Islam an Alternative
In view of the consistent failure of human ideology to find the proper balance between the interests of the individual and those of society, we propose an alternative ideology, namely, Islam. But this is not the traditional, partisan, dogmatic call to Islam as a religion opposed to other religions. It is not even a call to religion as opposed to secular thinking. Our conception of Islam embraces other religions and secular socio-political theories, in that it accepts and provides for the realisation of the essence of the entire body of religious and human thinking.
This unifying quality may be called the Islamic trinity joining both ends of a spectrum into one medium stream that contains the essence of both extremes. This process operates between Judaism and Christianity, as well as between liberal democracy and Marxism.
Judaism, at one end, teaches us to take an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. Christianity, at the other end, advocates lofty, idealistic, notions about loving one’s neighbour and tolerating hurt and injury. Islam is the bridge between the two extreme positions, in that it provides for a legal order, as in Judaism, while at the same time it sets forth the techniques necessary to achieve the lofty ideals of Christianity. This is possible through the integration of legal obligation and moral education which will be explained.
Concerning liberal democracy and Marxism, the former defeats its purpose by maintaining a capitalist economy, while the latter defeats its purpose by establishing a totalitarian, undemocratic political order. Islam partakes of the two providing for a socialist and democratic political order by employing the force of personal morality within a framework of legal obligation. Both socialism and democracy are private behavioural patterns as well as legal limitations. Neither of the two facets is capable of maintaining a socialist democratic system, but the two combined can accomplish it. Those who abide by the moral precepts would find support and encouragement in the legal order, while those who lack the moral commitment would be bound by the legal obligations. The process of integration starts at the very base of the socio-economic order, and continues on to infinity in the subtleties of human behaviour and social relationships.
