Allama Iqbal’s critique was not just of physical, political colonization, but of a far more dangerous phenomenon: mental colonization. He saw the East as being “dazzled by the glitter of modern civilization” and, in the process, losing its own soul. He warned that the blind imitation of Western materialism and its accompanying philosophies would lead to spiritual emptiness, even if it brought material wealth.
Today, this battle for the mind continues, not through armies, but through the soft power of globalized media, consumer culture, and economic systems that define “success” purely in material terms. This is a new form of cultural imperialism, one that shapes our desires and values.
Iqbal’s message is a call to decolonize our minds. He urged the East to awaken, to look within, and to build its future on the foundations of its own unique spiritual and ethical values. This is not a rejection of Western science or technology, which he embraced. It is a rejection of its philosophy as the only one. This article will discuss Iqbal’s call to find our own unique identity and build new systems based on our own values of social justice, community, and spiritual purpose.