I Wish It Wasn't True...When a Muslim Leaves the Faith
Once a person publicly declares (in Arabic) that, "There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet," they become a Muslim for life. If they should later change their mind or convert to another faith they are, according to Islamic law (sharia), considered to have committed apostasy, which is blasphemy against God. Such blasphemy is, according to most interpretations of the Qur'an, punishable by death. (Note that although the Qur'an does not require death it is not clear whether it is implied or not. This uncertainty is clarified by hadiths, or sayings of Mohammed, which explicitly command death to apostates.)
Even so, many Muslims have converted to other faiths, most commonly to the Christian faith. Several Muslim countries actually have laws subjecting such a person to the death penalty. Others countries hold it to be illegal but stop short of imposing the penalty of death. (see "When Muslims Convert" below for details)
In the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and Malaysia/Indonesia there are estimates of tens of thousands of Muslims who have secretly converted to Christianity but cannot reveal their decision to anyone, even their own family. These converts live in fear for their lives every day. Many have immigrated to Europe or North America in the hopes that they might be able to begin a new life, free to openly practice their chosen faith.
But even in our so-called "free" societies there are growing fears that the literal application of the most conservative interpretations of sharia has already led local imams and their followers to declare these immigrant converts to be "fair game." Among family members, especially, the shame of having one of their own convert out of the Muslim faith has led some to murder their own wives, sisters or other relatives, meting out Allah's justice on his behalf. A new article by Daveed Gartenstein-Ross in Commentary, entitled, "When Muslims Convert," offers some important insights in this matter.
The recent murder of a Coptic Christian family in New Jersey has led some investigators to speculate that they may have been targeted by some in the Muslim community for being so outspoken in their attempts to convert Muslims to their faith. (See Joel Mowbray's column, "Jersey Jihadis," for more on this story; but note that the circumstances surrounding the murders are still unknown).
The Qur'an does not entertain the notion of the "separation of church and state." Quite the contrary, it does not differentiate between church and state at all. Allah rules over all creation and, where Islam assumes a controlling position in any society (either by conquest or by becoming a majority population), it is incumbent upon his followers to assert his rule of law as given through the word of his prophet, Mohammed (i.e. the Qur'an) and the implementation of sharia as interpreted by the dominant imams (Sunni) or ayatollahs (Shi'ite).
Whether a Muslim lives in a predominantly Muslim country or not, their declaration of faith puts them under Qur'anic law for the rest of their lives. There is, of course, a diversity of opinion among Islamic scholars as to how the obligations of sharia are to be carried out in a predominately non-Muslim society. But those who follow the teaching of the most fundamentalist sects (such as "wahhabism") do not necessarily recognize national boundaries as restraints to the overarching responsibility to defend the name of Allah and Mohammed, his prophet.
The vast majority of Muslims in the United States and, more locally, here in Hawaii, would never even consider taking the "law" into their own hands in taking vengeance upon someone who had converted from the Muslim faith. But it would be naive to think that such a thing is not possible (although the very small Muslim population in Hawaii makes this possibility extremely unlikely in our state).
The strong, historic inclination for Muslim societies to function as virtual theocracies makes the religious legitimization of democratic forms of government a central issue in any attempt to establish, maintain or expand democracy in any Islamic country, such as Turkey, Pakistan, India (which, although majority Hindu, still has the second largest Muslim population in the world), Indonesia and, now, Iraq.
For most Muslims, the issue is more "theological" than "political" in nature; and, for the more radical Muslim groups, the term "secular state" is an oxymoron.
As with any commentary on a world religion, my words are only intended to paint a broad picture of themes that enter reality in specific, concrete ways. Although I have generalized (and have avoided discussion of the often subtle nuance of sharia and its many interpretations) I do not pretend that what I have said will be true in any given situation. I only claim that what I have written is a true expression of attitudes and beliefs held by many in the Islamic world today.
I also do not believe that these thoughts in any way disqualify me from my active efforts to bring the leaders of many faith traditions in Hawaii, including Islam, together for regular conversation and discussion. It is important that each of us address the issues that confront us and be honest in our multi-faith dialogues. While I have raised matters of concern regarding the difficulties inherent in converting from the Muslim faith I am well aware that those of other faith traditions have similar questions and concerns about Christians and their beliefs and practice. It does no one any good to duck these issues or to pretend they do not exist. Mutual respect requires honest conversation. Anything less is hypocrisy.
Even so, many Muslims have converted to other faiths, most commonly to the Christian faith. Several Muslim countries actually have laws subjecting such a person to the death penalty. Others countries hold it to be illegal but stop short of imposing the penalty of death. (see "When Muslims Convert" below for details)
In the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and Malaysia/Indonesia there are estimates of tens of thousands of Muslims who have secretly converted to Christianity but cannot reveal their decision to anyone, even their own family. These converts live in fear for their lives every day. Many have immigrated to Europe or North America in the hopes that they might be able to begin a new life, free to openly practice their chosen faith.
But even in our so-called "free" societies there are growing fears that the literal application of the most conservative interpretations of sharia has already led local imams and their followers to declare these immigrant converts to be "fair game." Among family members, especially, the shame of having one of their own convert out of the Muslim faith has led some to murder their own wives, sisters or other relatives, meting out Allah's justice on his behalf. A new article by Daveed Gartenstein-Ross in Commentary, entitled, "When Muslims Convert," offers some important insights in this matter.
The recent murder of a Coptic Christian family in New Jersey has led some investigators to speculate that they may have been targeted by some in the Muslim community for being so outspoken in their attempts to convert Muslims to their faith. (See Joel Mowbray's column, "Jersey Jihadis," for more on this story; but note that the circumstances surrounding the murders are still unknown).
The Qur'an does not entertain the notion of the "separation of church and state." Quite the contrary, it does not differentiate between church and state at all. Allah rules over all creation and, where Islam assumes a controlling position in any society (either by conquest or by becoming a majority population), it is incumbent upon his followers to assert his rule of law as given through the word of his prophet, Mohammed (i.e. the Qur'an) and the implementation of sharia as interpreted by the dominant imams (Sunni) or ayatollahs (Shi'ite).
Whether a Muslim lives in a predominantly Muslim country or not, their declaration of faith puts them under Qur'anic law for the rest of their lives. There is, of course, a diversity of opinion among Islamic scholars as to how the obligations of sharia are to be carried out in a predominately non-Muslim society. But those who follow the teaching of the most fundamentalist sects (such as "wahhabism") do not necessarily recognize national boundaries as restraints to the overarching responsibility to defend the name of Allah and Mohammed, his prophet.
The vast majority of Muslims in the United States and, more locally, here in Hawaii, would never even consider taking the "law" into their own hands in taking vengeance upon someone who had converted from the Muslim faith. But it would be naive to think that such a thing is not possible (although the very small Muslim population in Hawaii makes this possibility extremely unlikely in our state).
The strong, historic inclination for Muslim societies to function as virtual theocracies makes the religious legitimization of democratic forms of government a central issue in any attempt to establish, maintain or expand democracy in any Islamic country, such as Turkey, Pakistan, India (which, although majority Hindu, still has the second largest Muslim population in the world), Indonesia and, now, Iraq.
For most Muslims, the issue is more "theological" than "political" in nature; and, for the more radical Muslim groups, the term "secular state" is an oxymoron.
As with any commentary on a world religion, my words are only intended to paint a broad picture of themes that enter reality in specific, concrete ways. Although I have generalized (and have avoided discussion of the often subtle nuance of sharia and its many interpretations) I do not pretend that what I have said will be true in any given situation. I only claim that what I have written is a true expression of attitudes and beliefs held by many in the Islamic world today.
I also do not believe that these thoughts in any way disqualify me from my active efforts to bring the leaders of many faith traditions in Hawaii, including Islam, together for regular conversation and discussion. It is important that each of us address the issues that confront us and be honest in our multi-faith dialogues. While I have raised matters of concern regarding the difficulties inherent in converting from the Muslim faith I am well aware that those of other faith traditions have similar questions and concerns about Christians and their beliefs and practice. It does no one any good to duck these issues or to pretend they do not exist. Mutual respect requires honest conversation. Anything less is hypocrisy.
posted by Bird of Paradise at 7:52 PM
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