I visited the LSE (London School of Economic and Political Science) recently to attend their public lecture: “In search of Islam’s civilization”, by Ali A. Allawi.

“Ali A. Allawi has served as a Minister of Defence (British spelling) and Minister of Finance in the Iraqi postwar governments. A graduate of Harvard University and MIT, he is Senior Associate Member of St Antony’s College, Oxford. He has written two books: The Crisis of Islamic Civilization (Yale 2009) and The Occupation of Iraq (Yale 2007).”

The Hong Kong theatre was packed with people from all around the world; if you listen attentively you can detect different languages and accents.

The lecture was chaired by Professor Michael Cox who introduced the speaker and a synopsis of the lecture: “The increasing religiosity of Muslim societies and the spectacular rise of political Islam have served to mask the seeping of vitality from Islamic civilization. If Muslims do not muster the inner resources of their faith to fashion a civilizing outer presence, then Islam as a civilization may indeed disappear.”

Ali Allawi begins by giving the audience a summary of his own religious background, establishing that he is approaching the topic from his own encounter with Islam. His personal angle sheds the light on the religious observances of middle class Iraqi families in the forties and fifties. Through his description of his upbringing, we see that religion was a matter of the relationship the individual had with God. Their community was secular and Islamic practices were not performed publically. There were no direct enforcement, nor expectance for that matter, whether from the family, society, or the government to pray or fast; and none of the women wore hijab. Religion was a subject taught in school and could be detected in their observance of religious holidays and in some of the rituals by the Shiite, in which Sunnis didn’t participate. People were likely to identify themselves with their national identity rather than their religion. The prevailing sentiment was more of anti-imperialism, and all for Arab destiny.

He continues that his family left Iraq to London after the 1959 revolution. He was put in a boarding school, in which, ironically, his first glimpses of his religious identity have taken place. The speaker as well as other Muslim students from the ex-colonies shared a sense of resentment towards the depiction of Islam in the British history books. Their version of history, especially the portrayal of crusaders as brave knights killing the infidels clashed with their deep beliefs. Thus a sense of glory of the Islamic past has generated in him.

He then moves to his life in the States, and surveys the Black revolution in the sixties to the spiritual void of the seventies.

He went back to London after graduating from the States. And he mentions a landmark event that took place in 1976, and that took over the whole city. “The World of Islam Festival” explored Islam and covered an entire panorama of Islamic civilization (its history, geography, culture, architecture, literature, etc.). It shared its diversity and flexibility and focused on its unity and universality. It was a vibrant festival that ignited a curiosity as well as tolerance towards Islam.

Allawi explores the historical time-line as well as the political circumstances when Islam has shifted from being a spiritual and social force to a political one. He refers to the Iranian revolution, where Islam was politicized, as well as Afghanistan’s war against Russian occupation, which resulted in military Islam.

The mosques have become recruiting grounds of Jihadists and the unity of Islam during the previous 30 years has disintegrated if not destroyed.

He emphasizes that Islamists are strengthened with political upheavals. These Islamists are as corrupt as other leaders. Abuse of power and personal interest are their preoccupation rather than moral education of individual Muslims. This resulted in more division and hatred among Muslims themselves. Political Islam took shape as leading Islamic figures in power started to impose different versions of Islamic Law. Political Islamists post-Saddam, for example, are driven by the obsessiveness with material gain and maintaining good relations with Washington.

He then poses theses questions: Why did this happen? And what is missing?

He answers to what that is missing by listing the following: “human rights and duties, freedom, justice and equality; virtues of justice and moderation, and respect for others’ spirituality.”

He points out to the double standards of Muslims who are partaking the fruits of western technology while rejecting its supremacy, as well as integrating western ways in what they claim “a selective manner”. His example is the hyper-modernity that is happening in the Gulf.

What he calls for is that Muslims need to rescue their own civilization from decades of inactivity. He calls for research and scientific inquiry, which Islam privileges. Inventing new means and building a society that is ethic-based rather than rule-based.

Islamic law has been seen in static terms but Islam can go beyond that. What needs to be done is revitalization rooted in ethical principles of Islam.

He concludes that Islamic civilization needs to reconstruct itself, or it will retreat to a private place, widening the gap between it and other civilizations.

After a long round of applause, the floor was open for questions.

He was asked about his view on what Huntington coined as the “clash of civilizations”. He answered that it is just like comparing a giant with a 5 years old. The clash carries an assumption of equality, and from whatever perspective you try to look at, let that be economy, technology, or state power, they aren’t equal. He stressed that he doesn’t subscribe to this “clash of civilization” talk.

When a lady commented that Islamic civilization is strong and drew examples from the “golden age” of Islam, he said: “Notice you have been talking in past tense. What about now? The problem of Islamic civilization is it is inability to generate values, concepts, processes.”

When asked about Obama’s speech, he said it was well packaged and well- presented. The quotations from Qur’an resonated well with Muslims everywhere. People are waiting to see the changes.

When asked about the Islamic Law (shari’a), he said that it needs to go back to the ethical foundations of the Qur’an and reach a constructive mechanism. The changing of the framework of Islamic civilization isn’t a project, it is a need. There is a need to focus on the ethics of Islam- the spiritualized ethics that have been neglected. There is a need for new methods to rediscover the virtues of Islam rather than the mere focus on the doctrine and shari’a. Finally we need to reenergize the creative spiritual forces of Islam; to look at Islam as a spiritual and a social force, not a political one.