I feel so torn and conflicted. On the one hand I greatly abhor religious extremism; it offers nothing but cheap answers, cynical manipulation and misery for those subjected to it, especially women. On the other hand secular philosophies, once vital and able to command incredible sacrifice in order to remake the world, have become pale and toothless caricatures of their former selves. I think this latter phenomenon is due to the cheap temptations that capitalism provides and to the atomic, utterly selfish individualism that it offers as its own philosophical justification. Those who suffer a guilty conscience can, of course, go on a day trip to protest on behalf of some issue which compels them to act, but a viable, life-orientating alternative weltanschaung seems impossible to find outside of religion. Various socialist and communist groups no doubt mean well when they mouth slogans of solidarity, but I just don't think they feel the sense of brotherhood that unites the Muslim Ummah (or the Sikhs, or the Jews, for that matter). We feel that we are eternally responsible for our sisters and brothers, that our actions have everlasting consequences for which we will be held personally accountable. Disaster, natural or artificial, is not merely tragedy for us, but a responsibility. Now anyone could feel this same way, regardless of whether they are religious or not; I have no doubt that most people do at some point in their lives. Secular philosophies, however, give no rational justification for these feelings other than perhaps their utility in holding an increasingly global society together. Only religion, whether it be Islamic, Christian, or Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist, can provide the theoretical justification necessary to keep the fact of solidarity alive when the emotion wears thin (as all emotions do). An excellent, non-Islamic example of this would be the Quakers. Since their appearance three centuries ago, the Quakers have consistantly been on the front lines of the struggle for liberation. They have been able to do so because in defeat they can draw upon their own inner, spiritual resources ('the inner light') to keep from becoming disillusioned and in victory they have a sense of eternity hanging over them to keep them from corruption. Perhaps the Sufis can act in a similar manner among the Muslims.