The globalization of customs and traditions poses a significant threat to identity, especially with the spread of fashion culture and "brands" and the growing consumerism of everything new and Western. This embodies a new form of occupation, one that captures minds and hearts before occupying land and countries.
Al-Mujtama'a engaged with a number of experts and academics to outline a prescription to confront this threat and to reveal its dimensions to the new generations, influenced by the wave of Americanization under the slogans of modernity, globalization, renewal, and progressiveness—hollow slogans based on stripping away will and erasing identity.
Dr. Iqbal Al-Samalooti, a professor of sociology, states that the fall of socialist societies provided a golden opportunity for the advocates of globalization, not only in the economy but also in culture and its related customs and traditions, where the Western model was presented as an ideal to follow and a symbol of progress and civilization, even if it was socially and culturally unacceptable in our conservative societies.
She told Al-Mujtama'a that Western media and its followers in our Arab and Islamic world played a role in embellishing Western customs and traditions, persistently working to absorb the initial wave of rejection, and gradually turning rejection into acceptance, even addiction, after replacing Western customs in clothing, food, drink, family life, and social life with our own traditions.
Al-Samalooti believes that multinational corporations played a significant role in accelerating the globalization of our customs and traditions through trends in both men's and women's fashion, introducing revealing clothing, Western cosmetics, ripped jeans, fast food, and globally branded restaurants. She also points to satanic hairstyles adopted by celebrities and tattoos, which are religiously forbidden and traditionally rejected. With the promotion of this culture, these customs and appearances have become symbols of modernity and civilization!
Susceptibility to Colonialism
Dr. Mukhtar Ghubashi, Deputy Director of the Arab Center for Political Studies, explained to Al-Mujtama'a that the project of globalizing customs and traditions has been framed within global theories promoted by people like Francis Fukuyama, the Japanese-born, American political scientist who proposed the “End of History” theory. This theory asserts the inevitability of the triumph of Western civilization, values, and morals and the spread of its customs, claiming that Western liberal democracy and capitalism represent the pinnacle of human intellectual achievement, signaling the end of other ideologies, whether Islamic or Eastern.
Ghubashi describes the current situation as a form of cultural, social, and economic invasion, positioning us as prey fallen victim to globalization, dependence, and blind imitation of the West, in line with what Algerian thinker Malik Bennabi called the "susceptibility to colonialism."
Dr. Jamal Shafeeq, Head of the Psychological Studies Center at Ain Shams University, shares this view, warning against the increasing objectification of women, who have become tools for promoting products from needles to rockets. The situation has worsened with the "trend cancer" that has infected social media, making the younger generation a victim of "TikTok" clips and others in pursuit of fame and money.
Shafeeq highlights another aspect of this globalization: the emergence of the term "cohabitation," promoting adultery and immorality while continuing to undermine legitimate marriage by promoting illicit relationships under deceptive names like "friendship" and "blood marriage," seeking acceptance from public opinion.
Urgent Confrontation
As for confrontation strategies, Dr. Mahmoud Al-Sawy, former Vice Dean of the Colleges of Da'wah and Media at Al-Azhar University, recommends exposing these terms and refuting these falsehoods. He also calls for prohibiting Western holidays that have invaded our societies and become an occasion for more immorality and ethical breakdown, such as "Valentine's Day." This aligns with the warning in our religion against being followers without discernment, as the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “You will follow the ways of those nations who were before you, span by span and cubit by cubit (i.e., inch by inch) so much so that even if they entered a hole of a mastigure, you would follow them.” We said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! (Do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?" He said, "Whom else?"
Al-Sawy advocates for safeguarding children and youth through knowledge and education, strengthening their religious upbringing, and promoting Islamic awareness and pride in Arab culture and identity within a comprehensive strategy. This strategy should involve Arab and Islamic organizations, families, schools, universities, and other institutions of education, culture, and media.
Al-Sawy also calls for Islamizing social media, curbing the offenses of "bloggers" and "YouTubers," banning the publication of intimate details on video sites, establishing laws to prevent these platforms from promoting scandals and explicit clips, and tracking down those seeking financial gain through illegitimate means. He also emphasizes regulating media and artistic content to stand against the flood of globalization and protect our youth from anything that harms their identity and religion.
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