Part 7
By Basham Shaheed
5. Colonialism, Secularism, and the Intellectual Invasion
Among the most severe, deeply rooted, and destructive assaults launched by Western powers, primarily against vulnerable nations and especially the Muslim world, was the project of colonialism. This campaign unfolded in multiple forms, all designed to reshape the intellectual outlook of the societies they subjugated, and to redirect their military, economic, cultural, and religious potential toward Western strategic aims and desires.
This prolonged onslaught inflicted grave wounds on the colonized peoples, leaving consequences that will remain etched into their history for decades and even centuries. Indeed, the penetration of colonialism and secular ideology into Muslim societies stands among the most decisive causes of contemporary Muslim decline and stagnation.
At first, the colonizers entered Muslim lands behind the mask of economic cooperation. Yet with time, their ambitions became unmistakably clear.
Secularism, for its part, first slipped into the Islamic world through young students who traveled abroad seeking higher education in Europe and beyond.
Over the last century, colonialists and secularists, often supported by every arm of Western political, military, and cultural power, have worked relentlessly to halt the progress and awakening of Muslim nations. Their agents, backed by foreign support, were installed in key government positions throughout the Muslim world, blocking sincere, principled, and religiously committed leaders from attaining authority.
Secular proponents have not only advanced these foreign interests, but have tirelessly pushed to remove Islam from the public and political sphere and confine it solely to private life and ritual worship.
In addition to physical invasion, the modern era has witnessed a more covert and subtle attack: the war of ideas. This intellectual invasion has become one of the preferred tools of modern colonialism, attacking the beliefs, values, and identity of nations without the need for military force. Through mass media, educational systems, consumer-driven culture, and imported thought systems, generations are gradually pulled away from their own religious and cultural foundations.
Muslim countries, especially in periods when they strive toward independence, advancement, or self-determination, have repeatedly found themselves targeted by Western powers and the disbelieving world aligned against them. These assaults have taken many forms, at times through open warfare and occupation, and at other times through seemingly benevolent programs wrapped in appealing language designed to obscure their underlying agenda.
In truth, colonialism represents one of the most bitter and perilous forms of invasion. Its repercussions stretch far beyond military invasion and remain embedded in the minds, systems, and cultural narratives of the colonized peoples long after armies have departed. Entire generations continue to live under its shadow, their worldview subtly shaped by the legacy of imposed ideas and habits.
Whereas earlier colonialism presented itself primarily through military domination and economic extraction, modern colonialism has recast itself in intellectual and cultural terms. By promoting Western-oriented thinkers and models, it cultivates psychological dependence, something even more dangerous than physical occupation, because it erodes a nation’s confidence, weakens its resolve, and strips away intellectual self-reliance from within.
Secularism operates as one of the principal vehicles of this invasion, advocating the removal of religion from public society, politics, and science, and restricting it to the private domain. These concepts have influenced not only elites but also segments of ordinary Muslims who now believe Islam is little more than a personal faith confined to mosques, rather than a comprehensive system for life.
Standing against these challenges requires the strengthening of intellectual awareness, the reform of educational systems upon Islamic foundations, and the critical examination of imported ideologies. These are among the most essential strategies for resisting both the psychological and structural consequences of colonialism.
Preserving the religious and cultural identity of Muslim societies demands ongoing vigilance, scholarship, and purposeful effort from an alert and principled generation.
