Islam and Freedom

Nobody speaks for all Islam, even to the limited extent that the Pope speaks for Christendom. Islam is like Protestantism: it’s every theologian for himself.

Nevertheless, the following quotations are interesting. They come from a very respectable source: the Gulf Times, a responsible newspaper of record in a responsible, modernizing country, Qatar. This is Wahhabi Islam, specifically, but at least this is Islam presented by Islam itself, in an Arab society, and so is presumably undistorted by prejudice. It may help illuminate the current clash of cultures.

The editorialist writes:

In a country ruled by Muslim authorities a non-Muslim is guaranteed his freedom of faith. …. Muslims are forbidden from obliging a non-Muslim to embrace Islam, but he should pay the tribute to Muslims readily and submissively, surrender to Islamic laws, and should not practice his polytheistic rituals openly.

This is freedom of conscience in Muslim terms: non-Muslims are free to follow their own religion, but Muslim law must apply to all, non-Muslims must still financially support the Muslim religion, and all non-Muslim observances must be behind closed doors.

There are further limits to freedom of conscience:

“Apostasy from Islam is a grievous crime punishable by death.”

“The Muslim must charge idolators, Jews, Christians, atheists and magians with unbelief.”

Apparently, a Muslim is obliged to speak out against other religions.

But may non-Muslims speak against Islam? No:

“Allah ordered the Muslims to … restrain those who call people to [false opinions]from committing this grievous sin. Such a system based on respecting the opinions of others so long as their opinions are not violating the law of Allah is most magnanimous… Opinions contrary to the laws of Allah result in nothing but corruption and falsehood, therefore these should not be communicated.”

Freedom of speech does not extend to any statement that contradicts Muslim beliefs.

It is possible, then, for Wahhabi Islam to coexist peacefully with the doctrine of human rights? Can we all just get along?

The question is important to me, at least, since I am both Catholic and Clear Grit. As a Catholic, I must admire the Muslim insistence on truth and on centring life around religion. But then, as a liberal, in the proper sense of that word, I cannot see Islam as respecting human rights here, or as following the basic precept of morality, to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

It seems to me that, when two systems both claim universal applicability, and contradict, one or the other must be wrong. And I must cast my vote with the notion of inalienable human rights, and with the Golden Rule.