Cultural imperialism

Cultural imperialism is one of the most powerful tools for subjugating the people for centuries. Especially when the ruling class implements with a determined policy to erase the values of opposing and targeted ethnic groups, other religious traditions, minorities, the cultural imperialism does the work. 

Egyptian culture is known for its historical supremacy for thousands of years under Pharaoh. They were superior in architecture, construction, mathematics, irrigation, agriculture, trade and military might. The ruling class was largely aggressive, arrogant and ruthless. They had enslaved the “chosen people of God”, the children of Israel for generations. 

What was the reason for enslaving the Children of Israel? Nothing but believing in One God and refusing to believe and recognise that Pharaoh as god. In fact, many Israeli generations born and died without even knowing what is called slavery or freedom until they were rescued by Prophet Moses from the so called god, the Pharaoh. Under the tyranny of Pharaoh, the children of Israel have almost lost everything they were known for except the belief in oneness of God. In other words, “they were Muslims”.  They had suffered the most for not recognising Pharaoh as god. 

Why these chosen people were enslaved for centuries? Were they not monotheistic and believing in one God? How God can let His Chosen people to suffer under the cruelty of Pharaoh? Although it is not the subject of this article, but will touch the two important reasons for their enslavements. One is that they have became too privileged and transactional in their belief and prayers. Meaning, they were demanding the rewards against their submission to God. Second is that they were carrying the revelations of God without knowing the true value of it. 

Egyptian civilisation 

Egyptian civilisation was far superior and considered worth emulating by nations and people around them. Egyptian civilization’s achievements under the Pharaohs were sophisticated, lasting, and influential, setting standards in various fields that impacted the wider ancient world. 

The Egyptians were best known for their monumental architecture, especially the construction of the pyramids. The Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, showcased their advanced understanding of engineering and geometry.

Egyptian religious culture with a pantheon of gods and goddesses governing different aspects of life. They believed in afterlife and prepared the tombs filled with goods and treasures, and the creation of the Book of the Dead (a guide to the afterlife) show how integral these beliefs were to their worldview.

Their writing systems, including hieroglyphics a complex system combined logographic and alphabetic elements and was used in monumental inscriptions as well as for administrative and religious texts.

They practiced surgery, set broken bones, and had an understanding of anatomy from mummification. Medical papyri reveal the knowledge of treatments, diagnostic techniques, and herbal remedies.

Art was not only aesthetic but also functional, as it served religious and political purposes, such as showcasing the Pharaoh’s power and conveying religious messages.

Egyptian society was highly organized, with a well-defined hierarchy led by the Pharaoh, who was considered both king and god. Below him were priests, nobles, scribes, artisans, and farmers.

Yes, the Pharaoh was the supreme being and at the height of illustrious and fully convinced that he was god and completely forgotten that there is a Creator who is watching him.

Meanwhile, the children of Israel was overawed and scrupulous by living and experiencing the Pharaoh’s superiority and their culture for centuries. The children of Israel were fully subscribed and accepted the subjugation except occasional realisation of the promises of God in rescuing them from slavery.  Pharaoh unleashed unabated terror on children of Israel. He killed their sons and spared the women and girls believing that a newborn from children of Israel would be his nemesis. Pharaoh wants to preempt his nemesis, but he doesn’t know that God let him to adopt Moses, the beginning of downfall, a children of Israel who eventually became the prophet and killed Pharaoh. 

The significance of cow

The cow held a great significance in ancient Egyptian civilization and religion, symbolizing fertility, motherhood, nourishment, and divine protection. Cows were revered and associated with powerful goddesses, especially Hathor, who was one of Egypt’s most important deities.

Hathor, often depicted as a woman with cow horns, was the goddess of love, beauty, music, motherhood, and fertility. She was considered the “Mother of Mothers” and was a nurturing, maternal figure.  Hathor was also associated with the afterlife, guiding the souls of the dead into the underworld. In this role, she was depicted as a cow emerging from the western mountains, symbolizing protection and rebirth.

The bull was also venerated, specifically through the cult of the Apis bull in Memphis. Apis was seen as a living manifestation of the god Ptah, and later, of Osiris. Pharaohs often identified themselves with Apis to emphasize their divine authority.  The Apis bull was ritually chosen, carefully kept, and worshipped. When it died, it was mummified and buried with great honour, as it was seen as an earthly representative of divine strength and power.

The cow’s spiritual, symbolic, and practical importance illustrates how integral it was to both Egyptian religious beliefs and daily life. Representing everything from motherhood and fertility to agricultural prosperity and divine protection, cows were revered as symbols of sustenance, abundance, and continuity in Egyptian civilization.

Perhaps, we can even witness the significance of cow with Aryan (Vedic) civilisation in Central Asia and Indian subcontinent.  Probably it was inspired between each other civilisation or parallel existence for giving importance to cow. However, Egyptian civilisation had given much more importance to cow as a god even though there was no prevention of killing of cows. But in later Vedic culture the killing of cows was discouraged.

The children of Israel after liberated from Pharaoh, perhaps started experiencing the freedom of life and affairs but still under the influence of Egyptian culture. The Egyptian cultural impact can be evident even after their freedom from Pharaoh. The Pharaoh cultural impact was so severe that it had broken the monotheistic principles of children of Israel.

They were once again placed themselves in another precarious situation when Prophet Moses was away from them.  Samiri was able to misguide them during the absence of Prophet Moses and made them to worship a golden cow.

Samiri and the cow

When Prophet Moses left his people to go to Mount Sinai for forty days to receive revelations from God, he left his brother Harun (Aaron) as in charge. During Moses absence, a man known as Samiri took advantage of the situation. He gathered the Israelites’ gold jewellery, melted it down, and fashioned it into a calf. He claimed that this calf was a god and encouraged the Israelites to worship it. According to the Quran, Samiri even made the calf produce a sound, convincing some of the people that it was a divine entity.

Many Israelites were misled and began to worship the calf, despite Harun’s warnings, who urged them to remain true to the monotheistic teachings Moses had taught them. Harun tried to stop them, but the people were insistent, and Samiri’s influence was strong.

When Moses returned and saw the people worshiping the calf, he was deeply angered and disappointed. He confronted both Harun and Samiri. Harun explained his efforts to stop the people and their disobedience. Moses then turned to Samiri and questioned him about his actions. Samiri admitted that he acted based on what he perceived as a “vision” and intended to lead the people toward a form of worship. Moses condemned Samiri’s actions and cast him out from the community.

The cow god had a lasting impression on children of Israel which was once again brought to forefront by Samiri. 

قَالُواْ مَآ أَخۡلَفۡنَا مَوۡعِدَكَ بِمَلۡكِنَا وَلَٰكِنَّا حُمِّلۡنَآ أَوۡزَارًا مِّن زِينَةِ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ فَقَذَفۡنَٰهَا فَكَذَٰلِكَ أَلۡقَى ٱلسَّامِرِىُّ

They said, "We did not break our promise to you by our will, but we were made to carry burdens from the ornaments of the people [of Pharaoh], so we threw them [into the fire], and thus did the Samiri throw." Quran Chapter Ta Ha 20:87

Golden Calf (Exodus 32), where the Israelites, in Moses’ absence, crafted and worshiped a golden idol shaped like a calf, which angered God. This story is often interpreted as a warning against idolatry and a reminder of loyalty to Yahweh, the God of Israel.

The children of Israel were unable to get rid of the cultural slavery and its burden which were solidly ingrained in their life system and particularly it has corrupted their religion. They said “We did not break our promise to you by our will”, which means they were corrupted and unsure of their own new found freedom. They were at the very early stage of recovering their own superior religious principles.  It caused another great trial to the children of Israel and almost surrendered to the worshiping of golden calf.

Moses then destroyed the calf, burning it and scattering its remains into the sea, symbolizing the rejection of idol worship and affirming the worship of Allah alone. 

Even though Allah drowned Pharaoh in the sea, the culture of Pharaoh was still ruling the children of Israel. Prophet Moses felt that cow is the symbol of cultural slavery. Yet again Prophet Moses required to destroy the golden cow by burning and scattering the remaining in the same see where Pharaoh was drowned.

Cow and Israelites 

The children of Israel was never able to remove their obsession with cow as god despite of several warnings and allowing them to realise and recuperate with the truth. They even asked Prophet Moses to make a god for them as those ignorants have gods.

وَجَٰوَزۡنَا بِبَنِىٓ إِسۡرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱلۡبَحۡرَ فَأَتَوۡاْ عَلَىٰ قَوۡمٍ يَعۡكُفُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَصۡنَامٍ لَّهُمْۚ قَالُواْ يَٰمُوسَى ٱجۡعَل لَّنَآ إِلَٰهًا كَمَا لَهُمۡ ءَالِهَةٌۚ 

قَالَ إِنَّكُمۡ قَوۡمٌ تَجۡهَلُونَ

And We took the Children of Israel across the sea; then they came upon a people intent in devotion to [some] idols of theirs. They said, "O Moses, make for us a god just as they have gods." He said, "Indeed, you are a people behaving ignorantly.

Quran Chapter Al-A'raf 7:138

The ignorance not only lead them to astray but also when encouraged it turn them to become arrogant stupids. Stupidity mixed with arrogance is the most dangerous characteristic which had destroyed many communities & nations and Israel was and is one of them. Cow was the epitome of issues to both Prophet Moses and children of Israel. Cow represents the ignorance and Moses want to remove it whereas Children of Israel was struggling to erase from their mind and hearts. 

Prophet Moses wants to bury the impact of cow once for all and subsequently God asked Moses to convey the message of sacrificing the cow by children of Israel. Perhaps the act of sacrifice would make the Children of Israel to realise that the cow is mere a creature and has no divine or spiritual value beyond as a material benefit to the humans.

وَإِذۡ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوۡمِهِۦٓ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأۡمُرُكُمۡ أَن تَذۡبَحُواْ بَقَرَةًۖ قَالُوٓاْ أَتَتَّخِذُنَا هُزُوًاۖ قَالَ أَعُوذُ بِٱللَّهِ أَنۡ أَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡجَٰهِلِينَ

قَالُواْ ٱدۡعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِىَۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لَّا فَارِضٌ وَلَا بِكۡرٌ عَوَانٌۢ بَيۡنَ ذَٰلِكَۖ فَٱفۡعَلُواْ مَا تُؤۡمَرُونَ

قَالُواْ ٱدۡعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا لَوۡنُهَاۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ صَفۡرَآءُ فَاقِعٌ لَّوۡنُهَا تَسُرُّ ٱلنَّٰظِرِينَ

قَالُواْ ٱدۡعُ لَنَا رَبَّكَ يُبَيِّن لَّنَا مَا هِىَ إِنَّ ٱلۡبَقَرَ تَشَٰبَهَ عَلَيۡنَا وَإِنَّآ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَمُهۡتَدُونَ

قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ يَقُولُ إِنَّهَا بَقَرَةٌ لَّا ذَلُولٌ تُثِيرُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ وَلَا تَسۡقِى ٱلۡحَرۡثَ مُسَلَّمَةٌ لَّا شِيَةَ فِيهَاۚ قَالُواْ ٱلۡـَٰٔنَ جِئۡتَ بِٱلۡحَقِّۚ فَذَبَحُوهَا وَمَا كَادُواْ يَفۡعَلُونَ

And [recall] when Moses said to his people, "Indeed, Allah commands you to slaughter a cow." They said, "Do you take us in ridicule?" He said, "I seek refuge in Allah from being among the ignorant."

They said, "Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is." [Moses] said, "[ Allah ] says, 'It is a cow which is neither old nor virgin, but median between that,' so do what you are commanded."

They said, "Call upon your Lord to show us what is her color." He said, "He says, 'It is a yellow cow, bright in color - pleasing to the observers.' "

They said, "Call upon your Lord to make clear to us what it is. Indeed, [all] cows look alike to us. And indeed we, if Allah wills, will be guided."

He said, "He says, 'It is a cow neither trained to plow the earth nor to irrigate the field, one free from fault with no spot upon her.' " They said, "Now you have come with the truth." So they slaughtered her, but they could hardly do it.

Quran Chapter Al-Baqarah 2:67 - 71

Instead of obeying the order of God, the Children of Israel started asking the features and characteristics. The more their questions the harder the kind of cows they can find and hardly they could find one to sacrifice. 

Cultural invasion

Throughout the history of mankind, numerous civilisations were destroyed by force, slavery, annihilation by war and natural disasters.  Some cultures were and are just, socially equitable, empathetic and contributing to the growth of mankind. Some were and are vicious, poisonous, discriminative, controlled by one or more groups and using religions to slave the people for political and economic reasons. The reasons for the destruction of many civilisation and cultures are either due to the stakeholders, followers, the people inability to stand with and protect against man made and natural disasters.

People are largely less intelligent, more ignorant, perverse, self servitude and can be manipulated. Most of the population is junk minded, self destructive and content with instantaneous happiness. Majority of population don’t know that struggling is the virtue for the success and success is dynamic. On contrary they want easy life and are ready to content with temporary bliss. They don’t comprehend and balance the heart and mind coordination and easily surrendering to their own desires. Simply most people are a flock of sheep and always obeys to the shepherd and no matter who the shepherd is.

In contemporary world we can see the domination of western culture against East European and Asian cultures. The diminishing of Eastern European and Asian cultures can be attributed to a mix of historical, political, economic, and social factors.

During the Cold War, much of Eastern Europe was under Soviet control, which often involved attempts to suppress or standardize cultural identities in favor of a collective socialist identity. Indigenous languages, traditions, and religions were often discouraged or actively suppressed.

Prior to Soviet control, many Eastern European countries were part of larger empires like Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian and Russian that imposed their cultural norms and languages on people causing some native customs and languages to weaken over time.

Globalisation is another major tool that brings the economically weaker countries to compromise their cultures which would eventually lead to collapse.  Since global media consumption has grown, many Eastern European and Asian nations have absorbed Western culture, adopting Western values, lifestyles, and languages, often English which sometimes leads to the marginalization of their own cultural practices and languages. 

Consumerism and Western pop culture, movies, music and fashion has become dominant, especially among younger generations, who may feel more connected to these global trends than to traditional Eastern European and Asian customs.

When societies modernize, people are moving from rural areas, where traditional culture is often preserved, to cities for economic reasons. Urban centres are more culturally diverse, making it challenging for local traditions to survive. 

Decline of languages can be seen in Eastern European and Asian countries. 

Especially, in India the unofficial sponsorship of Hindi language by union government, though Hindi is one of the 21 officially recognised languages of India, is dominating few local languages and its culture. Rajasthani, Bihari, Oriya, Maratha and Gujarati are the few languages and their traditions are losing against Hindu. English is doing considerable damage to Tamil and Kerala traditions and languages. The emerging trend of urban families do not pass down these languages, especially when they prioritise English or another dominant language for economic reasons.

Though religions are somewhat protecting the cultures but the religious practices, which were traditionally strong in many Eastern European and Asian countries, have also declined due to both secularization and past state atheism under communist regimes, weakening a key pillar of cultural identity. Atheism is emerging as a major unbelief system in Western and European countries tend to promote the consumerism and opposing the religious values.  The consumerism and materialism are actively contributing to the growth of atheism.

However few religions mainly Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism are still able to protect their cultures due to strong religious significances in their belief systems. The cultural rules of modernism, written by the rich, are dominant forces in political and economic matters and have successfully begun erasing the aforementioned religious cultures.

The final push against Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism is making inroads.  The battle is happening within families where the old guards are struggling against young to prevent the collapses.  However, one dark force, the children of Israel is relentlessly working using the modernism, economic superiority and technology to bring back the glory of their own racial supremacy once again. The dark force would eventually destroy the cultures of other religions while Islam is waiting on wings.

Whether one likes it or not, the world is heading to a bipolar cultural clashes between Islam and Zionism where the Jews and Muslims are going to battle out.