Who is entitled for authorizing Fasting or not fasting in Ramadan: Science or Religion?
The debate seems to be over regarding fasting this year’s Ramadan. It has been announced that fasting will take place despite the corona, as Islamic doctors approved that no harm will happen to the immune system.
Somehow, one feels fed up form arguing or even discussing. How much can one debate obvious logic?
But apparently, as usual it is a lost case to the “herd”. Sometimes I give alibi to those in authority, because somehow people tend to think, or actually don’t think like herds.
Dr Youssef Zidan, once again open fire single handedly when he dared to mention in a live episode on one major Egyptian channel that Avicenna – Ibn Sina said a thousand years ago that: In times of Pandemics, no Fasting and Intercourse are allowed.” I don’t think that this is also an announcement of a genius, or we needed the experience of Avicenna to realize this. But I know that with minds too closed tightly with only small holes of insight brought from the far paths of the past, most only take the approval of their “sacred” behaviors and rituals. So, what else do the Islamic legislators need to bring into a reason why fasting should not be encouraged this Ramadan.
The war that resulted, against Zeedan’s statement went into outrageousness.
The worse part in this was the Azhar’s announcement that Zeedan is not entitled to give Fatwas.
I was thinking is someone like Yousef Zeedan, who is one of the few left thinkers and intellectuals in Egypt today, and his specialty is in Islamic philosophy, whose PhD was on Avicenna, and his latest short listed nominated novel to the Booker prize Fardaqan, speaks about the life of Avicenna, is not entitled to bring examples of the past to the current question on the eligibility of fasting during such a horrific time of a pandemic that has crippled the universe? So, who can?
An Islamic physician who barely reached the level of reading Avicenna as an undergraduate student can decide for the Islamic world that fasting will not affect the immunity system of the people and cause unbearable scenarios with the pandemic?
What is sad is that space of expression is shrinking to a level where you don’t realize anymore what is left for any freedom out there.
Media and governments are joining force in enforcing such coercive suppression to expression.
You cannot express your opinion on the authority’s practices. You cannot express your opinion on someone in the authority’s statements because you never know which party and what militarized group is, he protected by. You cannot think of criticizing a public figure who might be part of one of the so many powerful security factions. And if you do so, it is not the government only that may threaten you, it is the mob. The massive support of media to the government is threatening. Censorship is becoming internal to a level you fear thinking.
I think of what happened to Yousef Zeedan and tell myself, what is left for us? If obvious information brought upon by an intellectual is resisted, what can be helpful?
People are so blinded, no one wants to see the threat but yet all are horrified. Everyone wants assurances that things will be back to normal with minimal efforts, and somehow the best way to keep control of a lazy herd is to inject it with rituals that keep habits alive.