Paper for the Third International Conference on the Greatest Prophet Mohamme
Sanaa, Yemen, September 13-15, 2025
Introduction
We live in an era of a historic transition in the world. The general trend of the decline of the west and the rise of the rest has entered a phase in which the future of mankind is decided in the coming months and years, not in the coming decades. The signs are there: the genocide in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, the U.S./Israeli attack on Iran, the growing danger of a war between China and the U.S. regarding Taiwan, the rise of the fascist movements in Europe and the U.S..
This essay deals with the nature of that transition from a decolonial theoretical framework. This framework takes the concept of civilization as the basis for analysis.[1] I argue that we are in the transition from a colonial world civilization to a new world civilization and discuss its relationship with the Islamic civilization.
Four views on world history
A view on world history is important for two reasons. First, millions of activists around the world are fighting for a better world. How does this new world relate to previous worlds? Are we able to influence our future or are we just mechanical actors in a process over which we don’t have any control? These questions are related to one’s view about how world history develops.
Second, the current educational system in many parts of the world propagates a view of world history that sees the West as the apex of human civilization. The Greeks are regarded as the inventors of science and democracy. Columbus is portrayed as a scientific discoverer who changed the world. The French revolution is the greatest revolution in modern history with the slogan “Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”. Many of these ideas found their way into the textbooks of Westernized education and produced colonized minds, that promoted the idea of Western superiority and non-Western inferiority. A new canon of world history is needed to decolonize the mind.
The Liberal view
One of the most important philosophers of the European Enlightenment George Hegel (1770-1831) wrote in his Lectures on the Philosophy of World History: “World history has arisen in the southeast, and it has subsided into itself to the northwest.”[2] He introduced the concept of the end of history, that conservative Japanese American Francis Fukuyama repeated almost two hundred years later. World history ends in the northwest, meaning Western Europe, and specifically Germany. Europe is the pinnacle of human history, the end of history, or as Hegel puts it: “the last stage in History, our world, our own time.”[3] The purpose of humankind in world history is individual freedom. Hegel says: “For the History of the World is nothing but the development of the Idea of Freedom.”[4]
European societies are the model for the world. According to Fukuyama “a remarkable consensus concerning the legitimacy of liberal democracy as a system of government had emerged throughout the world over the past few years, as it conquered rival ideologies like hereditary monarchy, fascism, and most recently communism. More than that, however, I argued that liberal democracy may constitute the ‘end point of mankind’s ideological evolution’ and the ‘final form of human government’,” and as such constituted the ‘end of history’.[5]
The final destination of humankind is: capitalism as its economic system, parliamentary democracy as its political system including the separation of religion and state, individualism as the cornerstone of its social relations, rationalism and positivism as its philosophical foundation, and secularism as its cultural base.
In the liberal view the genocide in Gaza is the ultimate effort to prevent the demise of Israel as representative of the European civilization. The war in Ukraine is about authoritarianism versus Western freedom as is the case of China. The Islamic Revolution of Iran is a medieval reaction to modernity, so the war on Iran is a existential war to prevent a backward country gaining access to the most modern weapons of warfare: nuclear weapons. In this view we are at a stage of world history where the choice is between freedom and authoritarianism.
The Marxist view
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels developed a comprehensive theory of world history rooted in historical materialism, based on the notion of historical laws. The driving force of history is the mode of production, the way societies organize labor and resources to meet it material needs. This includes forces of production (technology, tools, labor power) and relations of production (class structures, ownership of means of production). Class struggle is the engine of history. In The Communist Manifesto, they declared: “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.”[6] This means that historical progress arises from conflicts between ruling and oppressed classes (e.g., feudal lords vs. serfs, bourgeoisie vs. proletariat) .
Marxism also has a concept of the end of history. Humankind moves from tribal societies with primitive communism to different types of class societies. The final destination of humankind is communism: a classless society with abolition of private property and markets and the establishment of a planned economy, the withering away of the state as an administrative and oppressive structure and scientific knowledge as the basis of culture. The European Enlightenment developed the model of scientific knowledge.
The Russian Revolution of 1917 was the first successful revolution to establish a socialist state as the Soviet Union. Almost 75 years later the Soviet Union was dissolved. It brought about a crisis in Marxist theory that became deeper with the economic reforms in China that transformed the planned economy with a big impetus from private entrepreneurship and markets. It is difficult to see the genocide in Gaza or the attack on Iran as the prelude to socialism and communism.
Eschatology
Eschatology deals with different views on the end of the world. Eschatology is often linked to religious views about the end of the world, but strictly speaking Liberal and Marxist views also belong to eschatology, although it is secular in nature. There are different eschatology’s in the Global South Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, African, and different narratives of ancient civilizations in Abya Yala (formerly known as the Americas).
In Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism and some strands of Judaism history moves toward a definitive end point (e.g., Judgment Day, final resurrection) and God is the active agent in the end times. In Hinduism, Buddhism, African and Native American traditions, Mesoamerican religions time is a repeating cycle of creation, destruction, and renewal. The outcome can be different. The world ends in destruction, war, or divine wrath. Another view is that the world is renewed, purified, or reborn.
Philosophers from non-secular eschatology might view the current destruction in Gaza and Ukraine as a forebode to their specific vision of the end of the world.[7]
Decolonial theory: Decolonizing The Mind
Latin Abya Yala was the birthplace of a theoretical school that took colonialism, not capitalism, as the center of analysis: decoloniality. In Western political analysis colonialism is a system of domination in which a colonialism power occupied a colonized nation and exercises political control. Decolonization was the political independence of that control. Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of independent Ghana, introduced the concept of neocolonialism, meaning that political independence that is not followed by economic independence is a new form of colonialism. Different scholars from Latin Abya Yala (Anibal Quijano, Enrique Dussel) came up with the concept of decoloniality, that looks at the cultural dimension of colonialism. Even if there is political and economic independence, the dominant culture and views are based on Western theories, who claim that Western civilization was the peak of human civilization because it brought modernity and science. Decoloniality argues that there is another side of modernity, which is barbarism, genocide, massive enslavement and exploitation of the majority of the world population. Decoloniality is a fundamental critique of Western knowledge production and the concept of modernity, an in general of the European Enlightenment. It also includes a critique of Marxism as part of the European Enlightenment.
But this framework has major weaknesses. It is mostly a critique and does not offer an alternative of how societies should be organized. If colonialism is bad, what is the alternative? It cannot just be a critique. The alternative did not come from academia, but from political struggle.
Decolonizing The Mind (DTM) is a specific school in decolonial theory that takes the concept of civilization at the heart of its theoretical framework.[8] I argue in DTM that we are at a junction in world history where humankind transitions from a colonial world civilization based on the European Enlightenment towards a new world civilization based on knowledge production from different civilization in a constant process of dialogue and the acknowledgement of diversity of views on how to establish and develop particular societies and a global society.
DTM is not only a critique of Western knowledge production. It offers a trajectory for building a new system of knowledge production by reconstructing the disciplines based on creativity, imagination and contributions from civilizations of the global south. How does a new economic theory looks like and what policies does it offer for societies of the future? What are the political institutions that satisfies the needs of the population of individual societies?
DTM analyses the current problems in the world from the perspective of this transition towards a new world. The discussion about the multipolar world should add a civilizational dimension to the existing political, economic of military dimension.
The concept of civilization
I define a civilization as a society with a specific cultural base. This base is a set of ideas about how a society should be organized via institutions. A civilization is a combination of the following institutions:
It has economic institutions that produce goods and services that can sustain highly developed social, political and cultural institutions. In order to able to do that its economic base must have a manufacturing component apart from an agricultural component. Every society has an agricultural base: the cultivation of plants and livestock. A manufacturing base enables the production of products with raw materials, labor and tools (mechanical or otherwise). Manufacturing produces cloths, housing, artifacts, means of transportation, roads and bridges.
It has political institutions that structure the relationship between the rulers and those being ruled in the form of a state. Civilizations are not anarchist societies. These political and state structures can be very varied. In the Eurocentric view all non-Western civilizations are brutal dictatorships ruled by kings and emperors and no involvement at all of the population. The only civilization that enjoys the involvement of their population in their own rule is the Western civilization. But I am confident that historical research from a decolonial view will show that many non-Western civilizations produced ideas about and practices of how a ruler should rule with the consent of its citizens.
It has social institutions that organizes social relations in a civilization. Social relations can be organized on the basis of a social division of labor. A social institution like an administrative class can be involved in the business of governing a society. A social group like agricultural producers can be involved in the production of agricultural products. The social relations can be organized along the lines of economic exploitation, like in many class societies.
It has a cultural base with institutions for knowledge production and knowledge dissemination that produces material and non-material culture. The cultural base is the most distinctive feature of a civilization because it has a view of what kind of societies that civilization wants to build, what kind of vision it has for the future of mankind, where it stands now and where it wants to go. It defines the identity of that civilization. On the basis of these views, it sets up the institutions for knowledge production and distribution and other institutions in the economic, political, social and geographic dimension. Eurocentric historians often portray non-Western civilization as civilizations that are not based on rational scientific thinking (knowledge production), but on irrational (emotional) feelings and urges. Western civilization claims to be universal and therefore is entitled to impose its civilization on other civilizations in the name of universalism. The knowledge is expressed in material (tangible) culture (architecture, infrastructure, food, clothing etc) and immaterial (non-tangible) culture (language, arts, science, religion, rituals etc).
It has a geographical location. A civilization can start in one location with a small city-state. It can grow into a series of city states or even into an empire. There is a difference between a civilization and an empire. A civilization is a collection of economic, political, social and cultural institutions in a geographical region with a common cultural base. The common cultural base is a combination of a variety of elements: language, religion, cosmology, knowledge production. An empire is a political unit that operates from a specific geographical center (a country, an urban center) and controls nations and communities outside that center through an elaborate system of economic, political, social and cultural institutions. These nations and communities can be part of different civilizations. We now live in an era of a world civilization. Western civilization is not limited to a particular area of the globe. It covers the whole planet.
The characteristics of the colonial world civilization
Colonialism started in 1492 with the occupation and exploitation of Abya Yala by Columbus the criminal. For the first 150 years the knowledge base of this civilization was Christian theology. Since 1650 the European Enlightenment became the foundation of the colonial world civilization. These are some characteristics of that foundation.
1. Epistemology
Epistemology is the theory of knowledge: what is knowledge and how is it produced? The Eurocentric view (both the Liberal and Marxist one) is that the purpose of knowledge production is the search for truth about the natural and social world. In DTM epistemology, it is not only about seeking the truth, but it is also about exposing lies. In DTM, the notion of lies is inherent to Eurocentric epistemology. DTM epistemology has a specific method in detecting lies. The method is conceptual thinking. A concept is an idea that describes and explains certain aspects of the social and natural world. Knowledge is contained in concepts. The concept is the basic unit of knowledge. A concept consists of five elements: terminology (a term is a linguistic expression of a concept), observation (a collection of facts about the object of knowledge production), analysis (a framing and a storyline with a certain logic that makes us understand reality), theory (a collection of interrelated concepts that provides a bigger picture of the natural and social reality) and ethics (knowledge is not only about true or false, but also about right and wrong).
DTM analyses the colonization of the mind on the level of epistemology by showing how these five elements are used to manipulate our view of reality.
2. Racism
In DTM we define racism as a global system of economic, political, social and cultural institutions that organize the relationship between human beings on the basis of superiority and inferiority. The defining characteristic is not biological race and not even ethnic group, but the organization of relationships between human beings on the basis of superiority and inferiority. The principle of this organization can be race or ethnic group, but colonialism started with religion as the organizing principle. Although the term racism contains “race” as the core concept, the system should not be limited to race. It is about superiority/inferiority that is linked to race, but not limited to race.
Racism has not always existed in the history of mankind, nor will it remain forever. Before Western colonialism people were oppressed, exploited and dehumanized in brutal ways. Their oppressors and rulers have regarded and treated them as inferior people. The differences between these forms of racism and the racism that has been established by Western colonialism are in economic, political, social and cultural institutions and justified by an elaborate system of knowledge production.
With colonialism, racism became a worldwide phenomenon and was institutionalized in economics, political structures, social relations and cultural institutions on a global scale. While other systems of oppression, exploitation and dehumanization were regional or local, Western colonialism brought this to a global scale. This means that even in countries where there are no or hardly any people of color – like Japan – ideas about inferiority of people of colour can still exist because of the global impact of colonialism.
Another difference is the fact that racism became an integral part of knowledge production. The concept of superiority/inferiority was and is used to justify the colonial world system. It also created and institutionalized the mechanisms of the colonization of the mind.
Three concepts of racism have been developed in colonialism. They are linked to the authority of knowledge production.
- Theological racism: the concept of superiority/inferiority is argued from theology and is linked to theologians as the authority of knowledge production.
- Biological racism: the concept of superiority/inferiority is argued from philosophy and the natural sciences and is linked to philosophers and natural scientists as the authority of knowledge production. This coincide with the rise of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
- Cultural racism: the concept of superiority/inferiority is argued from the social sciences and is linked to social scientists as the authority of knowledge production.
Racism was embedded in the different disciplines of knowledge production of the European Enlightenment.
3. The colonization of the disciplines
The colonization of knowledge takes place on the level of individual disciplines. I mentioned how philosophy has been colonized on the level of epistemology. Here is a broad outline of the colonization of some other disciplines.
- Economic theory
The definition of economics as the study of how societies use scarce resources to produce valuable goods and services and distribute them among different individuals, is inadequate. This definition contains hidden ethics. Scarcity and efficiency are ethical values, not objective truths.
DTM economic theory is concerned about how to build economic institutions and structures that can develop the infrastructure of a society and provide a decent standard of living for the people. It is also based on social justice. Each society will have its own ethics that defines social justice. It is not universal.
- Social theory
Liberal social theory is based on individualism. The individual is the cornerstone of society. Marxist social theory is based on class as the cornerstone of society. A class is a social group whose nature is determined by its relationship to the control of the means of production. DTM social theory is based on the concept of community. A community is a social group that is defined by an identity. The basis of this identity can be historical (a common history), ideological (a common belief system), cultural (a common language and other cultural traits) or other characteristics that define the identity of a community.
- Political theory
Political theory studies the process of power, administration, control, and resistance. Eurocentric theories have the same universalist and objectivist approach as in social theories. For example, the separation of religion from state is regarded as a universal concept in both Liberalism and Marxism. In Liberalism the state is neutral. In Marxism the state is an instrument of the ruling class.
In DTM every state has an ethical foundation, be it implicit or explicit. Ethics determines how a community should run its society through the state. A Buddhist, Confucian, Muslim or Hindu society is based on the ethics of that particular civilization. That is as legitimate as a European society that wants to base its political structures on the European Enlightenment.
- Cultural theory
Culture is a system of production and dissemination of knowledge about nature and society and the material and immaterial expression of this knowledge. The production of knowledge is not only about producing insights into nature and society. It is also about values, belief systems, communication, feelings and emotions of individuals and social groups about their identity and rules and rituals that express their identity. Furthermore, it is about the relationship between humans and nature. Culture is institutionalized in educational institutions that produce knowledge, in institutions for the dissemination of knowledge and expressed in material culture (clothing, food, housing, architecture etc) and immaterial culture (language, art, customs, rituals etc).
Cultural theories are theories that describe and explain the phenomenon of culture. Liberal theory looks at culture in disciplines like cultural and social anthropology. In Marxism culture is part of the superstructure of a class society and as such is influenced heavily by its base (economic and technological foundation).
DTM acknowledges how culture has been instrumental in the colonization of the mind and hence the need for decolonizing culture and the mind.
Decolonizing knowledge production
In decolonizing the disciplines, we apply the three elements of the DTM framework (critique, alternative knowledge and the translation of knowledge into practical policies) to decolonize the disciplines. In this endeavor we go back to knowledge production from civilizations in the Global South. What contributions can the civilizations from Africa, Asia and Abya Yala make in decolonizing the disciplines. We need expert knowledge from and about these civilizations to get a sense of the nature of these contributions. And then we use our creativity and imagination to reconstruct the disciplines. Ultimately, this will lead to new textbooks for the disciplines.
Reconstructing the disciplines might include the development of new disciplines or fundamentally alter the nature of the existing disciplines. Take economic theory. If the purpose is changed from studying the processes of optimization of scarce resources to studying social justice in the process of the production, distribution and financing of goods and services, then the nature of the study changes. A study of economic process from the perspective of so called objective facts is of a different nature than the study from the perspective of ethics.
Decolonizing knowledge takes place on the level of individual disciplines. DTM is a long-term trajectory that requires the involvement of many specialists in different disciplines. There are five steps in decolonizing a discipline.
The first step is questioning the purpose of a discipline. For example, in Eurocentrism the discipline of economics is about the study of how societies use scarce resources to produce valuable goods and services and distribute them among different individuals. Eurocentric economic theory is about scarcity and efficiency. Islamic economic theory on the other hand is about social justice and ethics: how to produce, finance and distribute goods and services in such a way that you balance justice and ethics with a material and spiritual life. Decolonial economic theory is based on social justice.
The second step is isolating the basic concepts that are used in a discipline. What are the core concepts on the basis of which the whole discipline is erected? How did colonialism impact these concepts? What concepts did other civilizations produce regarding the topics of the concept?
The third step is to ask the question: what new concepts can we think of when we want to reconstruct the discipline? How do they relate to the old concepts? What are the policy implications of the new concepts compared to the old ones?
The fourth step is to outline the methodology of the discipline. What methods do we use to further construct the discipline in different directions given the basic concepts? What are the sources of knowledge that we use? How do we use these sources of knowledge in a systematic way? How is it different from the methods used in the Eurocentric approach?
The last step is to set up research and teaching trajectories for the discipline that takes the first four steps into account.
The end results are new textbooks for the reconstructed disciplines.
The contribution of Islam to a new world civilization
I made a first attempt to look into the contribution of Islam to a new world civilization by studying one particular Islamic thinker, Imam Reza (765-818).[9] I dealt with the following questions:
- What kind of critique does the thought of Imam Reza offer to Eurocentrism?
- What are his alternatives for this critique?
- How does his alternative translate into practical policies in the world of today?
I looked into the life and works of Imam Reza to answer these questions, because of a request that I got from the organizers of the fifth Global Congress of Imam Reza (PBUH) in Mashhad, Iran in 2024.
But experts on Islam are in a much better position than me to go into the contribution of Islam to a new world civilization. I look at it from the perspective of DTM.
Economic theory
Let us take a look at economic theory. A lot has been written about Islamic economic theory.[10] I prefer to go to the primary sources, so I perform a scan of what the Quran says about economic systems. There is a lot there.
The Quran strictly forbids riba (usury or interest), considering it exploitative and harmful to society. Surah Al-Baqarah (2:275-279) says: “Those who consume interest will stand ˹on Judgment Day˺ like those driven to madness by Satan’s touch. That is because they say, ‘Trade is no different than interest.’ But Allah has permitted trading and forbidden interest. Whoever refrains—after having received warning from their Lord—may keep their previous gains, and their case is left to Allah. As for those who persist, it is they who will be the residents of the Fire. They will be there forever.”[11]
The verse warns that those who engage in riba are in a state of war with Allah and His Messenger, urging believers to repent and reclaim only the principal amount lent. Islamic banking strictly forbids charging or paying interest, as it considers money a medium of exchange, not a commodity. Profits must stem from tangible economic activities like trade or investment, not monetary speculation.
The Western banking system is based on interest. Is it possible to set up a banking system that is not based on interest? That is the crux of Islamic banking. It operates on principles of ethical finance, risk-sharing, and asset-backed transactions. Every financial transaction must be linked to a real asset or service (e.g., property, goods). This prevents speculative bubbles and ensures economic stability. Unlike Western loans, Islamic finance distributes risks between parties. For example, in profit-sharing contracts banks and clients share profits/losses proportionally. Investments in alcohol, gambling, pork, or arms are forbidden. Ethical screening aligns finance with social welfare.
The bank buys an asset (e.g., a car or a house) and sells it to the customer at a markup, payable in installments. The profit margin replaces interest. The bank retains ownership until full payment. Farmers receive upfront payment for future delivery of crops, avoiding debt traps. Independent committees oversee compliance, approving products and auditing transactions to ensure adherence to Islamic principles.
The Quranic economic system integrates divine guidance with practical governance, prioritizing justice, equity, and the well-being of all members of society. Its principles challenge exploitative capitalism, but it acknowledges that private entrepreneurs can based their actions on ethical values, which Marxism denies.
When we talk about reconstructing economic theory from a DTM point of view, we look into how the Islamic civilization has dealt with economic system. We see that it fits in the definition of economic theory as a theory of social justice. We can use key principles from Islamic economic theory and apply it also to other societies. A new economic textbook will include these principles in a knowledge system about economic theory.
Political theory
In the political theory of Islam an Islamic state is based on Islamic law, which in itself is based on the Qur’an and the Hadith. There is no separation of religion and politics as in secular states. On the contrary, politics is based on theology. Political institutions function on the basis of developing a religious community and serving this community in every aspect of life (economics, social relation, culture etc).
The relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims in a Muslim society are structured according to the principles of the Constitution of Medina. The Constitution was drawn up in 622 in Medina after the prophet Muhammad arrived following his migration from Mecca. Non-Muslims were guaranteed the same political and cultural rights as Muslims. They have autonomy and freedom of religion. This is not a nation-state, but a pluriversal state. Public administration is based on ethics and moral behavior: honesty, modesty, integrity, non-discrimination, trustworthiness, virtuous morality and corruption-free administration. The public officials are answerable to Allah for their ethical behavior.
The Quran provides foundational principles for political theory, emphasizing justice, consultation, and divine sovereignty. While it doesn’t outline a detailed political system, it establishes key concepts that have shaped Islamic governance throughout history.
The concept of justice and equality mandates impartial justice, even against personal interests. The Prophet Muhammad’s example reinforced this, as seen when he declared he would punish even his daughter Fatima if she stole. Surah An-Nisa (4:58) says: “When you judge between people, judge with fairness.” And Surah An-Nisa (4:135): “O believers! Stand firm for justice as witnesses for Allah even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or close relatives. Be they rich or poor, Allah is best to ensure their interests. So do not let your desires cause you to deviate ˹from justice.”
Political governance should be based on the rule of law and not on personal whims. “And judge between them ˹O Prophet˺ by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their desires. And beware, so they do not lure you away from some of what Allah has revealed to you. If they turn away ˹from Allah’s judgment˺, then know that it is Allah’s Will to repay them for some of their sins, and that many people are indeed rebellious.”
The Quran justifies revolutions against unjust regimes. Surah An-Nisa (4:75): “You do not fight in the cause of Allah and for oppressed men, women, and children who cry out, ‘Our Lord! Deliver us from this land of oppressors! Appoint for us a saviour; appoint for us a helper—all by Your grace.'”
Islamic government should be based on the concept democratic principles of mutual consultation. Surah Ash-Shura (42:36-38) says: “But what is with Allah is far better and more lasting for those who believe and put their trust in their Lord; who respond to their Lord, establish prayer, conduct their affairs by mutual consultation.”
Scientific knowledge
The Quran addresses scientific knowledge in a way that encourages observation, reflection, and the pursuit of understanding the natural world as signs of Allah’s creation. The first revelation to Prophet Muhammad began with the command “Read!” (Surah Al-‘Alak 96:1-5), emphasizing the value of knowledge. The Quran encourages empirical study. Classical scholars like Ibn Sina (medicine) and Al-Khwarizmi (mathematics) viewed science as a means to understand Allah’s creation. Surah Fussilat (41:53): “We will show them Our signs in the universe and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that this ˹Quran˺ is the truth.” And Surah Al-Baqarah (2:164): “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth; the alternation of the day and the night; the ships that sail the sea for the benefit of humanity; the rain sent down by Allah from the skies, reviving the earth after its death; the scattering of all kinds of creatures throughout; the shifting of the winds; and the clouds drifting between the heavens and the earth—˹in all of this˺ are surely signs for people of understanding.”
Social theory
The Quran provides comprehensive guidance on social relations and systems, emphasizing justice, compassion, and mutual responsibility within society. The Quran establishes the concept of Ummah as a global community of believers united by faith, transcending ethnic, linguistic, and national boundaries. Surah Al-Hujurat (49:10) says: “The believers are but one brotherhood, so make peace between your brothers. And be mindful of Allah so you may be shown mercy.”
The Quran emphasizes kindness, fairness, and respect in all interactions. Surah An-Nisa (4:36) says: “Be kind to parents, relatives, orphans, the poor, near and distant neighbours, close friends, ˹needy˺ travellers, and those ˹bondspeople˺ in your possession. Surely Allah does not like whoever is arrogant, boastful, those who are stingy, promote stinginess among people, and withhold Allah’s bounties… Likewise for those who spend their wealth to show off.”
So what about the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims. This is complex, because the premise of the Quran is the existence of a Muslims society, based on Quranic principles. However, a non-Muslims will find in the Quran general principles of good relations and principles that prioritizes Muslims above non-Muslims.
Surah Al-Baqarah (2:256) says: “Let there be no compulsion in religion, for the truth stands out clearly from falsehood.” Surah Al-Mumtahanah (60:8) says: “Allah does not forbid you from dealing kindly and fairly with those who have neither fought nor driven you out of your homes. Surely Allah loves those who are fair.”
But the Quran also contains verses that are harsh towards nonbelievers. Surah Al-Baqarah (2:39) says: “But those who disbelieve and deny Our signs will be the residents of the Fire. They will be there forever.” Surah Al-Ankabut (29:23): “As for those who disbelieve in Allah’s signs and the meeting with Him, it is they who will have no hope in His mercy. And it is they who will suffer a painful punishment.”
The challenges for Yemen and the world
A quarter of the world population consists of Muslims. It is the second largest religion after Christianity (30%). Another quarter of the world is secular. The courageous stand of the people of Yemen in the liberation of Palestine have led to important consequences. Few progressive people outside the Muslim community took notice of Yemen and what is going on in that country. The consistent and bold stance against Israel and the genocide in Gaza has earned her a lot of respect in and outside the Muslim community. People around the world take notice everyday about what is happening in Palestine and the role that Yemen plays in the resistance.
We should go beyond taking notice. Progressive people in the world, especially non-Muslims, should ask themselves: what drives the Yemeni actions? This question bring us to an important issue: the religious foundation of Yemen and how this determines their position in the struggle.
DTM offers a framework for a fruitful dialogue between Yemeni scholars and non-Muslim thinkers about where we are in world history and what role this dialogue can play in understanding the contribution if the Islamic civilization to a new world civilization.
The genocide in Gaza, the war in Ukraine, the U.S./Israeli attack on Iran, the growing danger of a war between China and the U.S. regarding Taiwan, the rise of the fascist movements in Europe and the U.S. are all signs of the transition from an old colonial civilization towards a new world civilization. It is not only about power (from a unipolar to a multipolar world). It is also about knowledge, the basis of a civilization.
Sandew Hira
Secretary of Decolonial International Network Foundation.
The Hague
July 26, 2025
References
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Fukuyama, F. (1992): The end of history and the last man. The Free Press. New York.
Hegel, G. (2001): The Philosophy of History. Batoche Books. Original 1837. Ontario.
Hegel, G. (2011a): Lectures on the Philosophy of World History. Volume 1: Manuscripts of the Introduction and the Lectures of 1822-3. Clarendon Press. Oxford.
Hira, S. (2023): Decolonizing The Mind. A Guide to Decolonial Theory and Practice. Amrit Publishers. The Hague.
Hira, S. (2024): Decolonizing The Mind and the relevance of the thought of Imam Reza (PBUH). Decolonizing The Mind and the relevance of the thought of Imam Reza (PBUH).
Islahi, A.A. (2014): History of Islamic Economic Thought. Contributions of Muslim Scholars to Economic Thought and Analysis. Edward Elgar. Cheltenham.
Marx, K. and Engels, F. (1893): The Communist Manifesto. https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/download/pdf/Manifesto.pdf. Accessed 18-11-2017. Original 1848..
Mayemba, B. (2009): The notion of eschatology in African ancestral religions: A category of deliverance, promise, remembrance. Boston College,. Boston.
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[1] This framework is published in: Hira, S. (2023): Decolonizing The Mind. A Guide to Decolonial Theory and Practice. Amrit Publishers. The Hague.
[2] Hegel, G. (2011a), p. 201.
[3] Hegel, G. (2001), p. 462.
[4] Idem, p. 477.
[5] Fukuyama, F. (1992), p. xi.
[6] Marx, K. and Engels, F. (1893), p. 14.
[7] See Walls, J. (ed.) (2008), Mayemba, B. (2009) and McDowell, J. and Kirkland, S. (2018) for different views.
[8] See Hira, S. (2023).
[9] See Hira, S. (2024).
[10] See Islahi, A.A. (2014) and El-Ashkar, A. and Wilson, R. (2006).
[11] All quotes are from https://quran.com/.