Mamdouh Bitar, Samir Sadek:
The last century has witnessed tremendous scientific and technological development in the world, but in the general Arab world, even in the petroleum sphere, there was no participation in the scientific revolution, but rather a consumerist modernization of the products of the scientific revolution. This was accompanied by a scientific backwardness manifested in the increase of superstitious phenomena such as astrology, fortune-telling, palmistry, the relationship between early dementia and gold, menstruation expelling gold toxins, and then spirit summoning, etc. All of this and more was an expression of a schizophrenic state in the relationship of the Arab people with the scientific revolution. They consume the products of the scientific revolution with the proceeds of oil, which they did not manufacture or even extract from the depths of the earth, and they do not ask about the mind that was behind the production of the products of modernization. In this case, the question arises about the causes of this lethargy and sluggishness that has afflicted minds, and then about who has an interest in transforming humans into those who surrender to the delirium of superstition. The answer to this question can only point the finger of blame at those who benefit from ignorance and superstition. Those who benefited from superstition were religious and political dictatorships. Ignorance was one of the causes of resignation. Ignorance does not rebel and is incapable of rebellion. A life of religious and political dictatorship coupled with ignorance was a life of bliss. Hence, we must continue to spread ignorance and superstition! What has been briefly mentioned confirms the need for a scientific revolution that eliminates the legacy of inherited ideas, values, barbarism, violence, absolute faith, and sanctification. This will lead to a deepening of awareness of the reality of the situation, identifying those responsible for the deterioration, and attempting to eliminate it. Therefore, awareness had to shift to a method of rebellion and revolt against the schizophrenia manifested by adopting the products of the scientific revolution and abandoning the mentality that produced what Arabs consume. After June 1967, the phenomenon of spiritualism spread rapidly. For example, Lieutenant General Mohamed Fawzy and the pillars of the Egyptian government used it to reach military decisions, which were supposed to be based on a scientific analysis of the military situation, the nature of the conflict, and the conflicting forces. The practice of spiritualism was not limited to Lieutenant General Fawzy, but spread among academics and politicians in the highest positions. In general, these societies provided fertile ground for superstition to flourish, nurtured by the popular heritage prevalent throughout previous eras. In addition, the state of powerlessness, i.e., the state of defeat, provided exceptional material for the penetration of superstition into the Arab mind, providing mythical explanations for the dominant situation, and then presenting mythical solutions that must be implemented. In other words, the state of Arab minds mirrored the state of Western minds, and this state still dominates the state of minds to this day. In this era, the concept of time and place changed, and rationalism achieved great successes over religious superstitions, which were placed outside of history. However, the region between the ocean and the Gulf remained a fertile ground for superstitious thought, which demonstrates the limitations of the Arab mind in influencing the Arabs’ position outside of history, i.e. outside of the era. This explains the new awakening of Salafist thought and superstitions, and the dominance of superstitions over minds. Superstitions left no room for philosophy, logic, and rationality to understand reality and work to develop it towards progress. Rather, there was an addiction to backwardness. The backwardness of minds translated into the backwardness of reality. Laziness, relaxation, and the lack of care for earthly life, then waiting for death and martyrdom to rescue humanity by taking it to heaven, were among the reasons for the backwardness of the Arabs, for how can they progress when illiteracy is widespread among nearly 50% of them? Progress requires getting to know others and being able to contribute with others in creating a somewhat homogeneous human civilization among people. How can a people, half of whom are illiterate, and the other half who do not read more than two pages a year, one of which is from the 600 pages of the Book of God, while the European reads 50 books a year, compared to the level of the rest of the knowledge, it can be said that the peoples of this region are still sitting in the cave and in stagnation, which clouds the mind’s clarity and its lethargy and dullness that has continued for 1440 years. The defeat of 1967 was one of the results of stripping the mind of the weapon of the hammer and pickaxe and its reliance on the sword,Which the Arabs committed suicide with.