Islam et modernité : comment être musulman au XXIème siècle.
For a large segment of Western public opinion, the two words "Islam" and "liberty" seem incompatible — such is the negative reputation of Islam. The religion is accused of fomenting violence and intolerance, even barbarianism.
Violence: The attack of September 11th, and subsequent attacks in Madrid, London, Bali, and in the Paris subway are indeed grave events; but even more grave — although less acknowledged — are the civil wars that have cost 200,000 lives in Algeria and 10,000 in Iran, not to mention frequent terrorist attacks in Egypt, Pakistan, and the Philippines.
Intolerance: Often cited are the Islamic law that demands the death penalty for apostasy, the fatwa imposed by the Ayatollah Khomeini on Salman Rushdie, the assassination attempt on the Egyptian Nobel prize winner Najib Mahfuz, and so on.
Barbarianism: Examples include stonings in Iran, and stoning sentences — thankfully not executed — in Nigeria.
Despite these dramatic examples, many and serious, I firmly maintain that Islam is innocent of these crimes and that the religion is, on the contrary, one of tolerance, love, and peace.
Let us, in turn, reconsider the following reproaches against Islam:
- Stoning. Stoning is not mentioned in the Qur'an, which is the direct word of God and the principal scripture of Islam. Indeed there is proof that this is no mere omission — the crime of adultery is clearly mentioned and the recommended penalty is much less harsh. Stoning is mentioned in some religious texts, but it is an ancient custom that some Muslim theologians (ulema) reinstated on their own account, cloaking the custom in religious terms as justification.
- Apostasy. Like stoning, the penalty of death for apostasy is not mentioned in the Qur'an and was introduced into Islamic law by the ulema. The punishment of apostasy — considered treason — by death was an ancient custom, practiced in Christianity and enshrined in Roman law in the Justinian Code.
- Violence. Violence is often presented as an application of jihad, a Qur'anic notion whose meaning has been transformed by classical doctrine and even more by those who claim to practice it today. When it comes to violence, the Qur'an is clear. Surat 2, verse 109 states: "Fight in God's cause against those who fight you. But do not commit the injustice of attacking them first because God does not love those who are unjust." Jihad is therefore a purely defensive combat — the affirmation of the right to self-defense.
These assertions disprove popular misconceptions of Islam and demonstrate that Islam is a religion of peace. No one has the right to commit violence in the name of Islam — not individuals and especially not the State. Moreover, in Islamic texts there is no State. The Prophet Mohammed was not a head of State; the Qur'an never referred to him as King,
Recent Event ...
Iran and the Middle East: How to Shape a Security Regime Acceptable to All Regional Actors
Panel discussion at New York University on Wednesday, March. 26, 2008 6:30—8:30 pm
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