Blame

One major weakness of our society is that we often search for the causes of our failures, flaws and moral decline in others. Whenever social decay is discussed, our finger immediately points toward the West, the media, the times, the new generation or external influences. We satisfy ourselves by saying that everything came from outside, that all corruption was created by others, and that our original culture was very pure. But the question is: if corruption came only from outside, then who created the space within us to accept it?

It is easy to blame the West; it is difficult to look at our own character. We speak at length about Western immodesty, freedom, obscenity, the weakness of the family system and moral problems, but we do not speak with the same strictness about the lies, deception, injustice, dishonesty, oppression, hypocrisy, lawbreaking and exploitation of the weak within our own society. We can see the faults of others from a distance, but we turn our eyes away from the faults in our own home. This is our intellectual weakness.

It is true that Western societies also have many shortcomings. There are problems in the family system there as well, materialism exists there as well, moral crises exist there as well, and the human being there is also inwardly lonely and restless. But is it enough simply to say that the West is bad? If the West is bad, why did we not become good? If we had religion, morality, upbringing, family values and spiritual guidance, why were we not able to improve our own society?

The real question is not what the West is doing. The real question is what we are doing. If there is fraud in our markets, favoritism in our offices, injustice in our institutions, weak relationships in our homes, if women, children and the weak are not safe in our society, if there is no patience in our behavior, no softness in our language and no honesty in our dealings, then how can we prove ourselves pure simply by calling the West bad?

The principles Islam gave to human beings were very clear: speak the truth, fulfill trusts, keep promises, give the weak their rights, avoid oppression, establish justice, care for neighbors, respect women, show kindness to children, honor parents, give workers their due, be honest in trade, and treat human beings like human beings. These principles were not meant only for places of worship; they were meant for every field of life. But we kept these principles in books, sermons, slogans and speeches, and brought them only slightly into our daily lives.

We take pride in prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, zakat and religious identity, and all of these are important in their own place. But if a person prays and still lies, fasts and still violates the rights of others, uses the name of religion and still oppresses the weak, and speaks of faith while showing no justice in action, then the problem is not in religion but in that person’s character. Religion came to make the human being better. If the human being remains worse even in the name of religion, that is his own failure.

We must accept that oppression, coercion, deception, self-interest and abuse of power take the most dangerous form when they are hidden behind religion. When a person gives his own desire a religious color, he is no longer willing to accept his mistake as a mistake. He thinks he is on the side of truth, although in reality he is following his own ego, his own self and his own interests. Such behavior makes society even more complicated and dangerous.

We often say that the West corrupted our generation. But did we give our generation strong upbringing? Did we teach our children truth, honesty, respect, patience, responsibility and humanity? Did we tell them that success does not only mean earning money, but also becoming a good human being? Did we create an environment in our homes where a child could see morality in action? If not, then blaming only the outside world is an escape from our own responsibility.

The decline of any nation does not happen only through external attacks. When nations are weak from within, outside influences affect them more easily. If the foundation of a house is strong, a gust of wind cannot bring it down. But if the foundation itself is weak, the walls are hollow from within, and the roof stands only for show, then even slight pressure can bring it down. Our moral foundations became weak, and that is why external influences affected us more quickly.

Western countries have their own flaws, but there are some principles they practiced and moved forward with: punctuality, respect for law, continuity of institutions, civic responsibility, human rights, discipline in work, cleanliness, the tax system, the importance of promises, and awareness of collective interest. All these principles were not foreign to our religion, our culture or our moral teachings. In fact, many of these principles had been taught to us long ago. The only difference is that they acted, while we made claims.

Our misfortune is that we are very strong in claims, but weak in action. We say big things, but fail in small everyday matters. We become emotional in the name of nation, religion, honor, dignity and culture, but in daily life we do not hesitate to take someone’s right. We speak about external conspiracies, but remain silent about our internal dishonesty. This contradiction is what prevents us from moving forward.

If we truly want to change our condition, we must first admit that the fault is not only outside; it is within us as well. Until a person accepts his mistake, reform does not begin. A person who keeps holding others responsible for every problem will never change himself. And a society that is not ready to change itself can only complain; it cannot progress.

It is also important to understand that self-accountability does not mean self-hatred. Accepting one’s weaknesses is not hostility toward the nation; it is the first step toward improving the nation. A nation that recognizes its illness as illness can move toward treatment. But a nation that begins to take pride even in its illness becomes very difficult to heal. We must recognize the faults of our society instead of hiding them.

Before blaming the West, we should ask what is happening in our own homes. How much truth is there in our relationships? How much honesty is there in our business dealings? How much justice is there in our institutions? How serious are we about the upbringing of our children? How much action is there in our religious claims? How much softness is there in our language? How much space is there in our hearts for the weak?

If we continue to run away from these questions, then every discussion will have the same ending: blame, noise, anger and then silence. Society does not change through blame; it changes through character. Nations are not built by slogans; they are built by action. Religion does not remain alive through identity alone; it shines through action. And a person does not become good through clothing, language or claims alone; he is recognized by his behavior.

We should neither blindly imitate the West nor make the West an excuse for every fault. What is good should be understood; what is bad should be avoided. But the most important thing is to strengthen our own foundation. If our thinking is clear, our character is strong, our law is just, our upbringing is better, and humanity is alive, then no external influence can easily destroy us.

True accountability means calling the lie within us a lie, calling our dishonesty dishonesty, our selfishness selfishness and our weakness weakness. As long as we keep calling every mistake a compulsion, every oppression a tradition, every dishonesty cleverness, every display dignity and every stubbornness principle, reform will not be possible.

In the end, the matter is very clear. The West has its place, the times have their place, and the media have their place, but our character is our responsibility. If we do not give truth, justice, honesty, modesty, respect and humanity a place within ourselves, no one else can come and make us dignified. Decline does not end by placing blame on others. Decline ends when a person looks within and says: I am also part of the corruption, and the beginning of reform must also start with me.

Shahid Shakil

2026-07-12