Dubai and Islam

I have been arguing a lot about Dubai and Islam lately. Is it a product of a successful mix of Islam and a liberal market economy? In recent years Dubai and UAE at large has become an ultra modern state thanks to visionary leaders and oil money. Today, together with Singapore and Hong Kong, Dubai is one of the commercial hubs of Asia. The country has a highly advance infrastructure and all the luxuries 21st century can provide.

Of course, you are right on that these countries are highly developed countries, at least Kuwait and Dubai. But is it due to that they are real Islamic states or is it because they have been easing up on the Islamic policies? I would definitely go for the second one. And that is of course good. We need more secularity in the world, not less, and especially in the Middle East. Religion shouldn’t interfere with governmental businesses, nor in Sweden neither in Iraq or Egypt. Problem with Islam is that there is no certain line between just politics and religion, because there are certain examples on how the perfect Islamic state should be governed. This creates obstacles when a country wants to develop into a more democratic pace.
The difference between Islamic countries today and our own civilization, is that for instance the USA is a democratic country where you can’t punish people gratuitous; you have to have some foundation for your indictment! Secondly, in a democracy, which the USA and Sweden are and all Islamic countries aren’t, you are able to write about and critize anything so it is impossible in a democratic country to get prosecuted due to this reason. This is a serious problem for the Muslims and they should ease up on this. People that do not think your religion is the best thing that ever happened to the world HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SAY/WRITE/PAINT SO.

Before Islam, the society was much more liberal, in Medina and Mecca for instance, where different sorts of pagan religions were practiced. In Iran, today one of the most evil empires in the world, there was a religion called Zoroastrianism (aka the fire-religion) were people were pretty much free to do what they liked and women had a more equal position than under the Islamic yoke. This was the situation for all Persians and also all the Kurdish people (who most of them believed in this fate).

Islam and of course inefficient governments as well, have been turning time backwards in the regions it occupies, and it is a serious threat to modern democracy and our life style, of which it seems to be incompatible to live among with.
Islam can perhaps change and be suitable for more secular purposes, where you actually can have a society where there are Mosques and Islamic believers all over the place, but the Muslims are only attending to service on Fridays (isn’t it?) and then it is enough about that. And of course celebrates all other high festivals that you have. However, I think the Shias have to let go on that custom to hit themselves with swords. Saw one mother on a picture cutting a little bit in her baby’s head. Well, isn’t that a world we all want to have? =)

Well, I seem to have lost the line here, but the main point is that Islam could be OK, if it could STOP to interfer with governmental business and cease political activity immediately. Sadly, I think it is incompatible with that. Sorry!

Before I wrap up, let me remind you of Prophet Muhammad’s warning regarding tall Buildings. Prophet Muhammad said one of the signs of the day of judgment will be the competition among nations to build tall buildings. How Islamic of Dubai then aiming for world rec. after world rec. to break when it comes to human construction art. Isn’t that also a sign on human invention, our own divine (in a way) capacity and creation power! We, ourselves, can do whatever we want to if we are being free and not hindered to do so; Islam is sadly a contemporary obstacle for freedom of our mind and our force of creation.