Tradition and Identity
One of the grave consequences of top-down modernization in the Muslim world has been the loss of tradition and with it the confusion of identity. In the name of modernizing themselves and catching up with the brave new world, pre-modern societies have turned against their tradition and in some cases destroyed some of the world's greatest treasures. Today, this is painfully visible in Turkey's modern cities.
Tradition is not about repetition but about continuity. It is about maintaining roots so that one can have fruits. No human community uprooted from its life-world can remain normal. When Muslim societies began to modernize under pressure from Western modernity, they lost the integrity of their traditional identities. Yes, they sailed to new territories and made new discoveries. They even had the chance of some creative syntheses.
But the overall result has been rather destructive. Those who have turned against their tradition have neither become “modern” in the Western, European sense nor remained traditional. Hung somewhere between two worlds and separate identities, they have turned themselves into exiles in their own lands.
Europeans never accepted the so-called “Orientals,” i.e., Muslims to the east of Europe as well as Asians as part of Europe. No matter how Westernized, submissive or open to partnership, traditional Muslim societies remained in the imagery of the West as barbarian Orientals, Muslim bigots, irrational conservatives, etc. The religious universe in which traditional Muslim culture flourished was perceived as the main obstacle to the “fusion of horizons,” to use Hans-Georg Gadamer's famous phrase. Commenting on Turkey's efforts to join Western civilization at the beginning of the 20th century, the celebrated French traveler and author Pierre Loti remarked that the indefatigable efforts by the Turks to modernize will never get them into the club of European nations because of their religion.
I am aware of the extent to which the religious divide argument can be forced. After all, there are many Europeans for whom religion is not a factor in social and political matters. My concern is not so much the European perceptions of Muslim societies, though this remains a critical issue, but how Muslim societies seek to construct new identities against the backdrop of tradition and modernity. Failing to overcome the Euro-centric models of modernization, most Muslim societies have lost their sense of the tradition, the integrity of their social and cultural identity, and ended up with schizophrenic identities.
This chaotic encounter with modernity has resulted not in a creative new synthesis, but in a crisis of identity that most of us are unwilling to admit and think we can overcome through further modernization, economic development, better engineering, etc. But this is simply wrong. A new sense of cultural and civilizational sensitivity is needed to overcome the mental and spiritual split that pervades most Muslim societies. This new perspective should be applied to everything from politics and education to arts, urban planning and architecture. More buildings, more engineering and more investment without clarity of mind will only make things worse. It will not bring tradition back -- the tradition that has created and sustained a marvelous civilization in which some of the greatest works of human art have been produced.
Otherwise, how can we explain the painful ironies of our modern lives in Turkey today? Having been blessed with such remarkable works of art and culture as the traditional old cities of İstanbul, Bursa, Safranbolu, Mardin and the timeless monuments of the Suleymaniye, Selimiye and Blue mosques and Topkapı Palace, we are creating monstrous buildings in the name of contemporary architecture and modern city life. Millions of people live in ugly buildings, gaudy streets and horrid neighborhoods -- all thinking that beauty is an expensive luxury that they cannot afford.
This, too, is wrong. Beauty is not a luxury and can be a part of our lives without buying expensive stuff because beauty is not about buying “stuff,” but about externalizing our inner beauty and spiritual integrity to the human environment in which we live. Such Muslim cities as Marrakesh, Fez, Isfahan and Mardin have maintained their traditional identity despite occasional decadence. They are a living proof that meaning and form, aesthetics and function, beauty and planning and finally man and nature can coexist in harmony and complement each other.
This aesthetic sensitivity, which has penetrated the lives of generations of people in Muslim countries, is also based on a deep spirituality and contemplative outlook. Once fully understood and appreciated, this outlook can help us overcome the ever-expanding ugliness that invades our homes, streets, cities and countries. It can show us the way to harmonize our earthly existence with beauty, harmony and integrity.
Assoc. Dr. Ibrahim Kalin
Coordinator for Public Diplomacy of the Republic of Turkey Prime Ministry