Islamic Religious Toleration and Intolerance


Figure 1.--Until the European Enligtenment of the 18th century, Europeans saw the world in the same black and white way that many Muslims do today. Medieval Christians were convinced thst they bad the sole road to salvation and a monopoly on the truth. The Reformation opened the idea that there were a range of ideas (16th crntury) and after a series of dreadful religious wars (17th century), a grdual spirit of toleration slowly evolved. The Enligtenment opened this wedge even further. The Enlightenment confronted a range of established ideas (18th century). One of the most important was the basic idea of whether truth was absolute or if there was a plurality of value systems with important messages for humanity. Here we have a sumpathetic panorama of world faiths which was published in the Netherlands during 1727. We are not sure who the artist was. Islam has never experienced an Enlightenment. This leads to two major considerations. First, why has there been no Islamuc Enligtenment. Second, what has been the impact of entering the modern era without having experiebced an Enligthenment.

Much of the achievements of Islam were possible because of the major precepts of the Koran. One of those precepts was tolerance for other civilizations and religions, especially People of the Book. One of the notable features of socities throughout history that have developed vibrant civilizations and scientific advances are those socities that have tolerated diversity and promoted tolerance. This is because these are societies that are most receptive to news ideas and innovation. This element of toleration appears to have declined in modern Islam. Islam is accepted and allowed to operate along with other religions in modern Western States, and Muslims have full civil rights. The proprtion of Muslims in several Western countries has grown substantialy in recent years. The same is not the case in many Islamic states or states where Islam is a majority religion. A variety of restrictions are put on other religions and attacks on Christians, Jew, Zoroastrians, and others take place. The non-Islamic populations in many modern Islamic countries has fallen shaply because of repressive measures. Strangely this has taken place at the same time that many Muslims see they and their religion underattack.

The Koran

The Koran contains passages that encourage toleration and moderation. It also includes passages that are intolerant and immoderate. Moderate Muslim that sea there religion as one of peace and tollerance can certainly find such passages in the Koran. Passages which in the 7th century were very advanced and justified a more tolerant approach than medieval Christianity often took toward non-Christians. The provlem with Islam, however, is that there are not only intolerant passages, but actially vicious passages in the Koran. And as Islam congtinues to see eah word in the Koran as the lotral word of God as dictated to the Prophet Mohamed, here is no way of delegaing these passages to a lesser level of doctrine. The Bivle is also seen as the word of God, but most Christians today see the Bible as reflecting erhical principles over time. Thus the daconian aspects of the Old Teastament are generlly given less emphasis than the more tolernt and peaceful passages of the New Testament which of course reflect Christ's teachings. One major difference between Christianity and Islam is that the Biblical cannon consists of Old Testament books and New Testament books written at a time when Christianity was a small sect unecognized by the Roman Government. Much of the Koran, incliding many of the intolerant passages were written after Muhammed and his followers had begun their conquests.

Historical Patterns


Relative Medieval tolerance

Much of the achievements of Islam were possible because of the major precepts of the Koran. One of those precepts was tolerance for other civilizations and religions, especially People of the Book. This tolerance was progresive in medieval terms. One noted Muslim leader writes, "We have a glorious past. Islam exploded on the world scene as the flag bearer of a just, lawful, tolerant and value-oriented society. We had faith in human exaltation through knowledge and enlightenment. We exemplified tolerance within ourselves and toward people of other faiths. The armies of Islam did not march forward to convert people by the sword, despite what the perceptions might be [in the West], but to deliver them from the darkness through the visible example of their virtues. What better projection can be found of these deeper values of Islam than the personal example of our Holy Prophet (PBUH), who personified justice, compassion, tolerance of others, generosity of spirit, austerity with a spirit of sacrifice, and the burning desire to make a better world." [Musharraf] While we believe that the degree of toleration and the hesitation to use the sword may be overstated here, there is no doubt that in comparison to medieval Christendom that that the caliphate was a beacon of toleration and learning." It is true that compated to Medieval Christianity, most Islamic rulers were comparitively tolerant. Islam was in fact more tolerant toward Christians than was the case of the dominant Christian traditions toward disenting Christian sects. This is probably one reason why Islam so rapidly converted the peoples of the Levant. It should be recognized, however, that many conquers in the ancient world, such as the Persians, Greeks, and Romans were commonly quite willing to allow conquered people to retain their religioin and traditions in echange for political loyalty. Islamic rulers were tolerant to the people of the Book, meaning Jews and Christiams. Tolerance toward other religions such as Zoroastrians was less forthcoming.

Modern discrimination

Islamic toleration should not be interpreted as religious toleratrion in the modern Western sence. The peoples conquered by Islamic armies were tolerated or considered “protected persons” only if they submitted to Islamic domination. Mohammed's second successor and son-in-law Umar formalized the terms under which conquered Christians and Jews would be acceoted. This involved a “contract” (Dhimma), which included a poll tax­jizya­and land tax­haraj­to their conquerers. Failure to comply constituted a violation of the contract giving Muslims the right to either kill or enslave them and seize their property. Christians were not permitted to display the cross in public. Jews and Chriustians were often required to wear destinctive clothing or a belt to identify themnselves in public. Christian men were prohibited from marrying Muslim women. Christians had to sell or free slaves who converted to Islam. Christiand and Jews could not carry weapons. They were obligated to shelter Muslim travelers, especially warriors involved in a military campaign. These requirements changed over time and the whims of the Caliph and other Muslim rulers. Some rulers were tolerant others engaged in more rigorous repression.

Dhimmi System

The basic Koranic sanctioned principle behind Islamic rule of non-believers (dhimmis) was to create an inequality of rights that over time would promote conversion to Islam. Millions of Christians from Spain east to Egypt, Syria, and Armenia came under the contol of the Caliphate. Later Greeks and Slavs in the Balkans were brought under the control of the Ottomans. They lived under shari’a. Many converted. Others complied with political obedience, but retained their faith. This was especially true in the Balkans. Christians had lives of quiet desperation. Their children might be taken from them. Attricities and reprisals occurred for a variety of reasons. The Isamic regimes persued the policies of Islamization to varying degrees, but they were always at work, based on the principles of jihad and shari’a.

Toleration and Culture

One of the notable features of socities throughout history that have developed vibrant civilizations and scientific advances are those socities that have tolerated diversity and promoted tolerance. This is because these are societies that are most receptive to news ideas and innovation. There are many historic examples of this: Rome, the Caliphiate, Medieval Spain, the Dutch Republic, and America.

Discussion

These are very difficult issues to discuss. There are Muslims which believe that they have a right to kill others who believe they have a God-sanctioned right to kill others who have different religious beliefs. This is on display daily with Shites and Sunnis killing each other. And some Muslims beliece that those who challenge their interpretation of the Koran are not just disagreeing with them, but actually commiting sacrilige and thus it permissibke to kill them. This obviously does not promote a reasoned discussion of the issues.

Modern Islam

This element of toleration appears to have declined is not disapeared in modern Islam. President Musharraf writes, "Today's Muslim world is distant from all these values [described above]. We are left far behind in social, moral and economic development. We have remained in our own shell and refused to learn or acquire from others. We have reached the depths of despair and despondency." [Musharraf] Islam is accepted and allowed to operate along with other religions in modern Western States, and Muslims have full civil rights. The proprtion of Muslims in several Western countries has grown substantialy in recent years. The same is not the case in many Islamic states or states where Islam is a majority religion. A variety of restrictions are put on other religions and attacks on Christians, Jew, Zoroastrians, and others take place. The non-Islamic populations in many modern Islamic countries has fallen shaply because of repressive measures. Strangely this has taken place at the same time that many Muslims see they and their religion underattack. As a result we see minorities declining in many Arab and other Muslim states: Egypt (Coptic Christias), Iraq (Christiasns), Lebanon (Christians), and Palestine (Christians).

Impact on the Muslim World

We have approached this discussion of religious tolerance primary on moral grounds, that religious intolerance is inherently immoral. There is another factor that should be considered, that is the impact on the Muslim world of religious intolerance. It is no accident that Muslim countries are among the poorest countries in the world. The primary exception to this are the Muslim countries blessed with oil. Muslim countries are basically unproductive in economic terms. And here intolerance is a major factor. This is because religious intolerance is used to explain Muslim economic poverty. The current state is blamed on the "evil" Jews and the explotive Christian West. This explanation allows Muslim to avoid the dispashioned intraspection of their societies that would allow them to create modern, productive societies. Religious intolerance, in addition, cannot be restricted to attacks on other religions, be it Christiand, Hundus, Jews, or others. If Jihad can be justified against these other religions, the same logic can be used to justify violence against other Muslims sects.

Constitutions

Most Muslim-majority states have partially secular constitutions. The limit is based on the fact that these countries Islam and Sharia Law has a special status. The most secular constitution in the Muslim world is Turkey, but Islamic groups in Turkey are demasnding major constitutional revisions. The principle of a secular constitution is controversial in the Muslim world because the Koran assumes a conection between the Islamic faith and governance. A few countries like Iran have Islsamic constitutions. European countries have secular constitutions, but vary somewhat with respect to religion. Some give special status to Christisanity. The United States has a secular constitution which structly separates government and religion. The only Jewish country is Israel, but there are constitutional protections for those of other faiths. The Palestinians and Arab states have opposed any peace that accepts a recognition of Israel as the state of the Jewish people. They maintain that a Jewish state would discriminate against Muslims and other minorities. In recent years the Arabs have begun using the term "racist" to describe Isrrael's insistence on aewish state. Almost unbelieveably they aregue that no modern state can be based on religion. This has some resonance in America and Europe with their secular constitutions. It is of course diamertrically opposite to the state of affairs in the Muslim world. A survey of national constitutions in Muslim world and even in Europe reveals that many countries establish a nationality, a religion or both as the basis of their state. Most Arab states in their suposedly secular contitutions constitutions clearly declare themselves to be Arab and Islamic.

Sources

Bostom, Andrew. The Legacy of Islamic Anti-Semitism.

Musharraf, Pervez. "A plea for enlightened moderation," The Washington Post (June 1, 2004), p. A23.






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Created: June 2, 2004
Last updated: 8:39 AM 9/7/2011