Youssef Zidane outlines steps to move Arab world beyond theological framework

Author Youssef Zidane argues that the Arab world's theological framework has historically produced religious violence, and that moving beyond it requires abandoning the notion that language, culture and politics operate through a single center, one truth, one group and one leader. The first step, he says, is accepting that truth is relative rather than absolute, allowing multiple readings and interpretations, and shifting Arab reasoning from absolutist to probabilistic thought. Zidane identifies four further steps. The second requires introducing concepts such as citizenship, rights, responsibility, difference and plurality into public discourse, replacing binary structures such as believer/infidel, sacred/profane and us/them, which he says produce sectarianism and sanctified leadership when carried into politics. The third focuses on preventing closed sects from forming around umma, sect, tribe and partisan groups, elevating citizenship above sectarian identity and building institutions that shield individuals from communal pressure. The fourth step calls for transferring power from individuals to institutions, establishing accountability mechanisms and treating leaders as public servants rather than sacred figures. The fifth proposes building a new, multi-centered, humanistic and critical imagination that views political authority as a social contract. Zidane concludes by recommending that philosophy be taught from the earliest grades, replacing memorization with logic, single narratives with multiple ones, and presenting religion as a spiritual experience.