October/November 2005

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A BICULTURAL PERSPECTIVE ON WORLDVIEWS

— Ilham Al-Sarraf

Editors’ Note: We asked the writer, an Iraqi born scholar who received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology in the United States, to share her professional bicultural observations as she witnessed the Iraqi society’s transformations during her many humanitarian journeys there, and to comment on the changes in worldviews in Iraq occuring because of the political unrest there.

Rooted in its Islamic history, Iraqi culture and education stress absolutes, generally calling for a monolithic society believing in the one God: Allah. However, there are fundamental differences between Shiaa and Sunni interpretations of the Quran, based on politics involving the followers of the Prophet Mohammed 1400 years ago. The Shiaa considered themselves the followers of the teaching of the prophet and his descendents “or his household lineage—who were the 12 Imams.” The Shiaa had to go underground due to persecution by the Sunni rulers of that time. The Sunnis had four schools of thought, from four scholars who interpreted and taught the Quran according to their own knowledge.

There were several differences between the two groups, involving the interpretations of the Quran. There are two models of interpretation, literal and philosophical. The Sunnis took certain texts literally; for example, “God has eyes over his worshippers.” No questions were allowed. The Shiaa philosophically interpreted the Quran in an esoteric manner, instead of God literally having eyes, they stated metaphorically that “God is overseeing his worshippers.”

Another difference involved the issue of human destiny: Is life predetermined, or do we have choices? Shiaa believe that human beings have “choices in life,” as the authors of our lives. We make choices and face the consequences (but, Allah ultimately judges, and his will prevails). In this worldview, Allah gives believers choices, but cautions them about going astray. The Sunni worldview believes that humans are “predetermined” by the will of Allah from birth and that “one’s destiny is written on one’s forehead the day you are born.” Kismet!

The Shiaa believe in Ijtihad/Jihad as a struggle to learn more about their faith in a proactive manner, finding the truth first in the Quran (in the Hadith or “the sayings of Muhammad”), then, in case of conflict, with the guidance of an Islamic scholar (called Almargaah Ayattallah Imam, the source of knowledge). The Sunnis rely only on the literal Quran and the Hadith for guidance.

The teachings of Islam are reinforced with fear and prohibitions (Haram); one dares not question instructions given by the family, school, or society. Most of the Iraqi schools’ teachings were from the Sunni ideology. The oppressed Shiaa feared having their own schools, confining their teachings to their homes and places of worship.

Both groups believe the purpose of humans is to be the guardians of Earth, where they are tested on their endurance and acceptance. Joy and happiness belong to the devil. (“It is better to walk behind those who make you cry than those who make you laugh.”) Both teach that the rewards of the hereafter are our real existence; the Earth life is nothing but a casing of the true kernel. Heaven is promised to those who follow Islam and its teaching with full obedience.

Both groups believe in total and categorical obedience to the faith, no questions allowed. Believers submit to the will of Allah; the Arabic word Inshaa-Allah is never far from one’s lips. To be called a nonbeliever is the worst condemnation a person has to endure in society; it is worse than God’s condemnation! Social pressure, created by rigid norms, controls the population. This structure provides safety and security in a plural-collective enmeshment. (An Arabic proverb states “In a plural way of living, suffering becomes a celebration.”) Thus, there is uniformity in practice that few would dare to violate.

Transcending the differences between Shiaa and Sunni, a uniformity and obedience to concepts are created by the popular culture. These cultural norms surpass religious guidance. Tribal traditions and customs are reinforced by selected Quran verses that cannot be questioned. You can imagine how this contrasts with the U.S., where one feels free to listen to others’ views, where the world is not universally presented as black or white, right or wrong. This foundational worldview with its faith has organized and structured Iraqi society for decades, giving a sense of safety to believers although it provided for few, if any, personal choices. However, the last forty years of oppression and struggle to survive has forced Iraqis through many transitions that have reshaped their lives, beliefs, values, faith, and consciousness, at both emotional and cognitive levels. Circumstances beyond their control (or so it seems to them) have caused deep transformations.

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DIVIDED CONSCIOUSNESS
From 1967 on, submission to the ruthless dictator Saddam Hussein, who ruled with an iron fist and intimidation, caused the people of Iraq to completely lose their sense of trust in anyone, often even in their own children. A splitting of the personality went beyond private and public personas. Different subpersonalities were created to deal with family members, close friends, coworkers, neighbors, and authority figures. Everyone needed to be constantly vigilant. The inability to exercise any freedom—to feel, to think, to talk, to express any discontent—meant loss of human rights and adherence to blind obedience. Iraqis perceived they had no choices.

From 1991, submission to severe economic sanctions meant denial of essential materials for everyday living. It degraded, humiliated, and marginalized them below subhuman. They began to plead, beg, and bargain with their dictator, the Superpowers, and the United Nations about their suffering, but each of the three pointed to the others. Eventually reality sets in: No one in the world cares. Learned helplessness, depression, and apathy eventually lead to dissociation and, in many cases, undiagnosed psychosis. Control of their own destiny is out of their reach again.

During the period from 1994 to 1996, the only option seemed to be submission to the will of Allah (“He will not give us more than what we can handle”). The attitude became one of “this must be our destiny.

This dreadful living must be a punishment from up above for how bad we have been. Even Allah forsakes us.” The continuous bombings from the air were defiantly perceived as Allah’s wrath. The absyss was so deep during the middle 1990s that all one saw was the walking dead, on automatic and literally “predetermined by a higher power.” They waited for external help; from within came only self-blame and anger at their failure to overcome the atrocities and injustice.

From 1997 to 2000, the youth began to express their frustrations by personalizing religion. A private religion was something that no one could take away from them. Their worship moved from being toward an external power to recognition of some autonomy, exercised from within. Trepidation and fear of retaliation by the dictator or the West were kept at bay. Creativity in their behaviors, with traditions and norms no longer keeping them from expressing their discontent against social stratification, prohibitions, and the rigid interpretations of the Quran, began shaping a new consciousness. What used to be “shameful, humiliating, and dishonoring behaviors” no longer held the same internal prohibition. A sense of internal control of their destiny begot an attitude of a triumph over victimization!

By 2000, this sense of an underground freedom began to roll back boundaries. The ability to bring in income, to earn, and to participate in society restored their shattered dignity and pride. There was a revival of life, living for the day, being carefree, enjoying hedonism, and being deaf to the world around them. They began to overcome their misery. With joy came a feeling that “I am the one responsible, I have nothing to lose.” With this attitude, they challenged the “we-collective cultural practices.”

But by 2004, the war, terrorism, and internal conflicts had reversed the progression; regression arrived with plummeting speed. At first, the news of being liberated/invaded hit hard the newly freed Iraqi population. Fear, joy, and terror were the emotions when the coalition marched into Baghdad. Ridding the population of Saddam was a dream come true, but what followed was the nightmare they all feared. Self-determination was again taken away, replaced by the occupation of the Superpowers. Their behaviors regressed to old familiar patterns of a power outside themselves. Material promises failed to materialize. A government to represent their needs became torn by violence, foreign terrorists, internal terrorists, invasion by a foreign power, open borders, no laws, no army or police, and no legislative body with the power to execute or implement. With a temporary central government, Iraqis saw themselves as powerless again.

Standing by and observing others determining their future ignited anger kept at bay for a long time. Releasing the pent-up rage resulted in the attitude “we have nothing to lose.” Having tasted the freedom of self-motivation and being co-creators of their destiny only for a short period makes civil war inevitable, proving the Darwinian theory of survival of the fittest.

The current breakdown of cultural and societal systems causes chaos in cognitive and emotional levels of the Iraqi consciousness. People trampled upon and then their unsuccessfully attempting to be proactive and to participate in creating their own destiny led to a psychotic breakdown. Historically, unable to tolerate differences among themselves, the Shiaa, the Sunni, the Kurds, the Childanian, and many minorities who for a long time were muffled and intolerant of one another’s differences must today expand their worldviews to incorporate differences and a higher level of consciousness if the society is to survive.

ILHAM HEATHER AL-SARRAF, Ph.D., MFT, received her doctorate at California Graduate Institute and her Master’s in Educational Psychology at California State University-Northridge. She works as a psychotherapist for Kaiser Permanente in the L. A. area. ihbefree007@yahoo.com.

First Cover Story

FOUR TELEOLOGICAL MODES OF CONSCIOUSNESS
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