Shi'ite Bahraini Intellectual Dhiyaa Al-Musawi: Islamic Texts Need To Be Reexamined; We Need A Culture Of Life, As Opposed To A Culture Of Death

Shi'ite Bahraini intellectual Dhiyaa Al-Musawi said on a September 15, 2023 show on MBC TV (Saudi Arabia) that Islamic texts must be reexamined. He added that the mentality of Muslim youth has become a "minefield," because Islamic texts have been "booby-trapped." Al-Musawi continued to say that Muslim youth have opened to Europe, and they no longer view liberalism as a curse and Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain are "leading towards a more balanced future." He called for a culture of life, as opposed to a culture of death.

For more MEMRI TV clips of Shi'ite Bahraini intellectual Dhiyaa Al-Musawi, see clips 6238, 6000, 2703, 2471, 2276.

Dhiyaa Al-Musawi: "Our problem is not with the Quran. Our problem is with its interpreters – the so-called 'preachers.' Who said that you are a 'preacher'? Who appointed you to be a representative of Allah? Why do we always need intermediates between Allah and us?

"Who said that you possess the absolute truth? So our crisis stems from the texts. These texts need a reexamination..."

Interviewer: "Revision..."

Al-Musawi: "Right. We should examine history as critics, not as admirers.

[...]

"My role is to direct the youth towards an enlightened reading of the texts. Our texts have been booby-trapped. The mentality of our youth has become a minefield, because of these texts. I am calling for the removal of..."

Interviewer: "Do you mean the youth of this generation or...?"

Al-Musawi: "The previous generation, myself included. Sometimes, when you scratch your head, you find a time bomb, because of these booby-trapped texts. Today, young people – even Shi'ites – are seeking change. They have opened up towards Europe. They no longer see liberalism as a curse. Liberalism and openness used to be presented to them as hell.

"But today, even Saudi Arabia is leading towards a more balanced future, and not towards the abolishing of religion. This is also happening in Bahrain and in the UAE."

[...]

Interviewer: "What do you think about the Shi'ites in the Gulf?"

Al-Musawi: "From what I have read and having met with many young people, I believe that a new mentality is emerging. There is hope for change, because of these young people who studied abroad, who exercise criticism, and who began to discover that behind the prison bars, there are gardens of knowledge and culture. People should dress elegantly, study, get out and see the other world, see other peoples' cultures, and study history as a critic, not as an admirer.

[...]

"Just like there is Islamophobia, we suffer from a fear of women, a fear of Europe, a fear of Western civilization, a fear of the other, a fear of anything. We suffer from stress and schizophrenia. People are living in this world, but they are thinking about the Hereafter. Okay, think about the Hereafter, but do live in this world! Young people were deluded to believe that this world is a curse, a prison, that they should not live in this world and should not espouse a culture of life.

"I am calling for a culture of life, as opposed to a culture of death. People are suffering from schizophrenia that sometimes degenerates into other illnesses, like paranoia, as you said. People are afraid, and they think that the entire world revolves around them, that they are the center of the world or of the universe. They believe in conspiracies, and they believe that everybody wants to slaughter the Muslims. It does not work this way. The world is too busy to care.

"Indeed, there are conspiracies, but it is not that the entire world is a conspiracy against Islam or religious people."