Most television viewers in the eighties and nineties, especially from Arab and Islamic countries, cannot forget the astonishment that struck them whenever they watched fashion shows or the latest haircuts in the United States or Europe. They would often exclaim in disbelief, “What is this crazy world?! Can any sane person anywhere in the world wear such clothes or style their hair in such a way?!”

This astonishment was justified for two primary reasons: firstly, the designs of these fashions were entirely inappropriate for the religious values or societal customs that most people in these countries adhered to. Secondly, the number of people who followed or adhered to such new designs or trends was limited even in their countries of origin, mostly belonging to specific social or professional groups or rebellious youth movements.

Soft Infiltration

It's not difficult to divide the relationship of our Arab and Islamic countries with Western fashion and its trends into two historical phases. The first phase was the period of Western colonization, during which the West controlled these countries and their resources. This created a sense of inferiority among some, leading to a desire to imitate the West in every movement and stillness, to the extent that some intellectual and cultural elites openly advocated for it. They were leaders of the Westernization trend, seeing the West as the pinnacle of progress and scientific advancement. This call was met by limited societal groups.

At first, some of these individuals firmly believed that following these fashion trends was a sign of sophistication and civilization, marking the belonging to high social classes. This belief, besides being considered a necessity of “elegance,” became a measure of the openness and desire to keep up with development and imitate the West.

The second phase began after the departure of foreign occupation and the rise of national sentiment among most populations, who earnestly sought to reclaim their religious values and unique traditions and heritage. This made fashion programs and their content a source of mockery for many years. People only watched them out of necessity, as they occupied a time slot on limited television channels back then, or as an amusing form of entertainment, remaining largely ineffective.

However, in contrast, the West did not tire of working to standardize societies according to its desires, focusing on other mechanisms that, though old, were more effective. One of the most notable was cinema. The fame gained by actors and actresses was enough to make them models for imitation by young men and women, particularly those belonging to specific social classes. This imitation then slowly spread to other segments of society.

Then came globalization and the accompanying communication revolution, which supported the Western aim of standardizing societies, not just in terms of fashion or hairstyles, but in everything that a person might use or do: cars, electrical appliances, accessories, even types of food and drinks, and ways of eating and moving.

Class-based Fashion

Over time, we ended up with two types of fashion and new trends. One type is followed by the social elite and the wealthy, involving global brands (labels) in fashion, and the accessories that come with it, such as expensive glasses, key chains, watches, rings, and bracelets. The other type is the fashion of the poor, laborers, and marginalized groups in popular areas. These groups also keenly follow their trends, some of which try to imitate the fashion of the wealthy, at least in appearance.

Despite both groups adhering to fashion, there is a significant disparity in their appearances, naturally reinforcing social class distinctions and creating a vast gap between two classes. However, the important thing for the West is to standardize the lives of both classes and push them to eagerly follow everything it offers, keeping everyone within its control.

Fashion and Identity

Some might argue that there is no connection between adhering to national attire and maintaining identity. After all, some nations have changed aspects of their culture but preserved their national attire as a symbol. Other nations have not held on to their national dress but have separated it from the ability to innovate culturally and maintain their identity. Supporting this is the fact that Islam does not prescribe a specific dress code for men or women but sets certain standards to ensure modesty and cover.

However, amidst the identity struggle, it has become clear that attire is indeed an expression of identity and that clothing is a symbol of nations. This is highlighted by Western scholar Bernard Lewis, who stated, "Clothing expresses identity and affiliation." Therefore, especially for women, and in this era of cultural and civilizational subjugation, Arab and Islamic societies have not been immune to the frenzy of Western fashion and clothing. Unfortunately, many have chased after the latest fashion trends, cosmetics, and designs from Western fashion houses, imitating Western women in their dress and customs. Meanwhile, some Western fashion lines have blurred the lines between men's and women's clothing, leading many men to imitate women's clothing styles and vice versa, which clearly contradicts Islamic teachings and societal customs.

Beauty Standards

The issue did not stop at the globalization of fashion and its trends. The West aimed for a deeper goal: to establish new standards of beauty for men and women, which in themselves became a vast trade, generating enormous profits. For example, the newly marketed standard of female beauty in the West required tools that the West itself manufactured and continually developed.

Naturally, the West aimed to overturn a value principle upheld by most societies: that a woman's beauty is not in her face but in her morals. The model the West persistently presented and promoted was one of allure and seduction, with specific characteristics defined by the West. The West used all forms of psychological influence to convince others, resulting in staggering figures for the consumption of cosmetics, powders, hair dyes, nail polishes, lipsticks, perfumes, and slimming drugs and devices, which have multiplied fivefold in the past thirty years according to statistics.

Additionally, the phenomenon of skin whitening to resemble Western blondes or tanning to achieve a bronze look, millions of liposuction and lip augmentation, face and neck lifts, and cosmetic surgeries in various body parts to conform to Western standards, have all spread. These standards continuously evolve based on developments in Europe and America, which certainly do not align with the beauty standards traditionally upheld by different nations.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Read the Article in Arabic

More than 210 million people worldwide are affected by addiction annually, according to the World Health Organization. The organization's statistics also reveal that 15.3 million people suffer from diseases due to drug abuse, and nearly 200,000 of them die each year.

However, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) presents alarming figures showing that around 275 million people used drugs at least once globally in 2016, with 450,000 people dying as a result. The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) indicates that the percentage of drug addicts in the Arab world ranges between 7-10%, with most addicts being young people.

For example, the number of drug users in Egypt has risen to about 10% of the population, in Sudan, there are 6 million addicts, in Algeria over 300,000, a similar rate in Tunisia, while in Saudi Arabia there are 200,000, in Kuwait over 40,000, in Lebanon 24,000, and in Oman 5,000 addicts, according to statistics from international, governmental, and non-governmental organizations.

The true crisis lies in the lack of accurate statistics on the number of addicts in the Arab world, as the announced figures are based on the number of people arrested for drug use, which does not reflect the real number; because the families of addicts remain socially embarrassed to report their children, which means the numbers and estimates are likely more.

Interestingly, the American Institute “NIDA” recorded that about 70% of addicts started using drugs in their teenage years, which means we are facing a bigger problem that goes beyond the boundaries and causes of the disease; the roots of this problem run deep in the soil of spiritual emptiness that our youth suffer from. How can we blame a young person who has not tasted the sweetness of faith and has not felt the pleasure of closeness to Allah for seeking refuge in the dark world of drugs, even if it is illusory?

The real reason behind the psychological distress that drives many to the abyss of addiction is the distance from the path of Allah, while some who claim modernity and progress promote the idea that drug use is a form of personal freedom, and some even call for its legal allowance, as some European countries do.

Here, we ask: What kind of freedom makes a person a prisoner to a chemical substance that takes away his mind and will? When were the laws of Europe and America the reference for the Islamic Ummah?! Islam, with its divine methodology, forbade everything that affects the mind, considering that preserving it is one of the five objectives of Sharia; hence the Prophet ﷺ said, “Every intoxicant is prohibited.” (Narrated by Muslim)

Moreover, how many movies or TV series depict drug use as a sign of sophistication and civilization! How many electronic platforms have facilitated the connection between dealers and victims! Therefore, as Muslim societies, we must stand united against this cultural invasion that targets our values and morals.

The harsh social and economic realities in many Arab and Islamic countries provide fertile ground for some youth to escape their reality through drug use or in search of quick solutions to their psychological and social problems, which cannot be treated merely by providing material treatment programs that address the symptoms and ignore the root cause.

We cannot effectively combat addiction among our youth without addressing the psychological and social sources that drive them to escape to drugs and intoxicants, which is linked to improving these youths' lives in all their relationship networks, especially their relationship with their God, which is the only way to face life's pressures and difficulties instead of escaping them.

This meaning is pointed out in the Quran when describing the prayer, which is not just physical movements but a connection of the soul with its Creator, giving the believer tranquility and peace; “Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the remembrance of Allah. Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.” (Ar-Ra'd: 28) If we taught our youth their acts of worship with this understanding, none of them would find spiritual emptiness.

Addiction has unfortunately turned into a plague in many Islamic countries, and there is no way to escape it merely by enacting strict laws, important as they are. The solution lies in rebuilding the youth from within, reconciling them with the values of their religion, and opening new horizons for them for work, creativity, and marriage.

Where is the role of the Muslim family in protecting their children? Where is that faith-based upbringing that instills in our children the religious and moral deterrent? The Prophet ﷺ warned us against neglecting this great duty by saying: “All of you are guardians and are responsible for your wards.” (Agreed upon)

A comprehensive approach in dealing with addiction cases, combining medical and psychological treatment on one hand, and spiritual and moral rehabilitation on the other, is the way to rescue the body of our nation from this cancer. An addict is not just a body needing treatment, but a human being with a soul that needs the nourishment of faith and the warmth of mercy.

Let us start a campaign to combat the cancer of addiction based on this principle, for the path to happiness in both worlds does not pass through the illusions of drugs, but through faith in Allah and righteous deeds, and feeling the sweetness of closeness to the Creator of the soul.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Read the Article in Arabic