Download Islam: Faith and Practice

Islam: Faith and Practice
Mehdi Noorbaksh Ph.D., MBA, MHA
Associate Professor of International Affairs
Coordinator of General Education
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
Fellow, Center for International Studies, University of St.
Thomas
President, Southwestern International Studies Association
Islam: Geography
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Population is 1.66 billion
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The Most Populated Muslim Countries
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25% of the worlds Population
52% of Africa
30% of Asia
7% of Europe (Germany with largest Muslim population 4 million,
and France with 3.5 million)
2.3% of North America (United States with 7 million and Canada
with close to 1 million)
The largest Muslim population in Americas, Argentina with close to
1 million Muslims
Indonesia 203 million
Pakistan 174, India 161, Bangladesh 145, Iran 74,
and Turkey 74 million
The Middle East and North Africa
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315 million in the Middle East
20% of the world Muslim population
Islam: Geography II
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The percentage of Muslim population
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Afghanistan 99.7%
Azerbaijan 99.2%
Bangladesh 89.6%
Bulgaria 12.2%
China 1.6%
India 13.4%
Indonesia 88.2%
Iran 99.4%
Israel 16.7%
Spain 1%
Switzerland 4.3%
United Kingdom 2.7%
United States 2.3%
Islam: Tenets of Faith
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Pillars of Faith
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Islam is followed by Sunni Muslims(85%) and Shiite(15%)
Theology is based on:
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Declaration of Faith (Shahda), There is no God but God and
Muhammad is his messenger
Prayer (Salat), Five times during the day-at daybreak, noon, midafternoon, sunset and evening
Thanksgiving to God by supporting the poor (Zakat), 2.5% of
wealth
Fasting (soum), one month during the month of Ramadan from
sunrise to sunset
Pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca in Saudi Arabia
Quran, Sunnah (tradition of the prophet), Aghl (reasoning) and
Ijma’ (consensus)
Recognized school of theology: Hanbali, Shafei, Maliki,
Hanafi and Shite Ithna Ashari
Islam: Other Faiths
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No compulsion in religion
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“There is to be no compulsion in religion,” Quran 2:256
“O humankind, We have created you male and female and
made you nations and tribes, so that you might come to
know one another,” Quran 49:13
“Surely the believers and the Jews, Christians and Sabians,
whoever believes in God and the last day, and whoever
does right, shall have his reward with his lord and will
neither have fear nor regret,” Quran 2:62
“Say, We believe in God, and in what has been revealed to
us, and in what has been sent down to Abraham and Ismail
and Isaac and Jacob and their offspring, and what has been
revealed to Moses and Jesus and to all prophets of our
Lord. We make no distinction between them and we submit
to Him and obey,” Quran 3:84
Islam: Other Faith II
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In Islam the concept of prophecy is broader than
Judaism and Christianity
Muslims distinguish between “prophets” and
“messengers”
While all messengers are prophets not all
prophets are messenger
Abraham, Noah, Joseph, and John the Baptist are
all prophets
Moses, Jesus and Muhammad are Messengers in
the tradition of Abrahamic faith
Islam: Reading and Interpretation
There is no structure for priesthood in
Islam
 There is the concept of Ijtihad (reasoning
in matters of faith and society). Anyone
can have Ijtihad as long as he or she is
relatively knowledgeable about the faith
 Two spectrums of reading and
interpretation in Islam
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Reformist Islam
Puritanical Islam
Islam: Reading and Interpretation II
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Reformist Islam
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Relies on reason and Ijtihad
Relies on modern science to understand complexities
of society, is not superstitious and deterministic
Advocates want to purify faith from traditional
cultures and misinterpretation
Sees faith within the confine of rationality
Relies on faith to enhance norms and values within
society
It is the religion of the intellectuals and educated
It rejects structured religion
Islam: Reading and Interpretation III
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Puritanical Islam
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It is the religion of the literal reading of faith
This reading of faith relies on determinism
This reading of faith is attached to emotion and
colored by culture and tradition
It uses social institutions and resources for the
promotion of the faith
It is a conservative reading of religion as against the
intellectual and informed understanding of the faith
It is highly authority oriented and hierarchical
Islam: Politics and Government
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Politics in Reformist Islam
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All who support Reformist Islam are political
Sees total compatibility between faith and democratic
norms
The advocates of Reformist Islam are in the forefront
of the battle for democratic rule and government in
their societies
In many parts of the Muslim world, they collaborate
with secular forces to establish democratic
institutions in their society
They are not tolerated by authoritarian regimes and
puritanists alike
They are not necessarily against the Western values
Islam: Politics and Government II
Not all supporters of puritanical Islam are
political
 Those who are:
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They see incompatibility between the faith and
democratic norms
They are for establishing theocratic governments
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If they can, they join forces with authoritarian
regimes for the promise of a theocracy
They resort to violence for achieving their goals
They are not tolerated by secular authoritarian
regimes
They are mostly against all Western values
Islam: Politics and Government III
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Muslims participation in government:
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India: Muslims contributed to Indian democracy
Indonesia: successful to fully establish democratic
government and institutions
Malaysia: Established democratic government
Turkey: Took over the government from military and
secular bureaucrats
Iran: Advocates of Reformist Islam are in a battle
with puritanist theocrats
Muslims fully participated in the politics of the
Western democracies
Islam: Politics and Government IV
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Three failed government by Puritanists:
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The experience of Jamaat Islami in Pakistan under
Zia ul-Haq in the 1970’s
The Experience of Iran under Ayatollah Khomeini
The Experience of Sudan under Bashir governmet in
the 1990’s
Advocates of Piratical Islam when gained
power
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Establish theocratic regimes in which Islam is used as
a mean for discipline and control
These regimes start with authoritarianism and lean
toward totalitarianism
Islam: Jihad and Terrorism
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Jihad in Arabic means to strive in the path of God
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Non-violence (the greater Jihad): Struggle against one’s
own ego, selfishness, evil and misdeed
Violent (the lesser Jihad): The right to defend faith and
community
Political Puritanists combined militancy with
messianic vision to inspire violent act against
what they interpret enemy
They are marginal groups who participate in
terrorism
Supporters of Reformist Islam and even nonpolitical Puritanits condemn their violence
Islam: The Future
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The battle between Reformist Islam and
Puritanical Islam will continue
In countries with poverty and authoritarian rule,
political puritanists will have more chance of
success to recruit
In countries with better economy and an
educated middle class, the advocates of
Reformist Islam will win the battle against the
Puritanists
In countries benefiting more from globalization
and its economic benefits, the danger of
radicalism is lower
Islam: The Future II
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Policies that can help eradicate radicalism
and terrorism
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Eradication of poverty by development and education
in countries with high level of poverty
Western support for democratic change especially in
the Middle East
Resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict
Western attention to democratic forces and not
authoritarian regimes in the Muslim world