4. If You Leave, You Will Be Tested; There Is Still Hope for Humanity
From the book: Characteristics of the Coming Ideal Civilization – Prof. Mohammad Korani
The only remaining opportunity for the Christians of the East, indeed for the Christians of our lands, lies in reviving moral and humanitarian values in the West.
I have always wondered deep inside myself: Why does the Quran praise Christian figures? Why does the Quran commend priests and monks? Why does the Holy Quran praise figures who do not believe in the prophet sent with the Quran, nor in the bearer of the message? Although the reason is mentioned in the Quran.
Upon reflection, I found that competition between religions is logical and very natural, since every religion seeks to guide its followers to the best path. But is it reasonable for the Quran to transcend all permissible limits of competition and all norms related to calling and conveying the message, to be with the truth wherever it is?
This praise found in the noble verses (Al-Ma’idah 5:82), (Aal-Imran 3:199), and elsewhere, should make us pause over two main civilizational themes: our present reality and the future of all divine religions.
Regarding the first civilizational theme: according to these Quranic verses, Muslims must acknowledge that there are Christian figures who have risen above all selfish acts and traits and transcended all stages of lust, instinct, and animality, elevating humanity to its highest peaks through love for others. These, from an Islamic Quranic perspective, deserve full respect, greetings, affection, and appreciation.
The second civilizational outcome: affirmation of the “unity of destiny” among divine religions. In fact, our global concerns as Muslims are their concerns as followers of Christ (peace be upon him), and their concerns as citizens are our concerns. More than that, our enemy is their enemy, and their enemy is our enemy.
The true enemy in civilizations is not the competitor but aggression: a material enemy armed with weapons and a spiritual enemy that gnaws at beliefs like worms. Our caution is their caution, and theirs is ours.
Beware that religion does not turn into folklore, or mere sectarianism, or become just a “personal viewpoint,” or an instrument in politics, or a mere personal experience, or religion without a true God, or a scarecrow, or a human game, or public entertainment, or into so many details losing its identity.
Beware that religion does not turn into irreligion or anti-religion because of our mistakes, others’ interventions, and conspiracies of other religions.
In reality, religion came to organize the relationship between man and his Lord. No matter what the religion is, or what has happened to it, or how much it changed, globalized, civilized, modernized, diluted, or evaporated… religion remains a divine reality. It came to organize man’s relationship with his Lord, a relationship of ascent.
Sometimes, in some rituals, it may be “between lovers the manners fall” to a horizontal etiquette and literary horizontal relationship, transforming from intense love, passion, and affection to a peer relationship without barriers.
But let us agree from now on: no matter our religion, we and all followers of religions should not allow this relationship, because of our interpretations, practices, tastes, mistakes, or negligence with others, to become a descending one! Religion would then turn into irreligion and anti-religion, and God and the Lord become enslaved, ruled, and restricted.
No matter our religion, no matter what happens in the world, this relationship must not be centered on man but remain centered on the Lord, and we must always seek the true religion, the correct religion, the unaltered religion.
From this standpoint, we must agree and encourage all followers of divine religions: preserve the human values in your religions regardless of wars and conflicts. We say to Europeans: learn patience from the Easterners, learn perseverance and steadfastness from them, and do not allow irrationality, extreme right-wing views, and religious extremism to steal what remains of the human civilizational values in the world and Europe.
Our Mahdist doctrine has taught us patience, calmness, hope, and composure in the toughest circumstances. Surely, the doctrine of the return of the second Christ and the resurrection in your lands also produces similar civilizational results.
Christians of the West question some manifestations of Eastern Christians and criticize them in various ways, one of their main criticisms being that Eastern Christians are fanatical about their religion. Their criticism of them for religious fanaticism is also the reason for their interest in Eastern Christians.
After studying all political, social, economic, colonial, and scientific theories on ways to preserve Christians of the East in their places, we find that all these theories are failed, sterile, and fragmented. In fact, the only real solution to preserve Eastern Christians amid this chaos is a return to humanitarian values, a return to Eastern civilizational values, and a return to shared divine teachings under all circumstances despite all kinds of wars.
If George Clooney chooses a wife from us, and if Trump’s daughter chooses a groom from us, this is not because we have distinguished ourselves with Western values over Westerners, but because we preserved some of the Eastern heritage, Eastern morals, and Eastern values. Therefore, I advise reading the book Sad America.
In fact, now there is a great and real opportunity for the Christians of our country to prove their place, their values, and their perseverance on their values in the coming circumstances through the roles entrusted to them, as Minister Elias Bou Saab indicated.
There is an important opportunity for the Christians of our country to be the keystone in domestic politics, and a rare chance for Lebanese Christians to present an elegant and humane model in politics.
They must choose: either to be Western on the outside and Eastern inside, or to be barbarians on the outside and Viking fighters inside, or to be hippies on the outside and “Ku Klux Klan” in reality.
Will they choose to fight diversity through correct and peaceful ways, and all Eastern human values especially love and asceticism as Mother Teresa taught us? Or will they be lured away?
Will they save all of Lebanon, or will they tolerate the holes present in some parts of the ship, even if it means sitting in someone else’s seat?
