It is true that there is scarcely an Islamic nation on the face of the earth that provides true religious freedom: the more Islamic a country is, in general, the less tolerant it is of other religions. It is not only extremist nations such as Afghanistan, Iran and Libya that follow this trend.
America’s Islamic allies tend to be as repressive as its enemies. Saudi Arabia is a perfect example. While the human rights record of China has frequently and justifiably been in the news and on the tips of the tongues of American politicians, the dreadful Saudi record is seldom mentioned. The U.S. State Department frankly stated in its Annual Report on International Religious Freedom 2000, that “Freedom of religion does not exist” in Saudi Arabia. This view was echoed by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom which stated in its 2001 report that the Saudi government’s policies towards religion are “extremely repressive.”
Despite Saudi Arabia’s large non-Muslim population of guest workers, these non- Muslims are forbidden to engage in even the most innocuous group worship. Credible reports of the arrest and cruel treatment of non-Muslims in Saudi Arabia, charged with meeting together with fellow believers or “proselytizing Muslims,” continue to pour out of the country.
And it is not only nations considered strict Islamic states that abuse the free exercise rights of their citizens. The “moderate” state of Malaysia, for example, has laws that, according the U.S. State Department, make it “very difficult for Muslims to change their religion legally.” In addition, evangelizing Muslims is strictly prohibited in Malaysia.# These draconian restrictions on freedom of faith are implemented despite a relatively large non-Muslim population in that country and the nation’s tradition of pluralism.
Despite the current state of affairs, we know from history that Islamic regimes were not always intolerant. The Moors, whose conquest of Spain began in 710 and who were not completely expelled from Spain until 1492 when Granada fell to Spanish forces, provide a good example. During long periods of the Moorish occupation, they showed far more tolerance for religious diversity than their Christian neighbors. With this tolerance came advancement. There is virtual unanimity that the Moorish culture was the most advanced in Europe during the Middle Ages. The Muslim world of the present could learn much from this most successful period of advanced Islamic civilization built on tolerance that far exceeded the norms of the time.
We may well be at a hinge-point in world history. The terror attacks were in part prompted by an intolerant extremist faith. The horrifying results of this bigotry are now plain to be seen. As long as Islamic states from the Morocco to the Maldives, from Algeria to Afghanistan, continue to practice state-sponsored religious repression, disrespect for other faiths and cultures will be the norm in the Islamic world. And as long as this norm is maintained, the extremism born of intolerance is likely to continue to thrive.
We began by asking a simple question. If Islamic nations do not respect religious freedom, should America respect the freedom of American Muslims? The answer has to be a resounding Yes. America may not be a perfect society, but it is most certainly proven to be a nation that respects a broad array of faiths. This is a powerful example to the rest of the world, including Islamic states, that religious freedom not only promotes human happiness, but also stability and prosperity. Now, with the bitter after-taste of religious intolerance fresh in our mouths, is the time to redouble our efforts to knock down the walls of state sponsored bigotry and religious oppression.
1 US Department of State, Annual Report on International Religious Freedom 2000, p. 204.
2 Id.
|
TOP LEVEL
Past Issues
Printer-friendly page
Send this page to a friend