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Islam Between East and West Episode 19 [transcript]

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Hi everyone and welcome back to For All Humans.
The book Islam Between East and West by Alija Ali Izetbegovic is nothing if not a fascinating read. It does what very few authors have managed to do, offering an extremely insightful, in-depth exploration of the Islamic tradition and its relation to Western knowledge systems.

Readers will be intrigued to know that many of the references in this book are incomplete or missing, which is very odd for an academic work. However, the circumstances surrounding the release of this book were not ordinary. In this video, we will explore these unusual circumstances, then talk about the author himself and discuss the main points of his work.

Firstly, it is worth noting that the book is very well organized and structured. It was first written in Bosnian and was then published in English in 1983. The book is divided into two main sections:

  1. Premises: Considerations of our Religion
  2. Islam: Bipolar Unity

The book covers a diverse, rich, and complex set of ideas, philosophies, and questions about what it means to be human and the meaning of life and beyond. It explores the many dualities of the world—primarily, the conflicts between spirit and body, religion and science, and culture and civilization. The author believed that these conflicts arose from the emptiness left by material progress when it is not accompanied by spiritual values.

The multidisciplinary approach of the book is impressive, showing the author’s mastery of various disciplines including science, art, and the humanities. Izetbegovic analyzes the effects of two opposing ideologies on the world:

  1. Christianization
  2. Atheization

Christianity and Atheism refer to paradigmatic cultural-religious phenomena. Christianity here is a generic idea of creation, culture, art, and morality, while Atheization is based on a materialistic approach, with socialism as its practical and historical perspective. This concept takes care of the physical nature of man in history.

In the book’s foreword, Karachi states that by neglecting the act of God’s creation, atheistic teachings reduce man to a perfectly drilled member of society—depersonalized, despiritualized, and deprived of any wish to rebel.

Let us briefly turn to the author himself.
Alija Ali Izetbegovic was born in 1925 in Bosanski, Bosnia, and passed away in 2003 in Sarajevo. The South Slav region he was born in was under Islamic rule for over 500 years. He studied law at Sarajevo University and became one of the leading intellectuals in the Bosnian Muslim community. Izetbegovic also became Bosnia’s first post-war president.

In 1970, he published The Islamic Declaration, which sparked controversy, especially among non-Muslims in Bosnia. This work called for an Islamic revival, combining Western progress with Islamic tradition. Despite non-Muslims seeing it as a call for an Islamic state, the Islamic Declaration was more focused on unity among the global Muslim community.

A year before the release of Islam Between East and West, Izetbegovic was arrested for allegedly engaging in counter-revolutionary activities. He served five years of a 14-year sentence, which is why the bibliography and references remained unfinished.

Izetbegovic’s life seemed driven by a desire to provide younger Muslims with tools for orientation. Throughout the book, he presents Islam as more of a necessity than a choice. Islam is not primarily depicted as a teacher, but as a worldview.

The role of Islam in opposition to science is also addressed in the book. Izetbegovic explores whether science can serve religion and how Islam offers solutions to many issues, positioning it as a force capable of organizing the universe. He emphasizes that Islam creates harmony between man and the world, just as man represents the unity of spirit and body.

The originality of Izetbegovic’s work lies in how he bridges materiality and religion. Islam, according to him, calls for creating both a harmonious individual and a society whose laws maintain this balance. In the chapter Creation and Evolution, Izetbegovic goes beyond refuting biological evolution and instead explores the deeper philosophical dualism between body and spirit.

Izetbegovic asserts that man is more than just a physical being. He contrasts humans with animals, noting that for humans, things carry imaginary meanings that often hold more significance than their real ones.

In the chapter The Phenomenon of Art, Izetbegovic expands on the idea that human destiny, loneliness, and mortality cannot be fully addressed by materialism. He argues that civilization, while powerful, cannot solve the problem of human happiness, echoing studies where wealth has increased but happiness levels have stagnated.

The second half of the book delves into the concept of Islam’s “bipolar unity,” where two seemingly opposing forces are reconciled within Islam. For instance, the dualistic nature of Salah (prayer) combines both physical and metaphysical elements.

Zakat (almsgiving) is another example. Originally a religious obligation, it evolved into a social movement. Izetbegovic discusses how zakat can address issues of poverty and inequality, offering it as a solution to the growing gap between the rich and poor in today’s society.

In conclusion, the themes of Islam Between East and West remain relevant, and the lessons from Izetbegovic’s work apply to modern society. The book addresses universal questions, and its impact is likely to endure for years to come. By positioning Islam as a method rather than a ready-made solution, Izetbegovic’s work provides meaningful insights for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

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