Rights of power vs. power of rights: synthesis of Muslim built environments

This research is about two modes of built environment production that coexist in the contemporary Arab Muslim world. It argues that the contemporary (acquired modem-capitalist) mode is based on the concept of power; however, the traditional Islamic (inherited) mode is based on the concept of rights as derived from shari 'a (Islamic legal system). Substantial dissensions exist between the two modes, due to differences in their concepts of power and related mechanisms. This research helps to explain many concepts concerning "the structure of power" in contemporary societies and "the structures of rights" in traditional Muslim societies, and their respective impact on the built environment. This thesis argues that most urban studies dealing with Muslim cities stem from Western concepts delineated by thinkers such as Weber, Marx, and Durkheim. Such concepts shaped the thinking of Orientalists and many Muslim scholars in studying Muslim environments, leading to confused conclusions. They have all ignored the exact meaning of power, its sources and its utilisation as a resource in manipulating the built environment. For example, one of the basic differences between contemporary (acquired) and traditional (inherited) environments is that rights (property and individual rights) in contemporary environments are defined by power holders (the state) in society, i.e. power creates rights. On the other hand, in the Muslim built environment, power is limited by rights, or power is created by rights which is quite static as it is well defined by the Islamic legal system. This simple difference, (power of rights or rights of power) has created two different structures of power gain: one is static (Muslim built environments) and the other is dynamic (contemporary built environments). The static structure (or power of rights) has created diverse environmental solutions, as power can only be utilised when environmental interventions are activated by inhabitants, while the dynamic structure (rights of power), because of its hierarchical nature of domination among parties, has created classes of intervening agents with expandable power and thus subjective solutions. Through comparisons, using case studies (examples), this research examines and comments on the nature of both systems of power to clarify their impact on the built environment. Accordingly, this thesis argues, the coexistence of the two modes, loaded with such substantial dissensions in one system ( contemporary Muslim world), inevitably leads to internal systemic contradictions, and thus to a crisis. Therefore, the crisis that contemporary Muslim built environments are witnessing today is but one aspect of this broader societal and systemic crisis. This thesis investigates the genesis of this crisis in the contemporary built environment by focusing on the imperceptible level of the coexistence of those two modes, and mainly the issue of power: the main components of the crisis.

Grantor dc:publisher

Oxford Brookes University

Year dc:date

2000

Author dc:creator

• Al-Lahham, Abeer

Contributors dc:contributor

• Jenkes, Mike
• McGlynn, Sue

Statement dc:rights

• All rights reserved

Language dc:language

en

DOI dc:identifier

https://doi.org/10.24384/5cep-er53

OAI identifier oai:identifier

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