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This is an excellent video which discusses some basic ideas of classical liberalism. It is a collections of thoughts by those who attended the recent Freedom Week at Sydney Sussex College, University of Cambridge.

I think the best description of classical liberalism was given by Dr Mark Pennington at around minute 18 in this video. He argues that classical liberalism is about being able to be nice to others without being coerced. He said that doing a good deed because you feel forced to do so is, in fact, not really a “good deed” as such. A real good deed is when you do it because you want to do it. Translating that to “Muslim-speak”, a good deed must be accompanied by ikhlas / sincerity. Otherwise, it will not be rewarded as a good deed.

See the video here

The first hadith in the collection of 40 hadith states: “Actions are but by intention and every man shall have but that which he intended”. Thus, the best and the most “Islamic” of situations is one in which you act out of your own good intention, not because you were coerced. Mark would call that act as a liberal act. I would say it is an Islamic act. (Obviously because he is not a Muslim I cannot expect him to use the word “ikhlas”)

As Mark says:

“Genuine compassion is when you take the money out of your own pocket and you give to someone who you think is more deserving than you are. It does not mean government taxing you, taking money from you which you haven’t voluntarily given. Coerced compassion isn’t compassion at all. And that is the real message of libertarianism. Not that people should go out there and be selfish.”

Again, in Muslim-speak, real ikhlas is when you give voluntarily. Coerced compassion is not ikhlas.

This is also the reason why I am sceptical with the idea of a centrally-planned welfare state. A typical welfare state is one in which the state takes from the haves to give to the people, or the group of people, who the government says need assistance. There is no choice involved as you are coerced to give, whether you like it or not. And it is the government that dictates who will receive what. Not you.

I believe Islam teaches us to create a welfare “society”, not a welfare “state”. It is society that bears the responsibility to help one another. During the golden age of Islam, we saw how civil society and waqf flourished. Schools and hospitals were not state-funded. They were all funded and owned by non-state actors. This is no welfare state. It was a heavily “privatised” system of governance that even Margaret Thatcher wouldn’t even dare to dream! Welfare, education, and healthcare were all delivered through the actions of private citizens through voluntary actions. If they don’t give directly to the poor, they give to waqf and charities.

The Golden Age of Islam did not teach us that one big state system should rob Ahmad to pay Halimah. If anything, the Golden Age of Islam showed us how society could become if true liberalisation of public services and the markets were to take place – a society in which government was small and the welfare society was huge.

It is unfortunate that some Muslims have given up on the hope to create a welfare “society” in favour of a welfare “state”.

But, thank goodness for IDS and the Conservative Party!!!

If you check my July 2006 archives, you will see some notes that I made when I attended the 2006 Freedom Week. If you are in the UK in July this year, I highly recommend that you apply to attend the 2008 Freedom Week.

Filed under: Freedom & Liberty, Politics