MISHKAT

MISHKAT

A Critical Examination of Qur’anic Principles and Strategies for Avoiding Ethnocentrism

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Assistant Professor, Department of Jurisprudence and Fundamentals of Islamic Law, University of Shahr-e kord (Corresponding Author)
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Qur’an and Tradition Sciences, University of Shahr-e kord
Abstract
One of the challenges to ethical living in human communities, at both micro and macro levels, is the precedence of ethnicity over righteousness. The Holy Qur’an, with a monotheistic approach, rejects any inclination towards extremism in ethnicity, discrimination, and racism, identifying moral and pious identity as the criterion for value assessment. This research, employing a descriptive-analytical and interpretive method, delves into the Qur’an ethical system in confronting ethnocentrism. To avoid conceptual repetitions, it meticulously distinguishes between ethical principles and executive strategies, leading to a novel formulation of fundamental norms and avoidance strategies concerning ethnocentrism. The findings indicate that the Qur’an emphasizes the following as crucial principles and executive strategies for countering reprehensible ethnocentrism: in the soteriological dimension, the priority of individual salvation over ethnicity; in the anthropological dimension, the primacy of human dignity against racism; in the epistemological dimension, ethnicity as a manifestation of divine attributes; and in the sociological dimension, the necessity of mutual recognition and an instrument for social synergy. By establishing supra-discriminatory normative principles and offering practical strategies for reforming attitudes, value-based education, and engineering collective identity, the Qur'an provides a comprehensive model for confronting ethnocentrism. The distinction between principles and strategies prevents argumentative confusion, and future research can focus on the measurability of these strategies in the realm of cultural policymaking. Furthermore, these achievements offer significant potential for reinterpreting concepts of human rights, coexistence, and social justice in the contemporary world. Given today's identity challenges, a return to these Qur’anic foundations can provide a suitable theoretical basis for intercultural dialogues and the reduction of ethnic tensions.
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