Book Review: Islam and Anarchism: Relationships and Resonances
Book Review, by Muzammal Hussain
Islam and Anarchism: Relationships and Resonances
by Mohamed Abdou ~ Pluto Press (2022). ~ 352 pages
This is the fuller review. There is also a shortened version on the Peace News website
Introduction
This book shakes things up!
It also opens a dialogue space that welcomes Muslims, anarchists and all engaged with creating a just, peaceful world.
It attempts to offer a vision for building a community of mutual partnership, as an alternative to nation-state structures - capitalist or otherwise.
Such a community is inclusive of diverse faiths and spiritualities and grounded in shared, lived, ethico-political values. It also engages with justice in relation to indigenous land.
Two misunderstood Ideologies
So, what of Islam and anarchism– two ideologies seemingly unrelated, yet both often poorly understood?
Abdou appreciates the richness and diversity of the anarchist tradition.
Simultaneously, he asserts that anarchists can also learn from Islam and Muslims. He particularly emphasises, for instance, the ethics in Islam of working with difference (usul al-ikhtilaf) - while he also acknowledges the lack of practise of this amongst contemporary Muslims.
Importantly, Abdou challenges generalised negative beliefs lodged within anarchist communities about Islam, and perhaps religions more broadly, such as that religion is through control.
At the same time, he challenges Muslims who dismiss anarchism.
Abdou also critiques European and American anarchist movements for failing to be aware of, or give importance to ideas from anarchist movements in other regions. For instance, he points out that anarchist movements have been active in Egypt since the 1870’s.
“...anarchism and anarchist ideas were gaining ground in radical social movements in the Ottoman empire, including in Muslim reformist movements before World War I”
He also shares that anarchism and anarchist ideas were gaining ground in radical social movements in the Ottoman empire, including in Muslim reformist movements before World War I.
Furthermore Abdou highlights the presence of Muslim anarchists living near Basra (present day Iraq) between the 7th and 9th century.
Enter ‘Anarcha-Islam’
Abdou draws on sources, including the Qur’ an, to assert that anarchism and Islam are entirely compatible. He formulates an “Anarcha-Islam”, which offers practises supporting egalitarian co-existence and the overcoming of authoritarian tendencies. This contributes to the co-creation of the envisioned world.
A key emphasis is the need for a radical “decolonial” approach to social justice and community building. In this vein, Abdou is inspired by indigenous communities such as the Zapatistas in Chiapas, Mexico.
He also consistently points out how colonialism, fascism, and white supremacy exist within each of us, including in progressive movements. He gives examples such as ‘Occupy’, which he says is evidenced by the term itself.
This analysis invites us to look at less conscious motivations for our choices. Abdou emphasises education, self-reflection and the need for the “violent unsettling of internalised ‘cultures of whiteness’” as part of the process to undo such conditioning. By engaging in such work, we lessen the likelihood of unconsciously acting out seemingly innocent “micro-fascisms”.
Abdou also points to a concept emphasised in the Qur’an of the need for us each to go beyond tolerance and engage in actively getting to know one another.
For Muslim activists, Abdou offers an alternative to the moderate Muslim who is assimilated into the capitalist nation-state, and also an alternative to the reactionary militant ‘jihaidist’ response to felt injustices.
“Through Anarcha-Islam, Abdou asserts that Muslims can participate in constructing an egalitarian alternative to capitalism, while being inspired by their faith.”
Through such an Islam, tools are offered that enable the inclusive collaborations with those who do not identify as Muslim, to co-create an alternative paradigm with shared values towards human and non-human life.
Holding the bigger vision
The book helpfully reminds fellow activists in general of the essential need to keep focus on the just, egalitarian communities we are seeking to co-create. That way, any engagement, actions, tactics, confrontations, sit-ins, and so forth, however short term, are in the context of this longer term vision. This reminder can help prevent us getting stuck in cyclical patterns when in the throes of outward activism.
The author is a North African-Egyptian Muslim activist academic, who has participated in the Tahrir uprisings, and draws on a range of sources. This includes radical black, indigenous, people of colour (BIPOC), and queer-feminist sources, for instance.
Abdou is open in critiquing well known Muslim scholars, and also liberal-left social movements whose values Abdou considers as assimilated within the idea of nation-state forms of governance.
While I congratulate Abdou for distilling extensive research into a single text, I found some of the language to be quite academic. There were times when I heard myself saying “Surely there’s a simpler way to say this!” That said, Islam and Anarchism is a fascinating, very nuanced book.
For more accessibility, the academic terms could be unpacked, and a glossary included. Room is left for a beginners guide to the subject. There is a helpful index and rigorous referencing in a section at the back where some ideas are elaborated further.
Beyond the single authority figure: Practises in Islam
As an anarchist-leaning Muslim, I applaud Abdou challenging a common belief in Muslim communities: the need for a single authority figure. (He refers to this as the “internalised messiah and savior complex”). I have personally found this belief to stifle creativity and lead to disempowerment within Muslims communities. I gently challenge it myself, holding the view that we need more aware and skilled facilitators, not fixed leaders.
“Abdou describes Anarcha-Islam as condemning allegiance to anyone, whether a sheikh, imam, state, our ego, and so forth. He highlights a core Islamic concept, “tawhid”, whereby absolute authority is given to God alone.”
Abdou also describes a set of ‘anti-authoritarian’ concepts and practises embedded in the Islamic tradition (although they are not necessarily exclusive to it). Such practises include the concept of ‘mutual consultation’ (shura), and ‘consensus’ (ijma) on community matters as a means to move towards “a unified and egalitarian” society.
In Islamic history, these practises, rather than being refined and developed over time, gradually withered away. This led to the gradual rise of authoritarianism within a few decades after the passing of the Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him).
As a Muslim who has experienced tremendous creativity, connection and meaning in processes centred around deep listening and the welcoming of all parts of ourselves, I was pleased to hear these practises re-emphasised by the author.
Abodu also takes the reader through a range of anti-capitalist economic and business concepts in Islam, that helps create a more comprehensive model of Anarcha-Islam.
Patience and inner strength: Non-violence and Beyond
Abdou’s position on non-violence and the right to armed self-defense will offer interesting food for discussion in the peace movement. He draws on the early days of Islam, when new converts in Mecca had galvanised around this religion that actively stood for social justice, including rights for women and the economically marginalised.
This minority community of Muslims, many of whom came from lower classes, consequently faced persecution, torture, boycotts, murder and other atrocities via the wealthy Arab elite in Mecca. This minority community responded to these atrocities with non-violence and perseverance over approximately thirteen years. Through facing such persecution together, while staying aligned to deeply held values, their bonds strengthened and an inner strength was cultivated.
While arguing for peace as the default position as articulated in the Qur’ an, Abdou also argues for the right to armed self-defense, which took place when the community of Muslims and non-Muslims formed in Medina. However, he also quotes Nietzsche:
“He who fights a monster should be careful lest he become a monster”
Abdou points to the foundation that had been developed to prevent the emergence of this ‘monster’ in the form of the thirteen years of non-violent active resistance.
In addition he points to the constraints and ethics emphasised in Islam under circumstances of temporary armed conflict, such as adherence to treaties, not destroying villages or cultivated land, treating prisoners decently and not hurting non-combatants for instance. Much of this is in contrast to what has been normalised in modern armed conflict and which would therefore not be compatible with this ethic in Islam.
Umma beyond labels: Shared ethico-political commitments
Abdou also argues, from a Qur’ anic perspective, (and some Muslims may not be in agreement!) that it is less important whether one identifies as Muslim or not. He draws on the example of the community in Medina at the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This community (or Umma, as Muslims call it), based on social justice and mutual cooperation, comprised both Muslims and non-Muslims with shared ethico-political commitments.
Abdou adds, that one’s identity - be it Muslim, anarchist or whatever - does not in itself entitle any individual to belong to the Umma. What does, is one’s lived commitment to radical, shared values to one another and non-human life.
As I write this review, I am aware there is a possibility that I haven’t done justice or may have subtly misrepresented some aspects of the book. I feel this because I sense the nuances in Abdou’s arguments, which may be lost in summarising them. Also, while I attempted to grapple to understand exactly what was said, I may have only come a little closer without fully arriving.
About the Reviewer
Muzammal Hussain is a organisational change facilitator, emotional healing therapist and permaculture designer, as well as a medical doctor who has worked in NHS psychiatry over more than 12 years. Muzammal is also founder and a representative of Wisdom In Nature.