Teaser From Chapter The Incompatibility Between Islam And Nationalism

Many do not appear to see it, but modern day nationalism and Islam are fundamentally and irreconcilably incompatible. This is so for at least two reasons. First, as discussed in Chapter 1, in order to survive or justify its existence, the nation-state requires that its citizens idolize it, honor its myths, and sanctify its borders, flags and symbols as sacred. Islam, on the other hand, strictly prohibits its followers from idolizing and revering man made objects or notions, certainly to a degree that they would be willing to die for them. Second, where Islam is premised on advocating a system (individually and collectively) that is centered on morality and universalism, the nation-state on the other hand is premised on the ego, temporal, and the political. The nation-state puts what is good for it and its survival above all else; everything else is a mere afterthought and is political, negotiable, and breakable. For the state, everything is a means to an end. As we will see below, the results of the contradictions and competition between Islam and nationalism have been catastrophic for the Muslim world.