INDEPENDENCE or VICTORY
Reclaiming the Narrative of Nations
By DR SHAYA'A OTHMAN
Chapter 2: What Is Victory? – Redefining the Meaning of Independence
For many nations,
“independence” is often celebrated as the moment a flag was raised, an anthem
sung, and colonial administrators left. But true victory is much deeper than
this. It is not only the absence of foreign rulers but the restoration of
dignity, values, and identity. This chapter redefines victory: not as a political
transfer of power, but as the rebuilding of a people’s soul and civilisation.
It argues that independence in 1957 was only the beginning – the real victory
requires liberating minds, economies, and cultures from colonial domination.
2.1 Political Independence vs. True Victory
The lowering of a
colonial flag and the raising of a national one is only a symbolic step.
Political independence gives the outward appearance of sovereignty, but often
leaves behind colonial structures – legal systems, economic dependency, and
cultural dominance.
True victory means
breaking free from these inherited chains. Without this deeper liberation, the
so-called “independence” is incomplete, leaving nations vulnerable to new forms
of colonisation – economic exploitation, political manipulation, or cultural
erasure.
2.2 The Islamic Perspective: Victory as Restoration of Dignity
From an Islamic
worldview, victory (nasr) is not merely about military triumph. It is
about izzah (dignity) and adl (justice). The Qur’an reminds us: “Truth
has come, and falsehood has vanished. Surely falsehood is bound to perish”
(Qur’an 17:81).
Victory, therefore, is
not just freedom from rulers, but the re-establishment of justice and truth.
The higher objectives of Islamic law (maqasid al-shari‘ah) – the
protection of religion, life, intellect, progeny, and wealth – provide the
framework for defining victory. A society can only claim victory if these
essentials are preserved.
If after independence,
religion is marginalised, lives are devalued, intellect is dulled, families are
weakened, and wealth is extracted by foreign powers, can we really say we are
victorious?
2.3 Civilisation and the Deeper Dimension of Victory
History teaches us
that nations rise not just by defeating enemies, but by building civilisations.
The Malay world, under the Melaka Sultanate, achieved a victory that was not
merely territorial but civilizational: a flourishing of law, education, trade,
and culture rooted in Islam.
Colonialism dismantled
these systems, replacing them with structures that served foreign interests.
Thus, victory in the post-colonial era must mean rebuilding these systems:
- Education that nurtures wisdom, not just exams.
- Economy that serves justice, not exploitation.
- Law that reflects our values, not colonial
imports.
- Culture that inspires pride, not imitation.
Victory is not simply
“removing the foreigner” but re-establishing our own civilisation.
2.4 Victory as a Process, Not a Moment
Independence in 1957
was a moment – important, historic, and symbolic. But victory is not a moment;
it is a process. It is ongoing. Nations that stop at independence without
striving for deeper victory often remain trapped in dependency, corruption, and
cultural inferiority.
The real question is:
have we completed the journey? Or did we stop halfway, content with flags and
ceremonies while leaving the structures of colonisation intact?
Conclusion
This chapter makes it
clear: independence is not victory. Independence may begin with a date, but
victory is a journey of generations. Victory means restoring dignity, values,
and civilisation. It means freeing not only our land, but also our minds, institutions,
and spirits.
For Malaysia – and for
all post-colonial nations – the challenge is to move beyond the pride of
independence anniversaries and to pursue the harder, deeper work of building
true victory. Only then will our children inherit not just sovereignty, but
dignity and strength.
References
- The Qur’an, Surah al-Isra’ (17:81).
- Ibn Khaldun (1377). al-Muqaddimah.
- Al-Attas, Syed Muhammad Naquib (1978). Islam
and Secularism. Kuala Lumpur: ABIM.
- Fanon, Frantz (1961). The Wretched of
the Earth. New York: Grove Press.
- Bennabi, Malik (1960). The Question
of Ideas in the Muslim World.
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