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Famous
Personalities of the Global Islamic Movement Throughout History
Rashid Ghannoushi
has influenced Tunisian politics since the 1980s.
His religious and political concepts have been shaped by
his earlier experiences with Western colonization and
secular governments. His concepts of the West, Islam,
and secularism appear in the Renaissance Party of whom
he is the founder. Those concepts and ideals have become
a national goal for many Tunisians.
Born in 1941, Ghannoushi grew up in a house where
education was highly emphasized, especially by his
mother. His early education was in the Zaytouna school
system of , which taught traditional Islamic ideals. As
a result of this traditional education, he began to see
Islam as unapproachable and out of touch with modern
society. He called traditional Islam “museum Islam”.
Ghannoushi became discouraged with Islam and its
irrelevance to the present. Thus, his ultimate concern
is “of the need to relate Islam directly and
specifically to the real, everyday problems (political,
economic, and social) of the people” (Makers, 99-100).
The need for religion in everyday life inspired him to
link religion with liberation and led him to found the
Renaissance Party of Tunisia, also called Annahdha.
Several factors led to the creation of the Renaissance
Party. It began as an opposition movement against Habib
Bourguiba’s one party system. With Bourguiba’s
modernization of came religious oppression. Many saw
this as an insult to not only their faith but to their
culture. He even went as far as to publicly insult Islam
by drinking a glass of orange juice on television during
Ramadan, the holy month of fasting. Fasting was
discouraged because it “affected productivity and
economic development” (Makers, 92). Religion was seen as
a backwards notion that had no place in the modern
world. Thus, religious institutions like the Zaytouna
schools were closed. This greatly upset devout Muslims.
In response to these modernization tactics Ghannoushi
established the Renaissance Party.
Religion is often used to justify political movements
and sociopolitical messages. By linking liberation to
religion, Ghannoushi is able to religiously justify his
views on social and political issues. His version of
Islam advocates a strong sense of community and equality
of all members. This includes both men and women. In
fact, within the Renaissance Party, awards and
advancement are based on merit regardless of sex. Thus,
equality is seen as a basic human right.
Ghannoushi’s notion of human rights and individuality
could have been an influenced by his Western studies.
The concept of individuality is Western. He does not
view Western ideas as “inferior nor superior to Islam”.
At times, there seems to be a synthesis of the Islamic
system and the Western system in his thinking. The
integration of the two systems could stem from
Ghannoushi receiving a degree in Western Philosophy from
the University of Damascus. One such integration is the
concept of democracy. Although he and the Renaissance
Party advocate an Islamic government, they view
democracy to be essential for a government to represent
the people and their varying viewpoints.
The Renaissance Party recognizes that there exist many
differing viewpoints in Islam and, indeed, the world.
This is precisely why the party “is struggling to obtain
guarantees for the political freedoms to all parties,
opinion families, and minorities in ” (Annahdha).
Ghannoushi himself supports cooperation among other
parties, which has gained him and the party favor among
many parties and individuals. He recognizes the
differing opinions within Islam and disagrees with those
who want to implement an ideology that excludes others.
Although Ghannoushi criticizes Bourguiba’s socialism and
secularism, his views often have a Marxist twinge. His
target audience consists of the poor and the working
class. Karl Marx would call these people the
proletariat. Within the Renaissance Party’s
constitution, they call “to provide all social services
by providing to everyone the right to food, health care,
education, and affordable housing and all other basic
needs” (Annahdha). One can begin to see the corners of
Marx’s mouth turn upward. Ghannoushi probably came to
these viewpoints as a young man when he studied Abdel
Nassir of . Though Ghannoushi’s admiration has
decreased, the influence remains. Where they greatly
differ is the issue of religion. Ghannoushi advocates
socialism within the framework of an Islamic system
whereas Marx was completely secular. However, Ghannoushi
considers the veil a personal choice and not something
that should be enforced by the state. This in itself is
a secular notion because it is taking a religious
practice and making it a personal choice.
Western ideals often embody a secular system, which is
often seen as the antithesis of the Islamic system.
Ghannoushi believes that “because of its alienation from
the masses, the Westernized elite resorts to violent and
repressive means to impose its foreign-inspired models
and perpetuate its rule” (Shahin, 60). Western
leadership separates itself from the laity causing them
not to understand the plight of the people and,
therefore, the use of force is necessary for control.
Oppressed groups often find it necessary to voice strong
and sometimes violent opposition to the control. This is
why many Islamist groups resort to violent means. They
feel that it is the only way their concerns will be
heard. Despite this, the Renaissance Party preaches
against terrorism; “terrorism negates any legitimate
quest for political, social, and religious freedoms” (Annahdha).
Ghannoushi also believes in nonviolent means to achieve
political goals.
Another nonviolent technique used to bridge the gap
between Islam and the West is to increase dialogue. The
Renaissance Party wishes to “initiate a constructive
dialogue between Muslim civilization and Western
society” (Annahdha). By doing this, many misconceptions
and stereotypes can be eliminated thereby improving the
relationship between the two and preventing conflicts.
For Ghannoushi, the problems within lie in both public
and private sectors. In the public arena are Bourguiba
and the oppression of Islamic practices and values.
Ghannoushi believes that oppression is rooted in
previous colonization. The West has left a legacy and
influenced Islamic politics. However, in the private
sector, the Tunisian people are partly to blame. They
allow the continuation of Western influence in Islam.
The falling of Tunisian society is blamed on a lack of
morals and a need to return to Islamic values. The
implementation of Sharia would compensate for the loss
of morals and revive Islam. By doing this, the people
regain their Muslim identities and values.
Education is key to Ghannoushi’s values. It plays a huge
role the Renaissance Party’s platform. In the party’s
constitution they call for a “cultural and intellectual
movement to honor the mind and respect the taste habits
and emphasize ’s civilizational role” (Annahdha). In
this way, they link education to culture, which
illustrates the great importance applied to education
for without it, they have no culture. In so doing, they
believe that education should be a right guaranteed to
every citizen. Then all citizens can be active members
of society and, in turn, the umma.
The umma is an important concept for Ghannoushi. It
contributes to the identity of an individual and the
relationship one has with other Muslims. Thus, the umma
plays a crucial role in the development of a person’s
sense of self. Also, religion is used to justify the
norms of a society, which are seen as a moral code that
have been established by a divine order and contribute
to the solidarity of all Muslims. Therefore, Muslims
share many commonalities and have a feeling of
solidarity. Ghannoushi advocates the unity of all
Muslims despite their differences.
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