The term ‘left’ or ‘leftism’ in Turkey has for long been contextualizing such Islamic terms as mustaz’af (proletariat), paradise (classless society), equality, justice, etc. and using them to build a common ground between Islam and socialist tradition. However, it must be kept in mind that when the Qur’anic terms are treated in this way, they lead us to many divergent world views both to leftism as well as to rightist ideology. To illustrate, such terms as profit, wage, maximum utility (nasīb) can easily lead us to rightist stance. Of course Qur’an is not totally closed to these approaches. But there should be a border showing us the possibility, risks and boundaries between Qur’an and differing ideologies. Taking these into account, the following remarks might be put forward with regard to prospective relationship between Islam and left, calling itself as leftist theology or leftist Islam. With its ontology, epistemology and eschatology, Islam has its own characteristics, which is quite the opposite of left, a pure ideology. Depriving of Islam from these values and contextualizing it within a political context will reduce it to political instrument. And no one knows how an instrumentalized religion could serve to destructive goals. Every ideology including left and right gives priority to society as the means of achieving its goals, while Islam takes individual as a starting point. The difference is that: every ideology taking society as a key corner will eventually create the term authority. Authority necessitates hegemony. On the contrary, the final goal of the holy Qur’an is to set individual free from all bondages and hegemonies. From these points as well Islam is quite the opposite of these ideologies. Considering all these points the following paper discusses the claims of leftist Islam or leftist theology in Turkey
Leftist Islam left and right Proletariat Marxism Revolution Religious conformism
The term ‘left’ or ‘leftism’ in Turkey has for long been contextualizing such Islamic terms as mustaz’af (proletariat), paradise (classless society), equality, justice, etc. and using them to build a common ground between Islam and socialist tradition. However, it must be kept in mind that when the Qur’anic terms are treated in this way, they lead us to many divergent world views both to leftism as well as to rightist ideology. To illustrate, such terms as profit, wage, maximum utility (nas?b) can easily lead us to rightist stance. Of course Qur’an is not totally closed to these approaches. But there should be a border showing us the possibility, risks and boundaries between Qur’an and differing ideologies. Taking these into account, the following remarks might be put forward with regard to prospective relationship between Islam and left, calling itself as leftist theology or leftist Islam.
With its ontology, epistemology and eschatology, Islam has its own characteristics, which is quite the opposite of left, a pure ideology. Depriving of Islam from these values and contextualizing it within a political context will reduce it to political instrument. And no one knows how an instrumentalized religion could serve to destructive goals.
Every ideology including left and right gives priority to society as the means of achieving its goals, while Islam takes individual as a starting point. The difference is that: every ideology taking society as a key corner will eventually create the term authority. Authority necessitates hegemony. On the contrary, the final goal of the holy Qur’an is to set individual free from all bondages and hegemonies. From these points as well Islam is quite the opposite of these ideologies.
Considering all these points the following paper discusses the claims of leftist Islam or leftist theology in Turkey.
Birincil Dil | Türkçe |
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Bölüm | MAKALELER |
Yazarlar | |
Yayımlanma Tarihi | 21 Ağustos 2014 |
Yayımlandığı Sayı | Yıl 2014 Cilt: 12 Sayı: 2 |
ISSN: 1309-2030 KADER Kelam Araştırmaları Dergisi