Since Islam insists that religion must dictate the form and substance of government, can Christianity, or any other religion, co-exist peaceably with Islam (the Muslim religion)? Note especially the unflinching rigidity in Mr. Ahmed's #2 (below) and my concluding paragraph.
I had an e-mail exchange with a man whose job is to speak publicly in an effort to improve relations between Christians and Muslims. We had had an earlier exchange regarding a historically questionable statement in my web page http://www.rationallink.org/religextr.htm (now corrected). I quote below the actual contents of those e-mails (deleting the duplications inherent in e-mail responses) in full since a summary is not nearly as persuasive as the actual exchange. In chronological order:
Some months ago we had a brief exchange regarding my careless portrayal of history in
presenting Islam at my web site. I corrected that to make it, I think, consistent with
history. I had hoped we could continue exchanges in an effort at mutual understanding
since I feel that fundamentalists in both the Christian and Muslim camps must alter their
strategies in order to avoid a devastating conflict. As I understand, throughout pre-history
and history religions have come and gone; in order to survive they must remain relevant; it
is a matter of adapt or perish.
For whatever reason, you included me in your response to David Schroeder about "Jesus:
Creator or Creation." And that has reminded me of our earlier exchanges and my hope for
continuation.
From Ken Wear. Visit his web site at http://www.rationallink.org
Dear David and Friends,
Peace be upon all the believers of one God!
First of all, thanks for coming to my presentation on: Jesus: Creator or creation?. I
enjoyed our interaction that day.
I am attaching my response to your article. I request if you can also print, in the Loyola
University newspaper, my response along with yours. It will assist the reads in evaluating
both viewpoints and deciding for the better, God willing.
Thanks again for giving me the opportunity to present my response to your article. Can you
be kind enough to send the final contents before it goes to the press?
It will be my pleasure to continue such interactions with mine and your group in the future.
Thanks, and Regards.
Sabeel Ahmed, 1-877-WHY-ISLAM for a free copy of Quran Translation, sabeeldawah@yahoo.com
[Content deleted as immaterial to the present exchange]
Nice to hear back from you. Apologies, I was not able to converse with you, got busy with work and speaking assignments.
Yes, I included you in my email list of 'Jesus: Creator or creation', because I thought it will be relevant to what we had discussed previously, and also, since I was comparing and contrasting Quranic and Biblical verses, I thought you would be interested.
Now regarding your view that religions should adapt or perish, I would say that you are partially correct. It is true for almost all faiths except Islam. Islam is not a man made religion which should keep on changing its rules and regulations each decade or century. Islam is the guidance provided by God to humanity. As such, God, our creator knows that His guidance will be relevant and beneficial for humanity, now and till the end of time. Thus, there is no need for Islam to adapt to the world, it is the other way around. It is the world which should adapt and accept Islam for its success or it will perish in its immorality, racial hatred, drugs, family break-down, guns and violence, suicides, rapes etc.
Islam provides solutions to the above mentioned perils of the society and likewise provides the most complete guidance, covering all aspects of a society and persons life, namely, Social, family, financial, educational, legal, political, spiritual etc. Thus, with its supreme guidance for the society, it is in the best interest of the society to ADAPT to Islam for its success.
(Ken added emphasis)Thank, Peace and Regards, Sabeel Ahmed
Call 1-877-WHY-ISLAM for a FREE copy of a Quran Translation in English
[Balance deleted since it is the e-mail first above and inclusion would be a duplication.]
Thank you for your response. While I am grateful for your forthrightness, it was with
great sadness that I read your message. When I compare records of the life of the Prophet
and his teachings, as recorded in history, with your unflinching and uncompromising
statement that no adaptation of Islam is possible, I see no possibility but a wrenching
confrontation until either (1) all religions except Islam disappear from among men or (2)
Islam disappears from among men. Whatever the future holds, I hope it can be accomplished
by gentle persuasion rather than subversion or force.
I heartily endorse your mission to improve relations between faiths and question my
conclusion that you support fundamentalists, such as bin Laden, who is, after all, simply
continuing the Prophet's program to seek dominance [or submission, since one is tantamount
to the other]. If moderate men cannot compromise, peaceful co-existence is not possible
and the stage is set for a conflict that must of necessity result in utter destruction of one
or the other. Perhaps for the good of humanity and Earth that should happen. But I prefer
fostering understanding and cooperation between the various religious faiths; to my mind
that requires good will and compromise by all.
Should you chance to visit my web site, you will find there a presentation of Rational
Theism, an alternate understanding of deity and His role, which I feel must ultimately
prevail in order to coalesce reason with religion. Islam, Christianity, Theism, Buddhism,
Confucianism, Hinduism, . . .? Is there truly only one path to the fulfillment we all
seek? Must all be wrong except the one?
From Ken Wear. Visit his web site at http://www.rationallink.org
[Balance deleted since it would duplicate what appears above.]
Conclusion:
Should you have any question about the consequence of the success of the Muslim religion
dominating public policy, think "Taliban" and recall the wide publicity given to the 2007
case of a man who wished to convert from the Muslim religion: He was sentenced to death
for his exercise of conscience. He was allowed to escape Afghanistan to avoid the penalty,
but the severity imposed for this exercise of conscience should not escape your attention.
Nor should the fact that the court, in imposing the sentence, was simply following the
dictates of their state religion, Islam.
In the name of humanity and the future, pass this along.
I have prepared a constitutional amendment to address this problem. For the text of that
proposal, click here.
Sharia law: I have made an effort to determine what distinguishes Sharia law from
other forms of law. Sharia law is derived from the Koran (the recitations of the Prophet)
and from the Sunna ("an example of how the Prophet lived his life"). The Prophet could
neither read nor write so we are dependent in all cases on what others understood to be
the Prophet's recitations of his encounter with the angel Gabriel in the cave north of
Mecca as well as writings by other of the Prophet's contemporaries.
Your BACK button should return you to the index.
Recently in Afghanistan the legislature approved a law applying Shiite Sharia to the 15% of
the population who are Shiite; 85% of the population is Sunni.
I still search for specifics but offer what I have learned:
My search for specific requirements of Sharia continues.
Whether or not derived from Sharia, the Muslim religion requires that the state conform to
requirements of the faith; elected officials must comply with the dictates of [unelected]
religious authorities. I have heard nothing of how religious authorities rise to prominence.
My printer takes 4 pages or 2 sheets of paper to print this document.