The Muslim Times is promoting secularism in every country of the world. For our collection on the theme please click here
Source: Slate
By Isaac Chotiner, who is a Slate contributor.
Why Islam resists secularization, and how that continues to shape the politics of the Middle East.
One of the hopes that grew out of the Arab Spring was that a relatively moderate strain of Islamist politics could thrive in the region. Given the widespread prevalence of dictators and military-led regimes, and the violent radicals who oppose them in mirrored gruesomeness, groups like Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood were seen as potential alternatives. Five years later, however, the Arab Spring has devolved into a collection of bloody failures everywhere from Egypt to Syria. Another proposed model of Islamism—Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkey—was already giving way to autocracy well before a quashed coup attempt further entrenched Erdogan’s demagoguery.
These failures have raised the fraught question of whether Islam itself is partially to blame. Shadi Hamid, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, is the author of a new book, Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle Over Islam Is Reshaping the World. The title gives some hint of his provocative analysis. As he writes, “If Islam is, in fact, distinctive in how it relates to politics, then the foundational divides that have torn the Middle East apart will persist, and for a long time to come.”
I recently spoke by phone with Hamid. During the course of our conversation, which has been edited and condensed for clarity, we discussed why liberals have trouble taking religion seriously, the future of Islamist politics in Turkey and Egypt, and what the rise of Donald Trump has meant for American Muslims.
Isaac Chotiner: What precisely do you mean by “Islamic exceptionalism”?
Shadi Hamid: I’m essentially arguing that Islam is fundamentally different from other religions in a very specific way: its relationship to law and politics and governance. I wanted to use “exceptionalism” because I felt, at least for me, that it was value-neutral: It can be either good or bad depending on the context. I also wanted to challenge the assumption—very common in the bastions of Northeastern liberal elitism—that religion playing a role in public life is always or necessarily a bad thing. That’s the idea of the title, and what that means in practice is that Islam has proven to be resistant to secularism, and I would argue will continue to be resistant to secularism and secularization really for the rest of our lives.
What do you think it is about Islam that makes it resistant to secularism in a way that, say, Christianity and Judaism are not?
I think you have to go back to the founding moment 14 centuries ago. Jesus was a dissident against a reigning state, so he was never in a position to govern. Naturally, the New Testament is not going to have much to say about public law. Prophet Muhammad wasn’t just a prophet. He was also a politician, and not just a politician, but a head of state and a state-builder. If Prophet Muhammad was in a position of holding territory and governing territory, then presumably the Quran would have to have something to say about governance. Otherwise, how would Prophet Muhammad be guided? That’s one thing intertwining the religion and politics that isn’t accidental, and was meant to be that way.
In practice, what that means is that if you’re a Muslim secular reformer today, you can make arguments for secularism. I’m not saying that’s impossible. There have been a number of fascinating, quite creative, secular-oriented thinkers in recent decades. But the problem is they have to argue against the prophetic model, so it’s unlikely that those ideas will gain mass traction in Muslim-majority countries.
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Categories: Secularism, Separation of Church and State, The Muslim Times
Islam advocates Secularism when announces ” there is no compulsion in the matter of faith ” and ” your religion is for you , mine is for me ” . Biography of huzoor SAW doesn’t give a single illustration that he behaved like a religious bigot . Religion is the name of the relationship between an individual and his God . The purpose of prophethood , as found in their biographies , speaks only one objective that is strengthening the relationship between man and God . One can preach his religion but can not force others . Can we make others God- loving and God- fearing on gun- point ? Certainly no . Then what is the use in choosing this path ?
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE; YES, ISLAM, CHRISTIAN AND JUDAISM ARE LIBERAL RELIGION.
Islam is a religion of liberty, freedom, tolerance and blessing for all mankind
Islamic teaching is not extremism but liberalism.
But unfortunately, if you implemnet the book of Hadith, Islam will be extremist religion.
So Muslims need to reform and to remove all false hadith from the book of Hadith
THE WISDOM OF GOD;
Otherwise God said; love all people as God love you all.
From Bible.
Today I am giving you a choice between good and evil, or between a blessing and a curse, between life and death. (Deuteronomy 30; 1,15)
He who is unjust, let him unjust still.
He who is filthy, let him be filthy still
He who is righteous, let him be righteous still.
He who is holy,let him be holy still.(Rev;22:11).
So it is very clear that Allah give the freedom to His people to choose his lifestyle, and Allah do not ask the authority to punish those who make sins or do Homosexuality.
From Al Quran.
There is no compulsion in God’s religion. Q 2;256.
And showed him the two ways? QS 90;10.( God’s way, and evil’s way.)
And say, “The truth is from your Lord. Now, whoever so wills may believe and whoever so wills may deny.” QS 18;29.
Whoever goes right, then he goes right only for the benefit of his ownself. And whoever goes astray, then he goes astray to his own loss. No one laden with burdens can bear another’s burden.Q 17;15
And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together. So, will you (O Muhammad SAW) then compel mankind, until they become believers. Q 10;99
”your(Muhammad(saw) duty is only to convey (the Message) and on Us is the reckoning”. Q 13:40.
So based on God’s laws above, that God have given people the freedom to choose his own way of life. No one can force anybody to obey God’s law, even Government has no right to punish those who make sins, as we are all sinner.
God create people and provide the law for people. Only God has the right to judge, punish His People. All people are equal before God.
We have to distinguish between sinful act and criminal act.
Sexuality between man and man or woman and woman is not criminal act. They do based on love each other. Therefore, government has no right to punish them.
What is done by extremist clerics of various religions insulting and punishing the gay and lesbian is wrong act, evil act and misleading.
President Obama with his power, help to gain the right of the oppressed Gay-Lesbian community in America as well as Mathin Luther King who gained the right of the oppressed the black America in 1960.
May Allah guide all my brothers to the right path.Amen
For You from My Heart.
All those who read shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; O Allah, be my witness, that I have conveyed your message to your people.
With all my love.