𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱

--Nasir Khan

 

Islamic nations saw a period of social and intellectual stagnation that started around the 13th century. Any critical and creative thinking about Islamic doctrine and its social practice had stopped by then. Thus the task was only to follow what had already been achieved in Islamic philosophical, political and juridical spheres and avoid any new ideas.

 

But in Europe, a new era was soon to start: the era of Renaissance, from the 14th to 17th centuries, that brought new ways to change the existing attitudes to religion, art, philosophy while Muslim nations remained in a state of regression. The Islamic world didn't experience the Renaissance or the Enlightenment.

 

Western nations were able to colonize many parts of the globe, including the Muslim countries. For the colonial armies to subdue and bring Afro-Asian nations under their direct control was not too difficult either. After the end of colonialism in the 20th century, the newly-independent Islamic countries saw much political and social turmoil that has persisted for many decades for a number of reasons. But one major factor that has been instrumental in perpetuating, strengthening and exploiting Islamic countries through the subservient ruling cliques, monarchies, dictators, etc., has been the role of US imperialism and the neo-colonialism of the old colonial powers in these countries.