✦ Secular State: A Tyrannical System Disguised as Freedom
❖ A Common Misconception About the Secular State
A frequent claim made by proponents of secularism is that the secular state does not interfere in the personal lives of individuals, unlike a religious state. According to them, the secular state is not authoritarian, and therefore, it should be established on secular, not religious, foundations.
❖ The Reality: Democratic Secular States Are Among the Most Oppressive in Human History
This claim is nothing more than a deception. In reality, modern democratic secular states are among the most authoritarian systems in human history. These states have used modern technology—such as mobile devices and the internet—to develop a surveillance system that completely captures and controls the personal lives of individuals.
❖ The Web of Surveillance
➊ Through mobile phones and the internet, the state can determine where a person is, when, and with whom.
➋ Through chips embedded in identity cards, citizens are kept under continuous surveillance.
➌ Bank transactions, phone calls, messages, and online activities are all accessible to the state.
➍ Even the books issued from libraries are known to the authorities.
❖ Personal Freedom: A Mirage
The concept of freedom in democratic secular states is nothing but an illusion.
➊ As long as the individual poses no threat to the state, he is given the false impression of freedom.
➋ The moment he goes against the interests of the state, he can be eliminated at any time.
➌ This so-called “freedom” is actually a part of state control, and anyone who refuses to accept the supremacy of the state loses that freedom.
❖ Relationship Between Freedom and the State
The theory of the democratic state is that state sovereignty guarantees individual freedom. But in practice:
➊ Freedom is only given to the individual who remains under the state’s control.
➋ Those who reject the state’s domain are seen as threats, and their freedom is curtailed.
✦ Practical Contradictions of the Democratic State
While claiming to protect individual rights and freedoms, in practice:
➊ Every aspect of an individual’s life is subject to state law.
➋ Even personal matters, such as children’s education, marital relations, and private affairs, are governed by legal mandates.
➌ If a person violates these laws, he is punished, no matter how private the matter may be.
✦ Examples of the Secular State’s Oppressive Laws
➊ Childbirth Regulations:
Several secular states have enforced laws that limit the number of children a family may have.
➋ Mandatory Education:
Sending children to school has been made legally compulsory.
➌ Private Relationships:
In Western countries, even marital relations are subject to legal scrutiny. If a husband is found guilty of engaging in relations without his wife’s consent, he may be punished.
✦ Religious State vs. Secular State
➊ Islamic State:
A large portion of an individual’s private life remains within the domain of moral values, with no state intervention.
➋ Secular State:
By turning every matter into a legal issue, it seeks to control all aspects of personal life.
✦ Erasure of Identity
The democratic secular state erases traditional religious identities and transforms individuals into functional units of a liberal capitalist system.
➊ Under secular dominance, religious traditions and identities lose their meaning.
➋ In contrast, within an Islamic state, non-Muslim minorities can preserve their religious identities for centuries.
✦ The Naivety of the Modern Muslim Mind
Some modern Muslim intellectuals and scholars support democratic states, arguing that such states offer equal opportunities for both disbelief and faith.
➊ However, they view the religious state as biased, while remaining oblivious to the clear oppression of secularism.
➋ The reason for their ignorance is that they fail to deeply understand modern intellectual narratives and fall prey to their deception.
