http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/printArticle.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=438413&version=1&template_id=46&parent_id=26
Muslim thinkers seeking to retrieve pluralist ethos
Publish Date: Thursday,2 June, 2011, at 12:33 PM Doha Time
By Asma Afsaruddin/Bloomington
Religious pluralism is one of the few, truly, modern expressions. The term
refers to the acceptance of a multitude of religions existing in harmony
despite internal doctrinal differences and variations in external rituals and
practices. Although the term itself hails only from the 20th century, one
might argue that the idea has been around for much longer and has been part of
a Muslim ethos from a very early period.
This is not to deny that other religious traditions may also have developed
such an ethos in the past or that they are capable of doing so in the future; I
speak only from my, personal observations, which are strictly limited to the
religious tradition that I know best - Islam.
Religious pluralism may be inferred from the Qur'an itself and the abundant
commentary literature on it from the early centuries of Islam. The Qur'an
valorises Judaism, Christianity and Islam equally on the basis of a shared
belief in the one God and righteous behaviour. It praises righteous
practitioners of all monotheistic faiths as belonging to a moderate, balanced
and just community.
Justice is extolled in the Qur'an as an ethical principle held in common by
righteous believers, a natural correlate of their moral charge on earth to
uphold what is good and forbid what is wrong. The pluralist ethos imparted by
these verses was largely endorsed by early Muslim scholars; historical
literature indicates that this general principle of inclusion was eventually
extended to other non-Abrahamic religious communities, such as the
Zoroastrians, Hindus and Buddhists.
However, roughly after the ninth century, this pluralist impulse began to be
progressively diluted and compromised in response to various socio-political
and theological developments. Over time, many (though by no means all) Muslim
scholars came to consider "right" belief and "right" practice as, exclusively,
a confessional allegiance to Islam. While other religious and communities were
to be tolerated and even granted autonomy in determining their internal
affairs, these jurists decided that they were not to be deemed equal to
Muslims.
Today we find that there is a resurgence of interest among a substantial number
of Muslim thinkers towards retrieving the early pluralist ethos, and making it
part of contemporary Muslim-majority societies, especially as many of these
societies are already quite multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious .
And yet, recent shocking examples of religious intolerance and sectarian hatred
in some of these countries have dominated global news. In Egypt, on New Year's
Eve in 2010, there was a brutal attack by militants on Saints Church in
Alexandria, Egypt; 21 Christian Copts were killed.
Though the reaction from the majority Egyptian Muslim population was one of
outrage and horror - al-Azhar University, the premier institution of learning
in the Sunni Muslim world, took the lead in condemning the attack - media
coverage focused on horror.
Less well-noticed were scenes of heart-warming inter-faith solidarity and
loyalty that followed in the wake of the attacks. Muhammed el-Sawy, a young
Muslim entrepreneur, immediately organised what became known as a "human
shields" campaign.
Under the slogan "We either live together or die together," el-Sawy and his
fellow organisers, aided by social media tools, rallied thousands of Egyptians
- from ministers to movie stars - to turn up at the Coptic church on Coptic
Christmas, January 7, 2011, for a dramatic show of solidarity, a
finger-in-the-eye gesture at the militants.
We are so accustomed to stories of injustice emanating from the Middle East,
we might be tempted to dismiss this as a fluke. Except that this trend of
inter-faith solidarity asserted itself repeatedly during the spontaneous
pro-democracy movement that erupted in Tahrir Square in Cairo this year. On
the Sunday during the so-called "Week of Resistance," Copts held their Mass in
Tahrir Square while Muslims formed a protective ring, defending worshippers
against government troops. The Christians, in turn, created a protective
cordon the following Friday when Muslims assembled for prayer.
During funeral prayers for slain protestors, Muslims and Christians prayed
together, carried copies of the Qur'an and the cross during the service, and
chanted "One Hand!" If religious supremacists were squirming, no one was
paying attention.
Young people and many of their elders across the Middle East are realising that
the desire for justice and freedom remains a common, basic, denominator that
cuts across religious, ethnic and other divides. Religious pluralism is an
ally of justice and freedom-seeking people everywhere. Egyptians recently
proved that this new-found inter religious solidarity is the wave of the
future, regardless of the considerable challenges that lie ahead. - Global
Experts/UNAOC
*Asma Afsaruddin is professor of Islamic studies, Indiana University,
Bloomington.
*This article is part of the series Religion, Politics & the Public Space in
collaboration with the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and its
Global Experts project (www.theglobalexperts.org). The views expressed in these
articles are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect those of the
United Nation Alliance of Civilizations or of the institutions to which the
authors are affiliated.
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