Editorial for April 13, 2006
By Jim White
Editor
A few weeks ago, in the aftermath of the cartoons of Mohammed that appeared first in newspapers in Denmark and later in other countries, a Hampton Roads newspaper interviewed a Muslim student. The gist of his remarks can be boiled down to this: “We get no respect. The rest of the world needs to respect us.”
Apparently seeing itself as the Rodney Dangerfield of world religions, Islam has an image problem-among others. After Muslims rioted in the streets of most Arabic nations and attacked the Danish embassy, the Danes bent over backward to try to bring reconciliation. To Jordan's credit, sensible voices in this Islamic nation called for reason to prevail.
Things have settled down. Danish goods are back on Arabic shelves.
But I still have a problem. I believe in respecting other people and their beliefs-even those that differ vastly from my own. As I reflect, however, I'm having trouble respecting what I see of Islam.
Now I know that not all Muslims can be lumped together into a single group any more than all those who call themselves “Christian” can be considered likeminded. Still, looking at the sheer numbers of people involved, those Muslims who do really, really bad things aren't just a sliver of Islam to be compared to the likes of the Branch Davidians. Whole nations are involved.
I find it ironic and nauseating that the same voices that scream their rage at being dis-respected by cartoons also scream for the blood of any Muslim who converts to Christianity. Where's the respect for their rights and beliefs? The most recent example to gain widespread attention is the case of Abdul Rahman, a 41-year-old Afghan who trusted Christ as his Savior. He was questioned, “Do you believe in the Qu'ran?” Rahman responded, “I believe in the New Testament, and I love Jesus Christ.”
“We are Muslims, and becoming a Christian is against our laws,” the prosecutor, Abdul Wasi, concluded. “He must get the death penalty.”
Although at western insistence Afghanistan's leaders backed down from their earlier determination to see Rahman executed, many of the citizens were enraged at his release and continue to clamor for this killing. Islamic clerics have incited the people's fury with their rhetoric. “Rejecting Islam is insulting God. We will not allow God to be humiliated. This man must die,” said cleric Abdul Raoulf. “The government is playing games. The people will not be fooled.” Raoulf went on to tell an Associated Press reporter, “We will call on the people to pull him into pieces so there's nothing left.”
In an attempt to save face, the Afghani government determined Rahman to be insane and thus unable to stand trial. He was secretly released and whisked to Italy where refuge has been offered and accepted.
But now that the issue has been exposed, other Christians in Afghanistan are having an even more difficult time. Compass Direct, a U.S.-based news source, reports that two other Christians have been taken into custody while a third was beaten by a gang of six men outside his home. According to Compass, one of the man's friends reported, “Our brother remains steadfast, despite the ostracism and beatings.” Several other Afghan Christians have been subjected to police raids on their homes and places of work in the past month, as well as to telephone threats.
Regrettably, this treatment of Christians is not unique to Afghanistan, where the new constitution guarantees freedom of religion to non-Muslims, but also prohibits laws that are “contrary to the beliefs and provisions of the sacred religion of Islam.”
Nor is persecution of Christians the only reason respect fails me. Consider the practice of kidnapping innocent people. This would be enough to warrant a lack of respect. But add videotaping their grisly beheadings and supplying them to Al Jazeera for broadcast and respect simply isn't remotely possible.
But is it possible to draw a distinction between what the Qu'ran teaches and the practice of some followers of Islam? For that matter, what does the Qu'ran teach? Two camps seem to have emerged. One claims that there is nothing in the Qu'ran that even remotely indicates that those who leave Islam should be punished except by Allah. The other group claims that the Qu'ran is clear that those who were once Muslim believers and who convert to other religions or who fall away into disbelief should be killed.
Meanwhile as the two competing schools of thought debate each other, Christians are being threatened, persecuted, beaten and even killed. Islam has a long and gory history of spilling the blood of those who once were Muslims and leave their faith.
By nature, I am a respectful person. I want to respect Islam. But for now, what they do speaks so loudly I can't hear what they say. Well, actually, I can hear one thing they are saying. “We get no respect. The rest of the world needs to respect us.”