Religious
Tolerance or Religious Bigotry?
By
Umar Abdullah
waajihatulislaamiyyah@gmail.com
The word “tolerance” means the ability or willingness to tolerate
the existence of opinions or behavior of others that one dislikes or disagrees
with. Example of tolerance can be taken from this proverb: "The desert
camel shows the greatest tolerance to dehydration.", which can be applied
to “religious tolerance”.
Religious toleration is, people allowing other people to think or
practice other religions and beliefs. In a country with a state religion,
toleration means that the government allows other religions to be there.
Religious tolerance, respect, broad-mindedness and acceptance is
one of the most important characteristics of a human, which a society must show
towards the religions of other people. This includes the issue of freedom of
choice of religion. Diversity of religious traditions can ideally help people
in comparing the relative strengths of the teachings of their respective faiths
and in adjusting the practice accordingly. The tendency to claim truthfulness
of one’s own faith and treating all others as worthy of condemnation leads not
only to suffering for many, but also results in drawing many people away from
the idea of taking religion as a genuine issue.
The term "religious tolerance" has two distinct meanings:
1. Conservatives, often define the term "religious
tolerance" as meaning that a person must believe that all religions and
their associated beliefs are true. Of course, this conflicts with a common
belief among religious conservatives in the existence of absolute truth and
their belief that only their faith correctly reflects "God's Word."
Thus, many conservatives reject religious tolerance, as they define it, because
they view it as an undesirable goal.
2. Among other individuals and groups, it generally means to avoid
fearing, hating, oppressing or discriminating against persons whose religious
beliefs happen to be different from your own. Religious tolerance then becomes
a human rights issue -- something that most people feel is the desirable goal.
The Islamic perspective of “religious tolerance” favors, accepts
and practices the second meaning or definition. However, Islam is continually
criticized because some of the visitors assume that Islam uses the first
meaning of “religious tolerance”. The negative terms that describe
fear/hatred/discrimination focused at people because of their gender, race,
gender identity, and national origin has no place in Islam. This is a
misconception about Islam. In fact, Islam condemns all those negative terms
that describes the fear/hatred/discrimination directed or focused at people
because of their religion. The record of Islamic history has many examples of
“religious tolerance”.
One of the most important aspects of the Human Rights issue is the
respect and tolerance which society must show towards the religions of other
people; this, of course, includes the issue of freedom of religion.
The cousin of the Prophet Mohamed (peace be upon him) and leader of
the Muslims after the Prophet, Ali ibn Abu Talib (mercy
be upon him) states “Know that
people are of two types: they are either your brothers in religion or your
equals in creation.”
Meaning that all people, no matter what religion, race or class
they come from, are supposed to be treated equally, because either people are
your Muslim brethren, or your equals in humanity who have the same rights as
you and cannot be discriminated or disrespected for their beliefs. In fact, to
disrespect another religion is explicitly condemned in the Quran; “Do not abuse
those whom they worship besides Allah” (6:109). If a person claims to be
Muslim, he is not allowed to insult or disrespect another religion. This is
forbidden according to the Quran.
Even to engage in arguments with Non-Muslims in a disrespectful
manner is prohibited, as the Quran states: “And argue not with the people of
the Scripture (Jews and Christians), unless it be in (a way) that is better
(with good words and in good manner), except with such of them as do wrong, and
say (to them): “We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed
to you; our God and your God is One, and to Him we have submitted”(29:46). If
to talk to a person of another faith in a rude way is impermissible, then to
kill them in the name of religion is just despicable and completely wrong!
Also, It is narrated that Caliph Ali ibn Abu Talib (mercy be upon
him) was once walking in the streets,
and he passed by a Christian beggar. His question was, “Who is this?” When they
told him that he is an old Christian man who cannot work and is asking people
for help, the Caliph replied and said, “you, the Muslim community, used him, in
his youth and when he became old, you left him.” Then the Caliph assigned a
salary for him from the treasury, the same way he did with Muslims. This
portrays that Islamically, Muslims and non-Muslims are supposed to be treated
in an equal manner under an Islamic government, without anyone being
discriminated.
while on deathbed, Umar ibn Al-Khattab (mercy be upon him) dictated
a long will consisting of instructions for the next Caliph. Here is the last
sentence of that historic document: “I instruct you on behalf of the people who
have been given protection in the name of Allah and His Prophet (peace be upon
him) i.e. non-Muslim minorities (dhimmis) within the Islamic state. Our
covenant to them must be fulfilled, we must fight to protect them, and they
must not be burdened beyond their capabilities.”
Umar was lying in pain because of the wounds inflicted on him by a
non-Muslim who had stabbed him with a dagger soaked in poison while he was
leading the fajr prayer. It should also be remembered that he was the head of a
vast empire, ranging from Egypt to Persia. From normal rulers of his time or
ours, we could have expected vengeance and swift reaction. In contrast the
enlightened rulers today would rain bombs and missiles on mere suspicion of murder
conspiracy in similar situation. From a very forgiving head of state we could
have expected an attempt to forget and forgive, and that would be considered
noble. But a command to protect the minorities and take care of them? - The
protection of life, property and religious freedom of minorities is the
religious duty of the Islamic state.
The job of the Muslims is the same. They must deliver the message
of Islam to the humanity as they have received it. They are neither to change
it to make it attractive, nor to coerce others to accept it.
As Marmaduke Pickthall noted: “It was not until the Western nations
broke away from their religious law that they became more tolerant, and it was
only when the Muslims fell away from their religious law that they declined in
tolerance.”
Unfortunately, this is exactly what has been happening in Trinidad
and Tobago due to religious fundamentalists who distort the image of their
religion for their own selfish agendas and make up their own laws that do not
represent their faith. It saddens me as a Muslim when I read and hear about the
many accusations leveled against us Muslims. Perhaps the allegations are correct,
but having said that it still does not give anyone the right to disrespect one’s
faith.
It hurts me when I hear of these reports of sacrilegious behaviour
being demonstrated by crazy extremists who claim to be “Devout” whilst their
actions completely depict otherwise, and this is the reason I decided to
discuss this topic because I want to defend the faith I believe in and what it
has taught me; which is to love and respect everyone, regardless of their
faith. And no, I’m not saying to respect everyone ‘despite’ their religion, I’m
saying to respect everyone regardless of anything because when one says
‘despite’, it seems to have a negative connotation as we should not love people
despite anything, we should love them regardless of anything.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“Beware! Whoever is cruel
and hard on a non-Muslim minority, or curtails their rights, or burdens them
with more than they can bear, or takes anything from them against their free
will; I (Prophet Muhammad) will complain against the person on the Day of
Judgment.” (Abu Dawud)
Despite the undeniable contribution of religion to human welfare,
it threatens to be seriously divisive, especially if limits of disagreement
amongst religious people are not properly respected. Whereas diversity of
religious traditions can ideally help people in comparing the relative
strengths of the teachings of their respective faiths and in adjusting
accordingly, religious bigotry -- the tendency to claim truthfulness of one’s
own faith and treating all others as worthy of condemnation -- leads not only
to suffering for many, it also results in drawing many people away from the
idea of taking religion seriously. Although in the recent past religious
bigotry was beginning to appear less pronounced, many events have led the
conscientious people of Trinidad and Tobago to realize that the monster is very
much alive.
·
The recent moves by the state to evict members
of a Hindu temple, and a Christian church from property they have previously
occupied and which served their respective communities.
·
The wrongful arrest of 17 Muslim men in
connection with an alleged plot to assassinate then Prime Minister Kamla Persad
Bissessar and senior members of her cabinet and to destabilize our oil-rich
twin island republic.
·
By direct involvement of our state officials;
the wrongful arrest and malicious prosecution of 22 Muslim men women and
children by the Venezuelan authorities for an alleged plot to assassinate
President Maduro and destabilize his government. A matter that took 2 years and
eight months to resolve.
·
The wrongful arrest, malicious prosecution and unlawful
detention of our Muslim nationals abroad namely Jordon, Iraq, Syria, Turkey and
Saudi Arabia and the cruel and harsh treatment meted out to them. Many of whom
still unaccounted for.
·
The turning away of an 11-year-old Muslim girl
because the school officials deemed that her hijab, long sleeves and
ankle-length skirt was not the “official school uniform.”
·
The young student wearing the Niqab who was
told by an examiner ‘I am not giving you any of my papers to do no exam until
you take that thing off your face’.
·
The single parent who was humiliated in front of scores of other employment seekers and told
because she was Muslim and wears the hijab she could not be employed.
·
The woman police officer who is forced to
remove her Hijab before exiting her vehicle on the police station compound and
throughout the day, she is left feeling naked, exposed and ashamed because she
is forced to disobey the religious teachings which she have received.
·
The Muslim sister who was dismissed as a security guard for failing
to wear the approved uniform. She was accused of modifying the uniform by
wearing a hijab shortly after becoming a Muslim.
·
And now this horrible event involving the young
OJT teacher and its consequent aftermath, that could very well manifest into
hatred between Hindus and Muslims in Trinidad and Tobago and
·
many other similar unfortunate examples around
our misery-stricken country strongly beg all religious groups of Trinidad and
Tobago to urgently attend to the curse of extreme religious bigotry.
The correct Islamic approach towards the non-Muslims is to assume
that all of them have, as yet, not been properly convinced about the
authenticity of the divine origins of the teachings of Islam. It is for the
Muslims to help the non-Muslims to appreciate the truthfulness of the Islamic
teachings. That would require not only intelligent preaching on their part but,
perhaps more importantly, a behaviour of respect for the fellow human beings, irrespective
of their faith. The absence of that behaviour on the part of some Muslims has
been an important reason for their failure to present Islam as a message which
is worthy of being taken seriously by the non-Muslims. Thus true religious
tolerance is at the heart of a proper Islamic behaviour. Thus it will be shown
that all Muslims are required to be extremely tolerant of other faiths and to
continue their struggle to convince them politely - Islam, on the one hand
takes a firm position in confirming the unquestionable authenticity of its
teachings, on the other hand it also calls for genuine respect for all
non-Muslims.
Muslims are expected to show respect to other faiths and behave in
a manner that would not tarnish the image of their own religion. In case a
non-Muslim drawn away from Islam because of a Muslim’s poor behavior, the
latter will be held responsible for his misconduct and its consequences. The
Qur’an says: “Call them to the path of your Lord with wisdom and words of good
advice and reason with them in the best way possible. Your Lord surely knows
who stray from His path and He knows those who are guided the right way”. In
another passage, it says: “So do not make your oaths a means for deceiving one
another ….”. Politeness, concern, respect and tolerance are, therefore, at the
heart of a Muslim’s desired behavior towards non-Muslims.
It is for the Muslims to help the non-Muslims to appreciate the
truthfulness of the Islamic teachings. The poor behavior of some Muslims,
particularly toward those of other faith beliefs and the absence of the desired
behavior on the part of these Muslims has been an important reason for their
failure to present Islam as a message that is worthy of being taken seriously
by non-Muslims. It will only be taken seriously by them if Muslims are
peaceful, tolerant, and respectful towards other faiths while they continue
their peaceful struggle to convince non-Muslims politely.
The best example of the tolerance shown by the Prophet to other
religions was when the Prophet migrated to Medina. Here his role as a mere
religious leader ended; he was now the political leader of a state, governed by
the precepts of Islam, which demanded that clear laws of governance be laid out
to ensure harmony and stability in a society which once had been distraught by
decades of war, one which must ensure the peaceful coexistence of Muslims,
Jews, Christians and polytheists. Due to
this, the Prophet laid down a ‘constitution’ which detailed the responsibilities
of all parties which resided in Medina, their obligations towards each other,
and certain restrictions which were placed on each. All parties were to obey what was mentioned
therein, and any breach of its articles was regarded as an act of treachery.
The first article of the constitution was that all the inhabitants
of Medina, the Muslims as well as those who had entered the pact from the Jews,
Christian, and idolaters, were “one nation to the exclusion of all
others.” All were considered members and
citizens of Medina society regardless of religion, race, or ancestry. People of other faiths were protected from
harm as much as the Muslims, as is stated in another article, “To the Jews who
follow us belong help and equity. He
shall not be harmed nor his enemies be aided.”
Previously, each tribe had their alliances and enemies within and
without Medina. The Prophet gathered
these different tribes under one system of governance which upheld pacts of
alliances previously in existence between those individual tribes. All tribes had to act as a whole with
disregard to individual alliances. Any
attack on other religion or tribe was considered an attack on the state and
upon the Muslims as well. The lives of the practitioners of other religions in the
Muslim society was also given protective status. The Prophet said: “Whoever kills a person who
has a truce with the Muslims will never smell the fragrance of Paradise.”
(Muslim)
Since the upper hand was with the Muslims, the Prophet strictly
warned against any maltreatment of people of other faiths. He said as was mentioned before:
“Beware! Whoever is cruel and hard on a
non-Muslim minority, or curtails their rights, or burdens them with more than
they can bear, or takes anything from them against their free will; I (Prophet
Muhammad) will complain against the person on the Day of Judgment.” (Abu Dawud)
In another article, it states, “the Jews have their religion and
the Muslims have theirs.” In this, it is
clear that anything other than tolerance would not be tolerated, and that,
although all were members of a society, each had their separate religion which
could not be violated. Each was allowed
to practice their beliefs freely without any hindrances, and no acts of
provocation would be tolerated.
There are many other articles of this constitution which may be
discussed, but emphasis will be placed on an article which states, “If any
dispute or controversy likely to cause trouble should arise, it must be
referred to God and His Messenger.” This
clause maintained that all inhabitants of the state must recognize a higher
level of authority, and in those matters which involved various tribes and
religions, justice could not be meted out by individual leaders; rather it must
be adjudicated by the leader of the state himself or his designated representatives.
It was allowed, however, for individual tribes who were not Muslims, to refer
to their own religious scriptures and their learned men in regards to their own
personal affairs. They could though, if they
opted, ask the Prophet to judge between them in their matters. Allah says in the Quran: “…If they do come to
you, either judge between them or decline to interfere...” (Quran 5:42)
Here we see that the Prophet allowed each religion to judge in
their own matters according to their own scriptures, as long as it did not
stand in opposition to articles of the constitution, a pact which took into
account the greater benefit of the peaceful co-existence of the society.
The path that Mr. Sat Maharaj and the SDMS took in the matter
involving the OJT teacher was to banish morality from the compound of the
Lakshmi Girls Hindu School. Mr. Sat Maharaj said: “It was the teachers of the
school, which includes Muslims, Presbyterians and Afro-Trinidadians, who put
together the dress code and we approved it.”
From this it is clearly evident that no reference to any religious text
was used. So it may be good to remember that while they have indeed made huge
progress in the area of education and tolerance (which should be appreciated),
it has a long way to go before it can reach the standards established by Islam.
1.
While Muslim Personal Law is not recognized in
the West, the Personal Law of non-Muslim minorities has always been recognized
in the Muslim world.
2.
While throughout Europe and America, Muslims
are not permitted to make the call to prayer (Adhan) on loud speakers,
non-Muslims are allowed to practice their religion freely in Muslim countries.
3.
The widespread anti-Islamic prejudice in the
Western media is both a cause and a consequence of the underlying intolerance.
4.
Hate crimes are a fact of life in the West. As
just one small indication, many incidents of discrimination have taken place
against Muslims in this peaceful country during the last seven years.
In conclusion, arriving at a solution from an Islamic perspective
can be achieved by building a behavior of respect for our fellow human beings,
irrespective of their faith, besides promoting intelligent preaching. If one so
desire to criticize other religious views, one should criticize only ideas, creatively
and intelligently. Muslims are spiritually prohibited from oppressing the
adherents of other faith groups. Thus, killings, mutilation, burnings,
discrimination and violence against religious communities by Muslims is wrong.
Islam mandates that Muslims must preserve all places of divine worship. Hence
the destruction, desecration or vandalism by Muslims of other houses of worship
here or abroad is a gross violation of Islamic legal principles. These
principles derived from the Quran make clear that all of humankind share the
same sanctity of life and honor. We
should Promote Islam as a “public religion” that gives a special attention to
key social phenomena and problems through working in the community. These must
be discussed and addressed together as an agenda with religious perspectives of
fairness and justice for all, regardless of one’s religion, ethnicity and other
socioeconomic status. Let’s all try to live by these examples, and combat
extremism and religious intolerance in this manner, whereby everyone is treated
equally with full respect and like brethren, as no matter what, we are all
human beings in the end of the day.
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