Retributions  

The question whether Islam is a peaceful religion or not has been the subject of a lot of debate. Some cite verses from Quran to prove how Islam is a religion of violence spread through the proverbial sword while Muslims argue that actually it is a religion of compassion and the terrorists are simply misinterpreting Islamic teachings.

This blog has always held that this is a largely irrelevant debate. Enough evidence can be cited from almost any religious text to show how every religion promoted violence and discrimination at one point of time or another. The very nature of religion as a group which can only expand its power by enlisting additional hands is enough to ensure that it can never behave fairly to those who choose a different path. Thus, the important question is how is that religion interpreted now.

In an interesting write up Arthshashtra attempts to answer this.(link via DesiPundit)

Let us think of Muslim majority regions and nations like the Middle East, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, certain regions of Africa and Indonesia and see how the “weaker party” that is, non-Muslims have been treated in those regions? Is there freedom of religion? Is there freedom of speech? Can you openly practice your faith? What about civil laws?

There is absolutely no doubt that such countries treat their minorities unfairly despite what some zealots would like us to believe. Whether it is the land of pure where you can be killed for desecrating the Quran or even supposedly liberal countries like Malaysia which still are unable to grant as basic a freedom as that of religious conversion. Let us not even talk about the likes of Saudi Arabia where even the concept of freedom( of any kind) is unknown.

But then he loses the plot.

Now compare those societies with the societies created by Christian majority states, like those of the Western Europe or in the US. Or the society created by the Hindu majority state of India.There, you’ve answered the question that “Is Islam a peaceful religion today?

The crucial point here is that though Western Europe is Christian majority, it is not a Christian state and the same goes for Hindu Majority India. Despite the religious affiliation of their people, these countries are not theocratic states but liberal secular democracies. And therein hangs the tale.

The problem with the Islamic world is not that the majority of people are Muslims, the problem is that the state is Islamic. Secularism is not only virtually unknown, but is a concept which is detested and there is absolutely no separation

of Church and the State. Their constitutions actively promote one religion(Islam) and attempt to run the country according to Islamic tenets. Thus, an institutional framework exists which (directly or indirectly) promotes violence and discrimination against religious minorties. And of course, in due course, this extends to hatred against those who do not share the faith, whatever their geographical location.

A Hindu state or the Christian state would treat its minorities the same way as the Islamic states do. Will a Hindu India led by the likes of Narendra Modi be fair to the minorities? I think the answer is fairly obvious. Thus to judge Islam from how the Islamic states behave is completely wrong.

Infact it misses the lesson which we must learn, that the only way to build lasting peace in the world is to discard theocracies and spread the message of liberal secular democracies. And why just peace, that is the only way to be part of the globalized economy. Going back a couple of centuries, the genius that was renaissance was only unleashed with the decline of the Church.

Of course , much of the Islamic world seems blissfully unaware. Infact, they should actually detest the label of being called Islamic countries. Sadly, they themselves promote these labels by building organizations like OIC. That is the real tragedy.