Is Arabization a prescription of faith?

We have influences all around us. As a Muslim society in a larger Catholic-dominated country, among the external influences are the following: Manila-centric influence either through the public school system, media and other government instruments; and Westernization that is the product of Western countries through such instrument as globalization, free trade and, global media.

There is another that is less political and controversial which deserve the same level of scrutiny. As a Muslim society, we look to Arabs as our (older) brothers and view their thinking, ways and values as (true) reflection or model of our faith. In doing so, we often accept them wholeheartedly. We look to certain Arab countries as our model of public welfare and governance. We look to their universities as the best to train our religious scholars. We appreciate their style of largess.

As a Muslim community in this part of the world, our faith is born out of our unique historical experience and geo-politics. We have traditionally followers of the Shafi-e School of Jurisprudence under the Sunni strand. The combination of Middle East oil monies, traditional charities and globalization, have created a new tension within our society.

Our scholars returning from their Middle East studies have brought a new and different interpretation, often radical from orthodoxy, and new belief system that is confrontational and divisive. Through their oil largess, religious schools, orphanages and mosques are constructed where their belief system are imposed and propagated freely. Our own overseas contract workers having experience the Arab life and living and equated it with faith, are bringing home Arab thinking, acts and attitudes to everyday life and living back in Moroland. Saudi Wahhabi doctrine vying with militant doctrines from Libya, Syria and Iraq.

This is a miniature example of this new phenomenon. Are we engaged in Arabization or Islamization of our way of life? Is Arabization necessarily Islamic? How much of their Arabic influence can be absorb by our society without necessarily becoming their clone? Is Arabization a prescription of faith? These are some critical questions we need to respond collectively.