The Holders of Absolute Truth
by Tarek Heggy
July 19, 2012 at 4:30 am
July 19, 2012 at 4:30 am
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Bruno's and
Galileo's findings had run counter to Scripture at a time when a culture of
strict orthodoxy held sway,when not only society but scientific truths were
subordinated to what the religious establishment believed to be religious
truths.
A few days ago, en route to the south of Italy,
where the cultural climate is less influenced by Europe than it is by the
Mediterranean, there was a row even before the plane took off, a heated
exchange between the Italian chief steward and two Egyptian sheikhs wearing the
robes of Egypt's premier religious university, Al-Azhar. The dispute had
erupted over where the two sheikhs were to sit: the steward insisted they sit
in their assigned seats in the economy class, while they insisted on moving to
business class seats. When, as the conscripted interpreter of last resort, I
explained that they had to sit on the seats specified on their tickets, they
expressed their extreme displeasure at what they called European arrogance and
inflexibility. There was eventually no choice but to point out that as they had
paid for economy class tickets, they had no right to business class seats. This
seemed to incense them even further; their anti-European tirade grew even more
ferocious. The situation was finally resolved by the captain, who explained to
his enraged passengers that they had only two options: either to sit in their
assigned seats or to get off the plane. Acknowledging defeat, the Azharites
accepted the first, and settled into the economy class seats they had paid for.
Returning to my seat, I recalled another
Azharite sheikh who had travelled to Europe in 1826 as an escort and mentor of
a group of young Egyptians sent by Mohamed Ali to study in a number of French
institutes of learning. A luminary of Egypt's intellectual regeneration in the
nineteenth century, Sheikh Rifaa Rafii al-Tahtawi [1801-1873] lived in France
for five years. After his return in 1831, he wrote a number of books
introducing Egyptian readers to the civilization and culture he had known
during his five-year sojourn in Paris, the most impressive of which are Takhlis
al-ibriz fi talkhis bariz, Al-murshid al amin fi tarbiyat al-banat wa al-banin
and Manahij al-albab al-misriyya fi manahij al-adab al-casriyya. In
addition to his own writings, Tahtawi translated more than twenty-five books
from French into Arabic. This great Azharite, despite going to France not as a
student but as the spiritual preceptor, or imam, of the mission, used
his time to delve deeply into a variety of subjects. Blessed with a curious and
contemplative mind, as well as with a wholesome personality, Tahtawi was a
great admirer of the achievements of Western civilization, not only in the
field of applied sciences but also in the cultural, intellectual and moral
fields. He was apparently particularly impressed with the importance accorded
to modern education in Europe; the respect in which men held women; the plans
and cleanliness of the towns; the integrity of Europeans, and their solid work
ethic.
The incident on the Cairo to Rome flight
underscored a serious flaw in the cultural foundation of the two Azharite
sheikhs. Although apparently living in Rome for five years, neither spoke any
language other than Arabic. Moreover, they could see none of the merits of
Western civilization. In direct contrast to their insularity, Tahtawi learned
to speak French fluently even though he could not speak a word of it before
1826. In fact, he learned the French alphabet on the ship taking the mission
from Alexandria to Marseilles. What he admired most in France, he said, was
democracy, respect for the individual, respect for women and the great
importance accorded to education and learning. The two Azharite sheikhs on the
plane, who refused to observe the rules of civilized behavior, were the
antithesis of their great precursor, Rifaa Rafii al-Tahtawi, a man able to
appreciate and celebrate not only his own great civilization, but also the
achievements and contributions of other great civilizations, from the time of
the earliest, whether it was on the banks of the Nile, or on the banks of the
Tigris and Euphrates in the land now known as Iraq.
In southern Italy, at the extreme southern tip,
stands the town of Brindisi (the name in Latin means the "deer's
antlers"), which overlooks the Adriatic. There you can see a portrait of
the outstanding Italian scientist Galileo Galilei that should cause a pang in
your heart if you compare the debased cultural environment we are living under
in Egypt today and that in which the great scientist [1564-1642] lived. Known
in advanced societies as the father of modern science, Galileo, in his 70s, was
put on trial on charges of heresy for saying that the Earth goes around the sun
-- a "crime" for which his predecessor, Giordano Bruno, a few years
earlier, had been burned alive at the stake. Galileo was taken to a dungeon
where he was shown the instruments of torture that would be used on him unless
he recanted; and spent the rest of his life not allowed to leave his house.
Bruno's and his findings had run counter to Scripture at a time when a culture
of strict religious orthodoxy held sway, when not only society but scientific
truths were subordinated to what the religious establishment believed to be
religious truths.
In France, Tahtawi was captivated by what he
saw in the way of freedom, progress and the respect in which women were held.
It was there that he came to believe that allowing women to mix freely with men
and their freedom and modern way of dressing did not necessarily lead to
decadence and degeneracy. The enlightened sheikh liked seeing men and women
dance together, and described dancing as "an art form that does not
[necessarily] imply licentiousness."
One of the most profound observations he made
about Europeans in his book, Takhlis al-ibriz fi talkhis bariz, reads as
follows: "Their minds [and not a religious text] determined that justice
and equity are among the reasons for the prosperity of kingdoms and the comfort
of humans." There is no doubt that Tahtawi was a product of the brilliant
modernization project launched by Mohamed Ali.
As for the two Azharite sheikhs on the plane,
they are clearly products of an altogether different evolutionary stage, one
marked by intellectual sterility, superficiality of knowledge, mental
stagnation, cultural regression and mentalities mired in the Dark Ages. The
thought processes of those infected with this mindset are full of serious
defects, the most dangerous being that they do not believe in diversity or in
the acceptance of the Other, and they are intolerant of any opinion that
differs from their own, inasmuch as they believe they are the holders of
Absolute Truth.
Then there is their antiquated attitude towards
women, who are denied any margin of religious or cultural tolerance. The
mentality of these sheikhs is one of submission and conformity that does not
celebrate, indeed, that suppresses, critical thinking and creativity. Deep
down, they do not subscribe to the notion of common humanity: the world in
their eyes is divided into "us" (the world of Islam) and
"them" (the world of war). It is a division that is inimical not only
to the notion of humanity but to any notion of world peace.
Related Topics: Egypt
| Tarek
Heggy
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