Dubai & Religion

I came across this article in NYTimes. It really dragged me into a debate with myself. I had to put my thoughts out here…

For those of you who do not have the time or patience to go through the entire article from NYTimes, here is the brief version of it: The article speaks of modern day Dubai. Dubai dazzles, but it also confuses. It appears to offer a straight deal — work hard and make money. It is filled with inequities and exploitation. It is a land of rules: no smoking, no littering, no speeding, no drinking and driving. But it also dares everyone to defy limitations. The article recounts the first hand experiences of several Muslim youth from Egypt, Jordan and other middle eastern countries and how they have come to accept dubai as their future. I have also read the comments section on this article and more people seem to be blasting away at the author’s article of trying to portray dubai as a “mecca” for misguided muslim youth.

There are certain fundamentals at question here. Lets try to keep it simple though. I think the most confused word in this world today is “Religion”. Let something go wrong somewhere in the world and who is to blame? Religion. Let someone erect a 1000 ft tall club and ban smoking inside it. Why? Religion. Let someone express their views publicly and they are immediately proclaimed as radicals..why? Religion. If a muslim guy wants to have a smoke and he is shunned as an outcast, why? Religion???

I understand, have seen and read about modern Dubai. I realise it’s a place where engineering marvels exist. I also know it as a place filled with bars, pubs, glitter, gold, coffee shops, shopping malls and sand. With the advent of the western culture, this place is now a trade pinnacle for the entire middle west. The youth who come here and want to stay here are being branded as “misguided” for the wrong reasons. They have not forgotten their religion. They just want to practise their religion in moderation. All their lives and before them, their fathers,forefathers have never traveled outside of their coutries. They have very strong fundamentalist roots that ban freedom to such an extent under the name of religion, that they are seeing relief when they can have the comforts and pleasures of modern day world and still not step away from being religious. They experience that they can drink, go to a bar, smoke and still be a muslim at the end of the day. I do not advocate drinking or smoking, but I also do not advocate banning them under the name of religion. It is more of a self control issue. Until these countries (not just mid west) change their style of thinking, these youth are not going back!

The world has changed a lot over the last century….especially over the last 40 years. People, have not changed that much though. They want to stick their brains in the age old practises and call it religion. As of today, there is no such thing as a boundary. It is a global economy, a global country… Alas, too few people can accept it at this point of time.