Tribal Fanaticism Causes the Decline of the Arab Region
Over the last 10 years, Arab leaders have grown anxious because the nation is getting worse. Within a decade, poverty rose from 8.5 million to 18 million, with political crises and wars being its main causes.
By
KRIS MADA
·4 minutes read
AP PHOTO/NARIMAN EL-MOFTY
Two 17-year-old children sit on rocks carrying firearms at a location in Marib, Yemen, July 30, 2018.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Even though it has been criticized for more than 100 years, the decline of the Arab civilization is believed to have never stopped. Tribal fanaticism, collusion, and reluctance to let go of traditionalism are the main factors behind its decline. Indonesia needs to study the causes of this fall to avoid experiencing the same problem.
Kompas reporter 1991-2022 Mustafa Abd. Rahman said that concerns on the decline of the Arab world had been expressed in, among others, a book published in 1883. Similar criticisms continued to be made in subsequent periods.
"My book will not be the last, there will be discussions in the future," said Mustafa, who has served for decades in Cairo, Egypt, during a review of his book, Mengapa Bangsa Arab Terpuruk (Why the Arab Nation Falls), on Thursday (25/8/2022) in Jakarta.
Professor Azyumardi Azra of Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN SH) Jakarta, Professor Ali Munhanif of UIN SH Jakarta, Indonesian Ambassador to Spain Muhammad Najib, and senior journalist Trias Kuncahyono participated in the book’s discussion.
"This book comes from the thoughts of respected figures in the Middle East," said Mustafa.
Over the last 10 years, Arab leaders have grown anxious because the nation is getting worse. Within a decade, poverty rose from 8.5 million to 18 million, with political crises and wars being its main causes.
The potential of Arab youth is being wasted as a result of various crises. Because of this series of crises, Egyptian scholars have even called the Arab nation “ill”.
Najib said the worrying thing was the absence of a tradition of introspection among Arabs. Instead of looking for the internal cause of their decline, they tended to look for a scapegoat.
In the 19th century, both the Arab and Japanese civilizations declined. While the Japanese advanced with the Meiji Restoration, the Arab majority stagnated as it is now.
Najib also believed that the Arabs were still looking for a formula for the relationship between the state and religion. Meanwhile, Indonesia resolved this issue in 1945.
With all its dynamics, Indonesia, which consists of hundreds of tribes and subtribes, has been calmer. This condition needs to be maintained. "It is not impossible that later, Arabs will study Indonesia," he said.
(BANDAR ALJALOUD/SAUDI ROYAL PALACE VIA AP)
In this photo released by the Saudi Royal Palace, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, hugs Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman before a meeting in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, Thursday, April 28, 2022. Erdogan is visiting Saudi Arabia in a major reset of relations between two regional heavyweights following the slaying of a Saudi columnist in Istanbul. The Turkish presidency said talks in Saudi Arabia will focus on ways of increasing cooperation and the sides will exchange views on regional and international issues.
Azyumardi argued that the Arabs had been trapped in the same problem for hundreds of years, namely being divided into tribes and kabilah (tribal groups). The great Arab empire was destroyed by these divisions.
This tribal division, according to Azyumardi, has occurred since the time of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad. When the Prophet Muhammad died, the Arabs argued about his successor, which was followed by wars of succession. "There was a war between the son-in-law and the in-laws," he said.
The Arabs had been trapped in the same problem for hundreds of years, namely being divided into tribes and kabilah (tribal groups).
Even now, the Arabs are still at war with each other. As a result, some Arabs are poor. “The lesson is, in any division, no one can progress. They will be controlled by another party. Indonesia needs to understand this," said Azyumardi.
The Arabs spread from Morocco to Oman. Even though they are all Arabs, people in the Middle East are considered to be more loyal to their kabilah or subtribes. Wars and divisions have long existed between these subtribes.
Optimistic
Ali said that, as a matter of fact, there was optimism in the Arab world half a century ago, when there were important changes in the societal structure. Traditionalism in Turkey, Iraq, and Jordan faded; modern organizations developed in the community. This phenomenon offered optimism for post-colonial changes.
Unfortunately, four decades ago, optimism started to fade over the changes in the Arab nation. The democratic phenomenon emerged without democratic leaders. Modern organizations were even used to preserve traditionalism, and this has continue until now.
This cannot be separated from the Arab tradition that emphasizes the family and kabilah. Even in modern organizations, the prioritization of family persists. Lineage is used as a consideration in choosing a leader.
Even those Arab countries that have become republics still prioritize appointing officials based on kinship. Supposedly, this phenomenon happens only in the Arab kingdom. "The traditional way of life is inherent in the perspectives of the elite and society," he said.
