Maurice Allen

Is Islam Compatible With Western Society?

In modern times, as the number of Muslims living in Europe and the USA is increasing to include a significant number of the population, the question of whether Islam is compatible with Western society and all that it entails, such as democracy, freedom, etc, is being raised more often. Also the September the 11th attacks on the World Trade Centre, the July 7th bombings in London among other terrorist attacks, along with a rising wave of Islamic violence and extremism around the globe have intensified the debate about Islam and its role in the modern world. Thus, it is important to examine Islam, its ideology, beliefs, and practices, and look at whether the religion of Islam can truly exist peacefully within Western society. In order to do this we must establish a firm understanding of Islamic ideology, its history and aims, and what it represents, along with an equal understanding of Western democracy and values, and of Western society as a whole. As such, this project is mainly an examination and critique of Islam, and a comparison between Islamic ideology and Western value systems, in order to determine whether or not the two are compatible, or as some argue, diametrically opposed. Most of the criticism of Islam in this essay will be based upon actual text in the Quran, and historical events, rather than the writings of critics of Islam.

Western Society
Western culture and society is commonly considered as having several key concepts. These concepts are democracy, equality, and an emphasis on freedom, and these are seen as distinguishing Western peoples from the rest of the world. In the Middle Ages and early modern times, the separation of Church and state developed, allowing for the development of more distinctive political ideas, such as the separation of powers, which make modern Western democracy distinct from democracy in the rest of the world. This separation of church and state developed in many Western countries, and the West is largely secularised. Thus, Western society can be seen as having several key factors that make it different from the rest of the world Freedom This includes freedom of speech, association, etc, Democracy Democratically elected representatives run most Western states, Equality In most Western states, everyone is equal regardless of sex etc, Individuality Personal freedom and idividuality is emphasised in the West, along with capitalism which is an individualistic ideology, Secularisation There are no theocracies in the Western world, as most states are largely secularised.

Maurice Allen

Islam
Islam in one of the three main monotheistic religions in the world, and an adherent of Islam is called a Muslim. Islam was founded by Mohammed (c. 570 June 8, 632) in 621 AD. Mohammed was originally a merchant, but later became a religious, political, and military leader after receiving visions from God while meditating in a cave in the hills around Mecca, at the age of 40. These visions continued for the rest of his life, and were dictated to his followers who recorded them as the Quran, Islams holy book. The Quran is considered by Muslims to be the absolute word of God. The word Islam literally means submission, and it is often claimed that it refers to submission to the will of God. Muslims believe that Islam is the complete version of a faith that was revealed before at many times and places, in an incomplete or corrupt form, including through prophets such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Thus Muslims believe Islam to be the final, corrected form of both Christianity and Judaism, which they view as being corrupted versions of their own faith. However, Muslims do not view Muhammad as having created Islam himself, but instead regard him as a prophet through which the Qur'an and the religion was merely revealed by God. Religious concepts and practices in Islam include the five pillars of Islam, which are basic concepts and acts of worship, following the example of Mohammed, and following Islamic law, which touches on every aspect of life, encompassing everything from banking and welfare, to marrital law and warfare. Mohammed conquered large parts of the Middle East in his efforts to spread Islam, and by the time of his death in AD 632, he was the undisputed ruler of the Arabian Peninsula. Since that time, Islam has continued to grow, and with about 1.57 billion Muslims in the world, comprising about 23% of the world's population,1 Islam is the second-largest religion, and the fastest-growing religion, in the world.

Islamic contradictions with Western values

There are many criticisms leveled at Islam, in which people argue that Islam is inherently opposed to the Western way of way of life. People argue that for this reason, Islam cannot exist peacefully in Western society. The most common criticisms are thus: The Role Of Women Under Islam It is often argued that women are treated as inherently inferior to men under Islam. Examples of this can be seen throughout history and all over the world today, such as in the practice of honour killings, the wearing of the burka, and the
Miller, Tracy, Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the Worlds Muslim Populatio (2009)
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Maurice Allen segregation of men and women in mosques and in Islamic society in general. Upon looking at the Quran, the story of the life of Muhammad, and Islamic law, it can be seen that there is no ambiguity as to the inferiority of women in Islam. According to historical accounts of his life, after military conquests, Mohammed would give out women captured from the enemy as war prizes to his men. In at least one case, according to the Quran, he ordered that they be raped in front of their husbands. These captured women were made into sex slaves by the conquering Muslims who had killed their husbands and brothers. There are four verses in the Quran in which Allah makes clear that a male Muslim master has full sexual access to his female slaves, yet there is not one verse anywhere in the Quran that prohibits rape. The Quran gives Muslim men permission to beat their wives for disobedience, and it plainly says that husbands are a degree above their wives. The Hadith says that women are intellectually inferior to men, and that they comprise the majority of Hells occupants. Under Islamic law, a man may divorce his wife at his choosing whenever he wishes to, whereas women are unable to divorce their husbands unless it is the husbands wish also. Muslim women are not free to marry whom they please, as are Muslim men. Their husband may also bring other wives or slaves into the marriage bed. The Quran also commands that a Muslim woman must be sexually available to her husband at any time, as a field ready to be tilled. According to the Quran, and in the practice of Islamic law, Muslim women do not inherit property in equal proportion to Muslim men, and their testimony in court is worth only half that of a mans. Under the Sharia, if a woman claims that she was raped, there must be 4 male witnesses to corroborate her account, or the alleged rapist must admit his guilt. Otherwise the victim can be stoned to death for confessing to adultery. Islams Warlike Nature A further criticism leveled at Islam is its inherently warlike nature, as it can be argued that Islam is not a passive religion by nature, and indeed seeks to establish its spread across the globe through force of arms. This was especially true in the past. Many argue Islam has just followed the example of Mohammed, who slaughtered thousands and conquered the entire Arabian Peninsula through force of arms. The early years of Islams founding were awash with blood, in which Mohammed and his armies fought countless battles to aid the spread of Islam. In 622, Mohammeds public preaching had attracted a small band of followers, who had to flee from their home city of Mecca to the neighbouring city of Medina for their own safety as their preaching had caused unrest in the city. In Medina, many of the inhabitants embraced Islam and Mohammed amassed a small army. In 623 Mohammed decided to take revenge against Mecca for expelling him, and attacked trade caravans to provoke a reaction. A Meccan army marched out to meet Mohammed, but was decisively routed by the Muslim army at the Battle of Badr, which has achieved almost legendary status in Islamic lore as the first battle in which blood was spilled for Islam.

Maurice Allen However, shortly after this, many of the Jews living in Medina who had embraced Islam began to reject Mohammeds claims of being a divinely inspired prophet, so Mohammed attacked them and expelled them from the city for treachery. In 625 the Meccans once again attacked Medina to quell the growing influence of the Muslims, and this time defeated the Muslim army at the battle of Uhud. They failed to capitalize on their victory and withdrew back to Mecca. In 627 the Meccans attacked Medina again, with a force far larger than Mohammeds Muslim army, but the Muslims had dug trenches around the city, a tactic unknown in Arabia at the time. After an ineffectual siege lasting a few weeks, the Meccan army went home. After this, Mohammed declared the remaining Jews living in Medina, those who had remained loyal to him, to be traitors. The Jewish men were beheaded, and the women and children were enslaved by the Muslims. In 628, Mohammed attacked the Jewish settlement of Khaybar for unknown reasons, and defeated the Jewish army at the Battle of Khaybar. Mohammed entered into negotiations with Mecca, and signed a truce set to last 10 years. However, after 2 years, Mohammed discovered the Meccans had been attacking a tribe that was on friendly terms with the Muslims, so he declared the truce null and void, and in 630 Mohammed marched on Mecca with 10,000 men. The Meccans surrendered almost immediately, and Mohammed, in an uncharacteristic display of generosity, declared an amnesty for the Meccans past offences, except for 10 men and women who had mocked him in songs, who were killed. Mohammed defeated the rest of the tribes in the region in quick succession, as he saw that it was far easier to spread his religion through conquest than through preaching. In 2 years his armies had, though open warfare, conquered the entirety of the Arabian Peninsula, and when the prophet died in 632, he was the ruler of the region. Within the next 100 years, Islam violently overran an area of land that spread from Northwest India, across Central Asia, the Middle East, North Africa, Southern Italy and the Iberian Peninsula, right to the Pyrenees. Some of the battles from that time are detailed here. At the death of the Prophet, Abu Bakr, a close friend of Mohammed, was named the first Khalifah, (successor) and immediately organized the invasion of Syria. During this campaign in 634, the entire region between Gaza and Caesarea was devastated, and 4000 peasants, Christians, Jews, and Samaritans who were defending their land, were massacred. During the campaigns in Mesopotamia, between 635 and 642, many monasteries were sacked and burned, and the monks killed, and Non-Muslim Arabs were executed or forced to convert. In Elam, the population was put to the sword, and at Susa all the dignitaries were executed also. At Nikiou in Egypt, the entire population was slaughtered by the advancing Muslim armies. In Armenia the entire population of Euchaita was wiped out, and In 642, the town of Dvin was razed and all inhabitants were

Maurice Allen executed. The same trail of carnage was left by the Muslim armies in North Africa, Carthage was razed to the ground and most of its inhabitants slaughtered. The entire history of Islamic conquests is littered with forced conversions, and the spread of Islam through war. For example, in August 1198, the Jews of Aden were ordered before the Caliph, and any Jew who failed to turn up was killed. Those who appeared as ordered were humiliated and forced to convert; anyone who defected from Islam later was beheaded. In 1480, a Muslim army under Mohammed II seized the city of Otranto is Southern Italy. Of the 22,000 inhabitants captured by the Muslims, 12,000 were bound with ropes and tortured to death outside the city walls. All the Christian priests in the city were massacred. On a hill outside the city, still known today as Martyrs Hill, 800 inhabitants who refused to convert to Islam were beheaded, including the citys Bishop. A year later the Muslims were driven out of Otranto by a Christian army, and when they found the beheaded bodies on the hill, they entombed the skeletons behind glass walls in the town cathedral, where they can still be seen to this day. These are just a few examples of many. Islamic Intolerance Islams inherent intolerance means that arguably, it is diametrically opposed to Western liberal ideas of tolerance and freedom. Islam, the teachings of the Quran, Islamic law, and the deeds and teachings of Mohammed, have always been totally intolerant of non-Muslims, heretics, apostates, atheists, and homosexuals. Muslim theologians all agree that no religious tolerance was extended to the Non-Muslims living in Arabia at the time of Mohammed. The only choice given to them was conversion to Islam or death. Similarly, no tolerance is shown to atheists and unbelievers. The Koran is full passages describing the punishments awaiting atheists, "As for the unbelievers, for them garments of fire shall be cut and there shall be poured over their heads boiling water whereby whatever is in their bowels and skins shall be dissolved and they will be punished with hooked iron rods."2 The Quran also orders all Muslims to fight and kill nonbelievers as their religious duty: "When you meet the unbelievers, strike off their heads; then when you have made wide slaughter among them, carefully tie up the remaining captives."3 In Islamic law, apostasy is viewed as a terrible crime, and is punishable by death. In France alone, statistics show that between 200 and 300 Muslims convert to Christianity each year, however it is suspected that the real figure may actually be much higher as the majority of Muslims who convert do so secretly, for fear of reprisals. This is especially true outside of Europe. Christians are marginally better regarded than Jews in the Quran, but the Muslim holy book still accuses them of heresy, "They surely are Infidels who say, 'God is the third of three': for there is but one God; and if they do not refrain from what they say, a severe
2 3

The Quran, Surah XXII.9 The Quran, Surah XLVII.4

Maurice Allen punishment shall light on those who are unbelievers."4 The attitude that the Quran encourages Muslims to take toward the Jews is highly anti-Semitic, and at times sounds like rabid hatred. However, all Non-Muslims are despised in the Quran, "Believers, do not take Jews or Christians as friends. They are but one another's friends. If anyone of you takes them for his friends, then he is surely one of them. God will not guide evil doers."5 Muslims are unwilling to accept any criticisms of Mohammed, which for them would constitute blasphemy and are punishable by death in many Islamic countries. Such punishment is routinely carried out in Saudi Arabia, an extremist and highly repressive Islamic state. Amnesty International reported that in 2009, Saudi Arabian authorities executed 102 people, most of them for religious crimes such as apostasy and blasphemy.6 The totalitarian nature of Islam is most apparent in the concept of Jihad, or Holy War, the duty of all Muslims, whose aim is to conquer the entire world and submit it to Islam and Islamic law. The Quran claims that Islam is the only exclusive and universal truth, and as such Islam is the only way to salvation, and thus it is the duty of every Muslim to bring Islam to the rest of humanity. Jihad is especially for the purpose of advancing Islam and forcing the world to submit to Islamic rule, and it is the religious duty of all Muslims to fight and kill for Allah and for Islam. There are many passages in the Quran that deal with the concept of Jihad: Kill those who join other gods with God wherever you may find them.7 Those who believe fight in the cause of God.8 I will instill terror into the hearts of the Infidels. Strike off their heads, then strike off from them every fingertip.9 It is a grave sin for a Muslim to shirk the battle against the unbelievers; those who do will roast in Hell. Believers, when you meet the unbelievers preparing for battle do not turn your backs to them. Anyone who does shall incur the wrath of God and Hell shall be his home: an evil dwelling indeed!10 If you do not fight, He will punish you severely, and put others in your place.11

4 5

The Quran, Surah V.75 The Quran, Surah V.51 6 Amnesty International Report, 2009 7 The Quran, Surah IX.5-6 8 The Qur,an, Surah IV.76 9 The Quran, Surah VIII.12 10 The Quran, Surah VIII.15-16 11 The Quran, Surah IX.39

Maurice Allen Those who die fighting for the only true religion, that is, Islam, will be amply rewarded in the life to come. Let those who fight in the cause of God who barter the life of this world for that which is to come; for whoever fights on God's path, whether he is killed or triumphs, we will give him a handsome reward.12 It is clear from many of the above verses that the Quran is not talking of metaphorical battles, or personal conflict, is talking of literal war. Under Islam, the world is divided into 2 groups, Muslims and non-Muslims (Kuffaar), and the only option for the Kuffaar is acceptance of Islam or death. In Islam, NonMuslims are people of the Dar Ul Harb, the Land of Warfare, any country belonging to Non-Muslims that has not been subdued by Islam but which Muslims believe is destined to pass into Islamic rule either by conversion or by conquest. All acts of war are permitted under Islam to conquer the Dar Ul Harb. Once conquered, if the subjugated people do not convert to Islam they will either be killed, enslaved, or treated as dhimmis, as the Muslims see fit. Under Islam, a dhimmi is tolerated as a second-class subject as long as they pay regular tribute to their Muslim masters. Various other rules that those in dhimmitude must follow also exist, such as never walking in front of a Muslim, and bowing to any Muslim he sees, etc. Also, the Quran expressly excludes all dhimmis from taking any public office.13 Various Hadith in the Quran also forbid a Christian or a Jew to exercise any authority over a Muslim. This Muslim superiority over Non-Muslims is enshrined in Islamic law. In litigation between a Muslim and a dhimmi, the validity of the oath or testimony of the dhimmi is not recognized by the Sharia court. Any fine imposed on a Muslim for any crime is automatically halved if the victim is a dhimmi. A Muslim can never be executed for having committed any crime against a dhimmi. Dhimmis also have to pay a poll tax and a land tax, which historically was too much of a financial burden to bear. Fort example, the Copts in Lower Egypt, who were in dhimmitude to Arab Muslim masters, had been reduced to poverty by the taxes and revolted in 832. The Muslim governor ruthlessly suppressed the rebellion, burning villages, and churches, and slaughtering thousands. Those Copts who survived were deported. Islam & Democracy A democracy, as well as being rule by the people, is a system in which all people are judged as equals before the law, regardless of race, religion or gender. The vote of every individual is equal to the vote of any other. Under Islamic law, only Muslim males are entitled to full rights, and the standing of a woman is often half that of a man's, sometimes even less. Non-Muslims have no standing with a Muslim whatsoever. An Islamic state is guided by Islamic law, derived from the Qur'an and Sunnah. In any Islamic state, a group of clerics interprets the law from the Quran and applies it to all circumstances, from political and cultural to
12 13

The Quran, Surah IV.74 The Quran, Surah III.27, 114-115; V.56

Maurice Allen personal. In Islamic law, the people are never to be placed above the Qur'an, and as such it is an unchangeable religious text that rules. The collective will of the people cannot rule for themselves, as all law must be derived from the Quran and Sunnah. Many Muslims believe that democracy is an evil, manmade system that should be eradicated, as only God has the right to rule. It is debatable as to whether there are any Islamic states that qualify as democracies (certainly none that qualify as true Western-style democracies). The tiny handful that are often held up as democracies are riven with internal tension between the government and more zealous portions of the population, as the latter often complain that democracy is an idolatrous system imposed on them by the government and desire a system of government that is derived only from Islamic law. Thus, Islam does not facilitate democracy.

Rising Islamic Extremism & Opposition to the West

These days the Islamic conquest of the world is not being carried out with sieges, scimitars, and cannon, but through acts of terrorism and the increasing Islamification of Non-Muslim countries. Recent years have seen a huge rise in Islamic extremism and terrorism around the globe, the most famous incidents of which were the September 11th terror attacks on the World Trade Centre, and the July 7th bombings in London. Many other incidents exist also, such as the 2004 Madrid bombings etc. Worldwide Islamic terror cells such as Al Qaeda are operating in Western countries, and have declared war against the West. The people who are members of these groups believe that Islam is not only a religion but a political system also, that personal life and Islam, and the teachings of the Quran, are the same, and that Islam should rule every aspect of life in the world. Thus they fight with the ultimate goal of eradicating Western society, which they see as evil. Islamists, as these people are sometimes called, have claimed that such unrestricted freedom and secularisation in the West has led to the proliferation of pornography, immorality, secularism, homosexuality, feminism, and many other ideas that they oppose. They have the goal of replacing it with a worldwide Islamic theocracy in which Islamic law controls every aspect of life. The main ideological tenet in Islamic extremism is the principle of Jihad, which is one of the cornerstones of Islam. Jihad advocates war on non-Muslims and apostates, and claims that it is the duty of every Muslim to fight for Islam and Allah. This rising wave of extremism can be seen by the following figures A radio station serving London's Pakistani community conducted a poll, in which 98% of London Muslims under 45 said they would not fight for Britain, while 48% said they would fight for bin Laden.14 A 2004 Pew Research survey revealed that Osama bin Laden is viewed favorably by large percentages in Pakistan (65%), Jordan (55%) and Morocco
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Benjamin, Daniel & Simon, Steven, The Age of Sacred Terror (Random House 2002)

Maurice Allen (45%). In Turkey as many as 31% say that suicide attacks against Americans and other Westerners are justifiable.15 A 2005 Daily Telegraph survey showed that 6% of British Muslims fully supported the July 2005 bombings in the London Underground.16

Conclusion
The accusations levelled at Islam by its critics, such as its warlike tendencies, intolerance etc, can arguably be levelled at Western religions such as Christianity also. The problem, however, is that Christianity has moved on and evolved, whereas Islam still needs to evolve and adapt to fit the modern world. Islamic extremism is a rising problem in the world today whereas the threat of extremist Chrtistianity is almost non-existent, at least not in the way of suicide bombings, terrorism, and violent conquest. The very essence of Islam, as so clearly articulated by the Quran, is that of an aggressive, conquering ideology whose ultimate goal is to conquer the world for Islam, and it is the duty of every Muslim to aid his brothers and sisters in that fight. This may make the evolution and modernisaion of Islam extremely difficult, especially given the level of conservatism amongst the Muslim community. While it is certainly not suggested that every Muslim is a violent extremist (the majority can, and do, live peacefully) the fact is that Islam is an ideology which openly calls for warfare against anything that is not Islamic. A significant minority of Muslims do support warfare and terrorism, and with the Muslim population rising around the globe, the situation is set to build. In conclusion, Islam in its curent state cannot exist peacefully in Western society without evolving to suit the modern world.

Bibliography
15

A Year After The Iraq War, Mistrust Of America In Europe Ever Higher, Muslim Anger Persists (Pew Reseach Survey 2005) 16 King, Anthony, One in four Muslims sympathises with the motives of terrorists (London Telegraph, 25th June 2006)

Maurice Allen The Quran (Oxford, 2008 reprint) Huntington, Samuel P, The Clash of Civilizations & The Remaking of World Order (Simon & Schuster, 1996) Warraq, Ibn, Why I Am Not A Muslim (Prometheus, 2003) Kemp, Arthur, Jihad: Islams 1,300 Year War Against Western Civilisation (Ostara, 2008) King, Anthony, One in four Muslims sympathises with the motives of terrorists (London Telegraph, 25th June 2006) Kepel, Gilles, Jihad, The Trail Of Political Islam (I.B. Tauris, 2008) Davis, Gregory M, Religion Of Peace?: Islams War Against The World (World Ahead, 2006) Bawer, Bruce, While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam Is Destroying The West from Within (Broadway Books, 2007) Spencer, Robert, The Truth About Mohammed: Founder Of The Worlds Most Intolerant Religion (Regnery, 2007) Amnesty International Report, 2009 Miller, Tracy, Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the Worlds Muslim Population, 2009 Benjamin, Daniel & Simon, Steven, The Age of Sacred Terror (Random House 2002)