EID’L FITR SOLIDARITY

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

Solidarity and peace to you all on the occasion of Eid’l Fitr!

The Philippines officially celebrates Eid’l Fitr, the Muslim post-Ramadan celebration, on this day of my writing this piece. Solidarity to all Muslims of the Philippines and the world!

We have about 7 Millions of Muslims in the Philippines, a fact that qualifies this country to be represented in international bodies for Muslims such as the OIC. Just being considered an observer in such bodies already brings forth glad tidings of peace and cooperation for the country.

For the record, Islam was instrumental in creating centralized forms of governance (principalities, sultanates) in the country. Likewise did it contribute to revolutionizing agriculture from simple commodity production to intensive plantation system.

I need not belabor the point that Islam also brought interest-free banking to the country. I could only do guess work on the earlier forms of Islamic finance around the 14^th and 15^th centuries, but what I can infer facilely is that Islam introduced the concept and practice of finance as early as that period in antiquity.

Let me also cite that Islam was instrumental in the take-off of systems of rational casuistry for thought-systems of antiquity, notably those affecting devotional practice (religion), governance, family and kinship. Rational codifications were seeded with the ideas of Aristotle and Greco-Roman philosophers, moving on through Avicenna and Avineroes of Cordoba-Cadiz fame, and it is gladdening to note that Islam brought such casuistry to the Philippines way ahead of Western powers’ commission of the same.

Among other things, there are Arabic numerals, geometry, algebra, civil works, and architecture that Islam likewise brought to the Philippines. The Western cultures borrowed extensively from Muslim Arabs those same sciences & arts cited, which they then brought to the Philippines to expand on what the Muslim principalities & sultanates have already begun much earlier.

On the historical-archeological facets of life, Muslims (notably the nobilities) have accumulated a huge amount of relics that are awaiting the scholars who would tap the same for deeper studies of Philippine history, culture, economy, governance, and institutions during past epochs. The Philippine state should prepare enabling measures that will protect the Muslim nobles (their lives are at risk from marauding criminals) who are the repositories of high culture, and help preserve the relics cited.

Thus, so much reason abounds that justifies the Philippines’ celebration of Eid’l Fitr. Never mind if the country is predominantly Christian. Islam and Arab culture contributed immensely to political, economic, and cultural development of the country, even as the country had evolved into a multi-cultural, global nation as a whole, and so the country should recognize such contributions by co-celebrating the Eid’l Fitr with the rest of the world.

Praise be the Almighty Allah for the enormous blessings poured unto this beloved country over its so many centuries of existence!

Love and Peace!

[Philippines, 09 September 2010]

[See: IKONOKLAST: http://erleargonza.blogspot.com,

UNLADTAU: https://unladtau.wordpress.com,

COSMICBUHAY: http://cosmicbuhay.blogspot.com,

BRIGHTWORLD: http://erlefraynebrightworld.wordpress.com, ARTBLOG: http://erleargonza.wordpress.com,

ARGONZAPOEM: http://argonzapoem.blogspot.com]

BUILD STRONG NATIONS AMID GLOBALIZATION

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

 

[Writ 22 March 2008, Quezon City, MetroManila]

 

In my meaty article on New Nationalism, I advanced fourteen (14) contentions in substantiation of what neo-nationalism is.

 

The first basic contention is that the nation-state can thrive and grow amid globalization. In other words, globalization shouldn’t lead to the destruction of nation-states. The trend since the start of massive implementation of liberal reforms leading to global integration of markets has been, in fact, the destruction of nation-states. This trend has to be stopped now.

 

There is really no reason to destroy the nations just so that our global community can be integrated. In the Philippine experience, nationalism has been a positive, progressive force that had united close to 100 ethno-linguistic communities. The Philippine nation had just lately crystallized, with a national identity now in shape though in moderate level, a phenomenon that took over 200 years to build.

 

There is no way that we can allow the massive destruction of nations today just in order to whet the appetites of the global oligarchy and their transnational corporations or TNCs for control over the world’s resources and labor. The conservation of nations must be a pre-requisite to building the ‘peace condition’ nationally and globally, guided by the principle of ‘dialogue of civilizations’.

 

On the other hand, amid the failings of globalization, we simply cannot go back to the past and destroy the integration efforts altogether. We can still move on towards a more progressive globalization that serves the interests of nations rather than the global oligarchy. Nations can derive benefits from integrated markets, we can’t overstress the risk-side of globalization at the expense of the benefit-side.

 

Somewhere along the line, the striving for stronger nations must cohere with the collective efforts for integrated markets. Later on, nations would compose an integrated political entity, the global state with its own global institutions.

 

Below is the excerpt from the New Nationalism article regarding the nation-state.

 

Strong nation can thrive & grow amid globalization.

 

The nation can continue to exist, even become strengthened, while it sails deep into the middle of the ocean of globalization. The two are not necessarily contradictory. Nationhood can continuously be pursued, patriotism can move ahead while paddling astride the powerful waves of globalization. For as earlier stated, globalization holds the promise of growth through the vast opportunities it has opened. Nations must strive to concur cooperation with other nations to extend the scope and limits of the opportunities, while at the same time build internal opportunities to further optimize inducements for investments.

 

Just recently, our entrepreneurs and professionals made waves through the international awards they respectively received, such as Tan Caktiong (top entrepreneur) and F. Palafox (the only ASEAN architect to make it to the world’s Top 200 architects), signifying the high level of competitiveness our compatriots are capable of achieving. Such sterling achievements surely inspire us to continue to strengthen nationhood and to forge new areas of cooperation and growth-inducing endeavors. While forces exist that work to tear the nation asunder, forces are likewise growing that lead to the nation’s strengthening. We should all work hard to make sure that the latter forces prevail, while neutralizing and diminishing the potencies of those forces that destroy nationhood.