June 29, 2009

Islamic Civilization in Peril

Abbas, Magnum Photos

In Dhaka, Bangladesh, a cellphone ad contrasts next to a mosque's minaret.

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By Ali A. Allawi

I was born into a mildly observant Muslim family in Iraq. At that time, the 1950s, secularism was ascendant among the political, cultural, and intellectual elites of the Middle East. It appeared to be only a matter of time before Islam would lose whatever hold it still had on the Muslim world. Even that term —"Muslim world" —was unusual, as Muslims were more likely to identify themselves by their national, ethnic, or ideological affinities than by their religion.