Realpolitik

Bolsen’s analytical and strategic approach has been characterized as an Islamic “Realpolitik”, which he explains as “long-term, versus short-term moral gratification”.

He believes that, just as those in power operate on a larger scale in terms of their responsibilities, and the impact of their decisions; so too their decisions must be made on a similarly large scale in terms of time. In other words, they must make decisions today that facilitate the achievement of moral outcomes in the future, even if those decisions may appear morally questionable in the present moment.

Bolsen explains this through the well-known parable in which a man sees an ever-increasing number of babies in a river, all in the process of drowning. The man wades into the river and begins trying to rescue the babies one by one. Another man approaches on the shore, observes what is happening, and begins walking away.

The man in the river shouts at him, “where are you going? You have to help me rescue these babies!”. The other man replies “That’s what I’m doing, I am going upstream to see where they are coming from, and stop whoever is throwing them in the river.”

As Bolsen explains, the first man will surely succeed in saving a few babies, but will fail to save many; whereas the second man will fail to save a few, but will succeed to rescue many. Both approaches involve wrong-doing, but the second approach ultimately achieves a greater good.

He believes that rulers, and those in power, have a responsibility to serve the greater, long-term good for their people, and that they do not have the luxury of pursuing instant moral gratification in their decisions – pursuing what is morally correct in the moment, but which will result in long-term immoral outcomes.

Bolsen argues, for example, that Muslim leaders must prioritize securing their nations’ economic sovereignty and political independence, because any nation deprived of these will inevitably be exploited and subjugated by other powers; and this, he believes, would be an immoral long-term outcome for that nation’s people.

Bolsen’s views are supported by the Islamic principle of holding back a greater evil with a lesser evil, and Islam’s advocacy of compromise when it is advantageous to the Muslims’ security. He cites multiple examples of Islamic Realpolitik from the Qur’an and Sunnah, as well as from the early generations of Islam.