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Who Wants Change Any More?
Graham E. Fuller (grahamefuller.com)
19 January 2016
A
renowned Arab religious scholar in the 14th century, ibn Taymiyya, is
sometimes quoted as saying, Al-zulm afdal ‘ala al-fawda— “oppression is
to be favored over anarchy.” Although ibn Taiymiyya was no
establishment figure in his time, this perspective was welcomed by all
rulers since it provided explicit religious justification in support of
arbitrary and often oppressive authority.
Maybe
there’s not a lot new here: all rulers at all times and all places like
to wrap themselves in the robes of religious, ethnic, or patriotic
legitimacy in order to maintain power.
But
there’s something else: ibn Taymiyya lived in a period when the
holocaust of the Mongol invasions was sweeping across Asia and into the
Middle East sowing destruction. It was a time of fear, widespread
violence and war, calling for political caution. Sound familiar?
Is this thought, then, the product of a political reactionary...
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