Tariq Ramadan – Ramadan Chronicles #16 Uniformity

There is one notion

that we keep on repeating because it's an

ideal that we want to reach, and we

know how important

it is. And it's the notion of unity.

What we need and what we need to

achieve within the community

has to do with unity. The problem is

that we are confusing

unity and

uniformity. This is the problem, and this is,

where some people who, in the name of

unity,

uniformity. Uniformity. We have to understand that the

the cosmology, the Islamic cosmology,

it's not about,

uniformity. It's about diversity.

It's the very essence of everything. When you

have, for example, yes, the unity of humanity

is.

Oh, you people, we have,

created you,

from a male and a female.

So the origin is the same. This is

the unity of, humanity.

But

we made you nations and tribes.

So meaning that there is a diversity

here. And this diversity, it's everywhere in the

universe. Nothing in the universe is about uniformity.

And even

saying from by,

from everything,

we created a couple, meaning that there is

diversity. It's that this unity unity is about

trying to find a stable way,

completing

one another and trying to get this unity

out of diversity.

To the point that when it comes to

religions and when it comes to tribes and

nations,

what we have in the Quran is

If we have, we would not have put

people and a set of people resisting

a set of other people, the other the

the the world would have been corrupt. And

we have the same verse starting exactly the

same and and ending by

If that you you would have,

synagogues and places where the people are praying

and temples and mosque would have been destroyed.

So meaning that the diversity

of,

religion is going to be protected by the

diversity

within humanity

among religions, among cultures, and among tribes.

So we need to celebrate

diversity,

and we need to get it right.

Unity is about accepting this diversity,

celebrating this diversity,

and not imposing uniformity.

No uniformity

in the way we think. No uniformity

in our nations. No uniformity

even within the Muslim tradition.

And this is why, for example, it's a

pity to see, for for example, today, Sunni

and Shia,

struggling and and and not being able even

to accept and to acknowledge that both are

Muslims. This is one Islam and with the

diversity. And even among the the the the

the schools of thought or the trends, when

you are rationalist, when you are traditionalist, or

when you are,

madhhabie, or,

following a very specific school of law, or

when you are reformist.

This is a diversity that you have to

deal with. You cannot just in the name

of uniformity

and unity, for example, destroy

all these trends. They are part of our

community.

No way.

No way to get unity if we are

not able

to deal with diversity, to respect one another,

and to try to work together. This is

the starting

point, and it,

it takes effort, understanding,

and openness

to get it right.

Remember to tell the people you love that

you love them, and never forget.

Never forget. Life is fragile.