons behind them. However, as obviously known, the said type of information is radically kept from the public. Hence, a counter source for such indicative understanding could be sourced out from actually revisiting the course of development that the nation and its history have embraced in the past. Learning how they live and what they believed in within a different approach of perspective compared to that of Wright’s shall provide a more definitive manner by which the Islamic society could be known and understood with proper ways of refining development as part of their culture. This information could balance out Wright’s understanding in par with that of the comments of Bazzi in the review that he has presented.

References

Bazzi, Mohamad. (2011). Welcome to the Counter-Jihad. Arab Springs. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/11/books/review/rock-the-casbah-by-robin-wright-book-review.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all. (November 21, 2011).

Wright, Robin. (2011). Rock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion Across the Islamic World. Simon & Schuster Publishing.