Is Islam Compatible With American Values?

Parvez Ahmed

Speech Delivered at the Clay County chapter of Americans United for the Separation of Church and
State. Fleming Island Public Library. Oct 9, 2010.

Thank you for the invitation to be here.

In 2005 a Danish newspaper printed a cartoon depicting Muhammad, who Muslims

believe to be the last of God’s Messenger and Prophet, with a bomb in his turban. This set off

an international row as protests erupted from Europe to Asia. In some Muslim countries

newspapers that reprinted the cartoon were closed. European countries evacuated staffs of

embassies and Muslim countries withdrew ambassadors. The fallout also had economic

repercussions. According to the Gulf News, Danish exports began to fall as consumers in

Muslim countries shunned Danish products in protest.

This provoked the question - Is Islam incompatible with Western values? Are Islam and

the West destined to have a clash of civilization?

Those who answer yes point to events like 9-11 or the cartoon controversy as proof

positive of the inherent incompatibility of Islam and with the West.

Others who are more knowledgeable about Islam and Muslim societies say that neither

9-11 nor the cartoon controversy, are indicative of any inherent clash of values. The

antecedents of such events are socio-political. Religion, at best, may be a contributing factor.

While people debate the place of Islam in American society, another reality is taking

shape right before our very eyes. According to NY Times, a record number of Muslim workers

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are complaining of workplace discrimination ranging from being called “terrorist” to being

barred from wearing headscarves or taking prayer breaks. According to federal data,

discrimination complaints by Muslims are up 20 percent from last year and up 60 percent since

2005. The EEOC has found enough credibility in these complaints that they have filed several

lawsuits on behalf of Muslim workers.

This summer we have seen tensions boil over as a pastor attempted to burn the Quran

and the opposition to the building of an Islamic community center in New York descended to

embarrassing levels of incivility.

Unlike you, who are attempting to dialogue and learn, most Americans choose to

remain ill-informed and as a result today more people have a negative view of Islam than in the

immediate aftermath of 9-11. Our media outlets, mostly cable news shows and radio talk

shows, are major contributors to this trend that bodes ill for the long-term sustainability of our

national interests. A few politicians and religious leaders have only exasperated the situation by

trying to ride the coattails of fear of Islam to electoral victories. The situation has gotten so out

of hand, that TIME magazine ran a cover story, “Is America Islamophobic?” with the following

comment, “In France and Britain, politicians from fringe parties say appalling things about

Muslims, but there's no one in Europe of the stature of a former House Speaker who would, as

Newt Gingrich did, equate Islam with Nazism.”

So how do we go past this rancor? By doing exactly what you are doing today. Trying to

learn and attempting to dialogue. President John F. Kennedy perhaps summed it best,

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“Tolerance implies no lack of commitment to one's own beliefs. Rather it condemns the

oppression or persecution of others.”

To the question – Is Islam compatible with American values? The answer is yes. Why?

Because in a normative sense (excerpted from Michael Wolf’s The Next American Religion):

1. Islam is democratic in spirit. The Qur'an, on which Islamic law is based, enjoins Muslims

to govern themselves by discussion and consensus.

2. Islam is tolerant of other faiths. Like America, Islam has a history of respecting other

religions. In Prophet Muhammad's day, Christians and Jews in Muslim lands retained

their own courts and enjoyed considerable autonomy. It was the Muslims who made it

possible for Jews to return to and live in Jerusalem, after centuries of being outcasts.

3. Islam encourages the pursuit of religious freedom. The Quran clearly states that there

is no compulsion in matters related to faith and religion.

4. Islam emphasizes individual responsibility. Every person is responsible for the

condition of her or his own soul. Everyone stands equal before God. America is wedded

to an ethic of individual liberty based on righteous actions. For a Muslim, spiritual

salvation depends on not just on faith but also righteous actions.

5. Islam is egalitarian. The Pledge of Allegiance (one nation, "under God") and Lincoln's

Gettysburg Address (all people are "created equal") express themes that are also basic

to Islam. If you visit mosques in America you will find them among the most racially

integrated congregations of faith.

CORE VALUES OF ISLAM’S UNIVERSALITY

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 In the remaining time I have, let me expand on 10-core principles of Islam, allowing you to

get a better glimpse into the normative teachings of Islam, which assert the common values of

the Abrahamic traditions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Some of these principles are not

foreign to other Eastern religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism (excerpted from Jamal

Badawi’s Muslim/Non-Muslim Relations):

1. Faith in the One Universal God: Islam is founded on the belief that there is only one

God [Allah in Arabic], who is the universal Creator, Sustainer and Cherisher of all. God

created human beings and all human beings have a common father and mother, Adam

and Eve. This belief in creation does not negate scientific facts about evolution.

2. Universality of all faiths: He who created us has also provided us with guidance on how

to live. This guidance came in the form of divine books and divine messages through

prophets and messengers. Thus Muslims are commanded to revere and believe in all the

prophets of God, without discrimination. They all represent one brotherhood of faith. In

the Qur’an we read:

a. “ …we [Muslims] make no distinction between any of His messengers [i.e. God’s

messengers]” 2:285.

b. “In matters of faith, He [God] has ordained for you that which He had enjoined

upon Abraham, Moses and Jesus: steadfastly uphold the [true] faith and make no

divisions therein…” 42:13.

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3. Universal Human dignity: Despite some evidence to the contrary, Muslims are

commanded to respect the sanctity of life and uphold human dignity.

a. “Nor take life, which God has made sacred, except for just cause…” 17:33.

b. “…if anyone slays a human being, unless it be [punishment] for murder, or for

spreading mischief on earth, it shall be as though he had slain all humankind;

whereas, if anyone saves a life, it shall be as though he had saved the lives of all

humankind” 5:32.

c. “Indeed We [God] have conferred dignity on the children of Adam…” 17:70. It is

noted that this verse is inclusive of all humans irrespective of their religions or

even their belief in God.

4. Universal justice: Islam literally means peace and it comes from the Arabic root word

salaam. Islam’s goal is voluntary submission to the will of God and the path to this

submission is rooted in the pursuit of social, economic and political justice.

a. “O you who believe! Stand out for justice, as witnesses to God, and even as

against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be [against] rich

or poor…” 4:134

b.
“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for God, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let

not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from

justice. Be just: that is next to piety and fear Allah, for Allah is well acquainted

with all that you do.” 5:8

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5. Universal human brotherhood: Addressing the entire human race, Islam’s holy book the

Qur’an states:

a. “O humankind! We [Allah] have created you from a single [pair] of a male and a

female and have made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to

know one another. Verily, the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is the

most righteous [or Allah-conscious] of you. Surely, Allah is all-knowing, all-

aware” 49:13.

6. Acceptance of plurality in human societies: While the notion of plurality may appear to

be as a relatively new concept, it is not new to those who are familiar with the Qur’an.

The Qur’an is quite explicit in reminding all that if God willed, he would have made of all

mankind one nation [5:48; 11:118]. Likewise, the Qur’an states that had it been God’s

will, He would have made all people believers [10:99]. This means that forcing people to

believe in God runs against His decree of free will, which includes the reality that some

will reject Him (God).

7. Prohibition of compulsion in faith: Sharing or propagating faith is not the same as

compulsion in religion. The Qur’an makes it a duty on believers to communicate the

message of Islam to fellow humans and to be witnesses to humankind:

a. “Invite [all humankind] to the path of your Lord with wisdom and goodly

exhortation and argue with them in the most kindly manner, for, indeed, your

Lord knows best as to who strays from His path, and best who are the right-

guided” 16:125.

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 b. This invitation must be free from any form of coercion.

i. “There shall be no coercion in matters of faith” 2:256,

8. Universal Mercy: The essence of Islam and its prophet’s mission is summed up in the

following verse

a. “And [thus, O Muhammad], We have not sent you, but as mercy to all the

worlds” 21:107.

b. Prophet Muhammad, who Muslims beleive to be last of God’s messenger and

prophet said, “He who not merciful to others, will not be treated mercifully.”

9. Universal peaceful co-existence: The basic rule governing the relationship between

Muslims and people of other faiths is that of peaceful co-existence, justice and

compassion. The following two verses are key verses that embody that general rule:

a. “As for such [non-Muslims] who do not fight you on account of [your] faith, or

drive you forth from your homelands, God does not forbid you to show them

kindness [also love and respect] and to deal with them with equity, for God loves

those who act equitably.” 60:8-9.

10. Peaceful dialogue, especially with the “People of the Book”: The Qur’an accords the

People of the Book [Jews and Christians] a special position. The very term to designate

them distinguishes them from other faiths. It is a complimentary title as it acknowledges

that, like Muslims, their faiths are based on revealed books or scriptures.

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 a. The Qur’an exhorts Muslims to engage in peaceful dialogue with Jews and

Christians: “Say [O Muslims], O People of the Book! Come to a common term

which we and you hold in common: that we shall worship none but Allah, and

that we shall not ascribe divinity to none beside Him, and that we shall not take

human beings for our lord beside Allah, and if they turn away, then say: bear

witness that we submit ourselves unto Him” 3:64.

If Muslims are to act upon these principles, it will leave no room for them but to be

respectful of other faiths and cultures.

DEMOCRACY AND ISLAM

In closing, I will like to spend a little time on the issue of Democracy and Islam with

particular emphasis on Sharia.

The former deputy prime minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim wrote, “It is true that the

founding principles of constitutional democracy, as we know it today, have their antecedents in

the political philosophy of John Locke, which entered France through the writings of Voltaire and

then deeply influenced the framers of the U.S. constitution. But the fact that these principles of

political freedom and democracy were first articulated in the West does not preclude them from

universal application, nor can it be asserted that they have not been expressed in other

contexts.”

A majority of the world's 1.4 billion Muslims live in democracies, ample proof that there

is no inherent discord between Islam and democracy. But what about those Muslim majority

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countries, most of them are in the Middle East, which are not democracies? Is the Islam the

reason for them being held back? The Council of Foreign Relations concludes that, “a mix of

historical, cultural, economic, and political factors--and not Islam as a religion--to explain why

democracy has failed to take root in many Muslim countries.” In fact, surveys by Gallup and Pew

show that clear majorities in the Arab world would favor democracy as a form of government.

The people most animated about democracy are the so called Islamists.

Outside of the Middle East (which accounts for fewer than 20 percent of the global

Muslim population) Alfred Stepan in the Journal of Democracy argues that Muslim nations are

on par with--or outpace--comparable non-Muslim developing nations in terms of civil liberties

and free and fair elections. The democracy deficiency in the Arab world is more a function of oil

than religion.

State ownership of oil has stifled the development of market economies and

government transparency. Oil has allowed the monarchies in the Middle East to make a

Faustian bargain with their citizens. That the governments will not tax its citizens (oil revenues

pay for government budgets) and in exchange the citizens will not demand voting or

representation.

Once again let me quote Anwar Ibrahim, the erstwhile deputy Prime Minister of

Malaysia, “If democracy is about giving dignity to the human spirit, then freedom is the sine qua

non. Within Islam, the great Andalusia jurist Abu Ishaq al-Shatibi in the fourteenth century,

articulated a perspective on the Maqasid al-Shari’a (the higher objectives of the shari’a),

demonstrating the central role of freedom as a higher objective of the divine law. The very same

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elements in a constitutional democracy are moral imperatives in Islam - freedom of conscience,

freedom to speak out against tyranny, a call for reform and the right to property.”

SHARIA – ISLAMIC LAW

In the past few months you may have heard a lot about Sharia. The narrative is generally

two-fold – (a). Sharia is a barbaric system and (b). the US is about to be overrun by Sharia.

Neither of which is true.

Sharia is not the monster it is made out to be. Does Sharia, which is rooted in ancient

sacred texts, contain some ideas that would be inapplicable in a modern day society?

Absolutely yes. But is it necessary to throw the baby out with the bath water? Obviously not.

One cannot judge any ideology or system by its exceptions. This is the fallacy of the

demagogues. To judge a system one needs to understand its theoretical foundations if only to

grasp where the norm is applicable and where it is not.

Shariah is an Arabic word meaning "a road to the watering place." In a religious context,

it means "the righteous path." Shariah consists of broad principles, which are derived from the

Qur'an and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad. What are these principles? One scholar (Al

Shatibi) has enumerated 6 (Source: Jasser Auda’s Philosophy of Islamic Law):

1. The right to the protection of life.

2. The right to the protection of family.

3. The right to the protection of education.

4. The right to the protection of religion.

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 5. The right to the protection of property (access to resources).

6. The right to the protection of human dignity.

Do these principles threaten you? Or do they sound a lot like those in the Constitution

of the United States.

To Muslims, in general, Sharia means "the way of God." But how do we know what the

way of God is?

Muslims will first look to the Quran as a source of guidance. Then they will look at the

practices of Prophet Muhammad to figure out the interpretive aspects of the Quranic texts.

Then they will look for guidance in the writings of the contemporaries of Prophet Muhammad

who are called the Sahabah or the companions of Muhammad. Then they will look at

interpretive writings by religious scholars (called fiqh) about how to act in accordance with the

way of God. These scholars often agreed and sometimes disagreed on the matters - from the

mundane to the esoteric. Islam has a rich tradition of debates and discussions that have led to

the repeated revisions of these rules.

Stoning for adultery is a punishment that does not appear in the Quran although some

interpretations of Islam allow this. However, adultery was made such a fantastically difficult

crime to prove that the punishment was impossible to apply. Thus, historically stoning was very

rarely implemented in the Islamic world. The current practices in Saudi Arabia and Iran seem to

be an exception not the norm. The vast majority of Muslims today do not believe in stoning

people for adultery or stoning people for anything, and many are working hard to eradicate it.

Those Muslims who advocate it have a misguided notion of the context in which many of the

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harsh punishments for crime was developed in Islamic jurisprudence. [Source: Sumbul Ali

Karamali in Who’s Afraid of Shariah?]

Other horrific acts like honor killings, female genital mutilation have no support in any

Islamic jurisprudence or Shariah. They are practices that are centuries old traditions in some

parts of the world and have nothing to do with Islam.

Most Muslim-majority countries are constitutional states and nearly all of them have

civil codes (many of these based on the French or the British system). In these states some laws

have been derived from Islam or reflect Islamic values but they cannot be labeled as Shariah.

I will end with this. A young Muslim lawyer recently wrote, “Being Muslim does not

require a governmental imposition of something called "shari'a law," any more than being a

Christian requires the implementation of "Biblical law" (though there are, of course, a tiny

minority of both Christians and Muslims who do advocate such things, including Sarah Palin).”

Islam recommends moderation and balance in everything: in belief, worship, conduct,

and legislation. Moderation or balance is not only a general characteristic of Islam it is its

fundamental landmark. The Qur'an says: “Thus have we made of you a civilization that is justly

balanced, that you might be witnesses over nations and the Messenger a witness over

yourselves.” [2:143]. The Muslim civilization has to be one of justice and moderation. For much

of history it has been that. Surely there have been exceptions but those exceptions do not

represent the norm. Islam seeks to create a balance between the needs of the body and those

of the soul, between the right of man to live life to its full, and the right of the Creator to be

worshipped by man.

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 Islam is not merely compatible with American values, Islam enriches America. Everyday

ordinary Muslims like me are contributing to the betterment of America. In this quest for a

better America, we are everyday joined by good folks like you. Thank you from the bottom of

my heart. May God bless you and may God bless the United States of America.

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