DAR AL HARB - U.S.A.: POLITICAL ISLAM & RELIGIOUS ISLAM ARE INSEPARABLE

Be careful when judging Islam, Moslems

One positive result of Pope Benedict's Regensburg lecture that linked Islam and violence was an open-letter response sent by 38 Moslem religious leaders and scholars, including several grand muftis. The letter is a small, but significant step in opening up a much needed dialogue between Islam and Christianity, and, more generally, between Islam and the West.

The tone of the letter is very respectful, addressing the pope as "Your Holiness." The authors applaud Benedict's efforts "to oppose the dominance of positivism and materialism in human life" and appreciate the pope's own expressions of "profound respect" for all Moslems. But in the spirit of open exchange that the pope had called for, the authors also critique some errors that they find in the lecture.

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The letter argues further that the term "holy war" is a misleading translation of the Arabic word jihad. Jihad may include war, but generally means any struggle against evil. In the Islamic tradition, a military jihad must follow certain principles:

(1) non-combatants are not legitimate targets;

(2) religious belief alone does not make anyone the object of attack;

(3) Moslems can and should live peacefully with their neighbors.

The fact that some Moslems have disregarded these principles should not obscure the fact that they are solidly established in Islamic tradition.

We can only appreciate this step toward greater mutual understanding. In particular, I appreciated the letter's many quotations from the Quran, and the point that the Islamic tradition has in its own way tried to balance faith and reason.

But some of the letter's points are themselves open to further question. While it's certainly true that "people of the book" were not forced to convert when Moslems conquered their lands, they were forced to pay a special tax, and did not enjoy the same rights as Moslem citizens.

The whole question of jihad also needs further clarification. The authors admit that "as a political entity" Islam was partially spread by conquest, but deny that the purpose of jihad was to force conversion.

While this is true, I see it as misleading to separate political Islam from religious Islam - in the classical Moslem view they are inseparable. As the scholar Daniel Pipes argues, military jihad is indeed not intended to force religious conversions, but it is intended to spread the rule of Shari'a - Islamic law, under which non-believers have some rights, but quite diminished ones.

One should also consult Andrew Bostom's book "The Legacy of Jihad," for classical Moslem views that are much more militant than those portrayed in the letter.

Like any religion, Islam is a complex, ever changing reality. It's overly simplistic to stereotype it as inherently violent, but it's also naive to deny the potential for violence and coercion in the classical doctrine of Shari'a rule.


Pertinent Links:

1) Be careful when judging Islam, Moslems

2) Andrew G. Bostom

3) The Legacy of Jihad

4) Regensburg Lecture of the Holy Father

5) Open Letter Response to the Pontiff from 38 Clerics (PDF)

Also, you may visit the English version of CHIESA [it also comes in French, Italian (original version) and Spanish] in order to get further information on the exchanges/arguments and analysis of the Pontiff's lectures, speeches, thoughts and any responses to the letters from the 38 islamic clerics.

6) CHIESA (A great resource when it comes to the goings on in the Vatican, etc.)