21st Century post-modern Global Paradigm

There are two most important social and political paradigm that emerged out of scientific discoveries in the 20th century. First: understanding about the natural forces increased with advancement in Astronomy and Cosmology. We now know how the world, the universe, the galaxies, the Suns, and the stars are being born and destroyed. This scientific knowledge about the universe decisively undermined the authority of the belief-systems. Search for God in the Heavens and Nirvana beyond death was no longer the final end of human endeavour. Humanity was liberated from the traditional craving for the Divine dispensation.

Bertrand Russell rightly said that the whole conception of God was a conception derived from the ancient despotism. When you hear people in church debasing themselves and saying that they are miserable sinners, and all the rest of it, it seems contemptible and not worthy of self-respecting human beings. We ought to make the best we can of the world, and if it is not so good as we wish, after all it will still be better than what these others have made of it in all the bygone ages. A good world needs knowledge, kindliness, and courage. No more management of affairs on this planet is dependent on god's will that governs on Earth.

Second: The realization that scientific knowledge was available for creation of a better world order became the vector of social change and led to a new socio-political paradigm: Equal Rights and Democracy- non-discriminatory - non exclusiveness of race, religion. Gender, Caste, or class. Now, the civic and secular politico-economic affairs must not be and cannot be legislated on the authority of age-old texts composed by men of bygone age. In order to create a new world order we required a new paradigm inclusive of all humanity - not divided by exclusive identities of race, religion, caste, gender or nationalities. Socialistic Democratic Renaissance, particularly
during the post-WW-2 had almost united the world ideological forces that marched in support of Freedom of South Africans ( Mandela) and more millions marched against the Vietnam War. But the most Third World countries and particularly most Muslim states did not rise in support of the socialist Renaissance of the 20th century.

Since the scientific discoveries and techno-industrial advancement were introduced by the western colonial powers, the traditional societies viewed the socialism and democratic reforms with suspicion. Opposition to the colonial west became the opposition to the scientific ideas of secular democracy. Thus, the Scientific Knowledge that posed threat to age-old Faith and Religion, received political rejection in the traditional societies. In most muslim countries, e.g, the questions of social reform - gender equality and freedom of expression - are considered as "irreligious cultural degeneration" caused by the western domination. Political opposition to the west had turned the people against the scientific social reforms. The Marxian Renaissance of Socio-Political Revolution was also viewed as the deadly threat to the cultural and religious identities.

In the post 9/11, "Civilizational Conflicts", it is argued that poverty and exploitation had turned the people violent. But neither the neo-cons in the US, nor the Bin-Laden and the jihadis of the 9/11 were poor and oppressed. In fact, the most jihadis were educated and trained engineers in the US. They were from rich families and connected with powerful Multinational Corporations. Those terrorists who attacked Indian Parliament and committed the Beslan massacre of 300+ unarmed women and children in Russia, were not uprooted from their ancestral lands. Those who attacked the Bolshoi Theatre and massacred unarmed citizens were not poor or destitude. What threat was posed to the Afghan people by the ancient Bamian Buddha statues that were destroyed by the Taliban? What threat was posed to the nation by young girls who were murdered for appearing before an Afghan TV camera.? Why a film director was murdered in Holland for making a film on the women's equal rights in Islam? Why the Hindu chauvinist attacked and destroyed renaissance film makers and artists in India? It appears then that the religious fanaticism, though had historical roots, is Schizophrenic effect of the contemporary socio-political developments. Religious and cultural chauvinists do not subscribe to the post-modern Testament as enshrined in the UN Charter.


Admittedly, introduction of modernity to the traditional societies is linked with the western domination - political, industrial, economic, military and science education. The substantive contribution of the west to the post-modern civilization is, however, the paradigm of Science/ Knowledge. And in the 20-21 century, there are no valid grounds for creation of independent states on religious grounds- like a Christian State in East Timor, an Islamic state of Pakistan, and a Jewish state of Isreal. There is also no convincing argument in favour of separate states of Chechen, Kashmir, or Northern Irland. Historical conflicts notwithstanding, can there be any justification to create, say, an independent state for the original (native) American -Indians, carved out of the United States and the Canadian territories?

If Jews, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Hindus can live together in a secular and democratic India, why not the Catholics and Protestants live together in Northern Ireland? Why Jews and Arabs cannot live together in a United Isreal-Palestinian Republic? Historians would not believe that the scientifically advanced peoples that produced Gandhi, Mandela, Einstein and Stephen Hawkins, were still constructing the security walls between human settlements fearing suicide-bombers? What is the blood group of Muslims (Shias and Sunnis), or Jews, Christians and Hindus that separates us from each other ? Anyone's exclusive identity based on Race or Religion- has no place in the evolving global scientific civilization of the 21st Century.