Fikr Ma'ayyib
As is his wont to stir controversy, U.S. President Donald Trump published a propaganda post featuring his image alongside his wife in formal attire, contrasted with a photo of the Democratic Party candidate, Abdulrahman Al-Sayed, and his veiled wife in casual clothes at a restaurant. Trump commented on the image, stating that it represented two different Americas. The post sparked a wide range of reactions in the American public, with supporters and opponents alike debating the comparison. Supporters viewed it as an expression of the cultural and value-based divide that must be addressed to preserve America’s purity, according to their claims. Critics, however, condemned the post as a form of negative electoral exploitation designed to steer public opinion toward hatred and fear of the “other,” thereby deepening social divisions.
The actions of the U.S. President through this controversial post are not exceptional behaviors necessitated by the circumstances of the U.S. Congressional elections, but rather part of a broader pattern of conduct reflecting the nature of the ideology prevalent in many Western societies, and perhaps in others around the world. The “Jeffrey Epstein Island” file and the ongoing controversy surrounding it exemplify this mindset. Similarly, the stance supporting Zionists despite the killing, crimes, and destruction inflicted on the people of Gaza and Palestine are manifestations of this same ideology. This is further compounded by the efforts of several Western leaders and others to disregard the International Criminal Court and international organizations, seeking to undermine their foundations and exclude their roles in implementing international agreements related to human rights.
The repercussions facing the world from the dominant leadership ideology in several Western countries—characterized by exclusion, the erasure of the “other,” the prioritization of power over justice, the disregard for the values and cultures of peoples, the abandonment of ethical principles, the ignoring of international agreements among nations, the expansionist pursuit of war over international peace—requires a unified response from all countries at the levels of leaders, thinkers, elites, international organizations, and social and political pressure groups. Silence, indifference, or failing to properly assess the severity and negative repercussions of this ideology on the world could enable its global spread, leading to widespread ruin, destruction, backwardness, and the erosion of all ethical values, as well as the dismantling of what human civilization has built.
The thinker Will Durant, author of “The Story of Civilization,” stated: “A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.” In other words, the fall of a nation begins when it disintegrates morally and socially from within. History offers lessons and examples: researchers note that one of the main reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire was the spread of corruption, the decline of the concept of citizenship, and the departure from the principle of justice. Similarly, the collapse of Al-Andalus was due to internal fragmentation and the immersion of its people in moral transgressions, which weakened the state and facilitated its invasion and eventual demise.
In contrast to collapse, we can cite an example of progress. Observers confirm that one of the reasons for China’s current rise as a formidable political and economic power lies in the Communist Party’s campaign in the mid-20th century against drugs, moral laxity, and social disintegration. This effort led to the cohesion of Chinese society and directed it toward positive productivity.
Islam introduced an ideology based on several noble and high principles that guide society toward civilization and progress by embracing moral excellence. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “I was sent only to perfect good character.” Among the key principles is the commitment to justice in the governance of states, societies, and relations between parties. God Almighty says: “Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice. Excellent is that which Allah instructs you. Indeed, Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing.” (Quran, An-Nisa: 58). Through these principles and other noble tenets, societies rise, stand firm, progress, and flourish; otherwise, God decrees their decline, ruin, and backwardness.
Dr. Muhammad Hussein Al-Dallal
