Liberty Or Islamic Law?
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In this issue: More at summit.org » pg. 2 From the President’s Desk » Student Blog: See what students are up the » pg. 5 What has Doc Noebel to this summer been reading? » Find us on Facebook » pg. 7 Alumni Spotlight: Kroeker renews discussion on » Check our Twitter journalJune 2013 Volume 13 Issue 6 role of government feed: @summitmn Liberty or Islamic Law? Cover Story By Kevin Bywater Civilizations?1 I confessed that I had only read their vote. Summit Oxford Study Centre about forty pages and didn’t have an opinion. Then a question came to me. “If you were “I don’t know why anyone would see us as a able to vote to implement Sharia in Oxford, don’t know why anyone would see us threat,” he said. would you?” His smile enlarged and his re- as a threat.” Indeed, why would anyone see this man sponse was immediate: “Of course, that is our As we were driving toward as a threat? He was an amiable chap with a culture, our heritage.” This troubled me. “IHeathrow, in London, our Sudanese taxi perpetual smile. I certainly didn’t see him as a “But if Sharia were implemented,” I driver, a Muslim, noted how he enjoyed living threat. reasoned, “then the very people who had in Oxford. “It is very peaceful here,” he noted. We spoke of immigration in Europe, how granted jobs, healthcare, and peaceful resi- During our conversation I described how our skilled immigrants are granted jobs, homes, dences might find, in turn, thattheir peace and Summit Oxford students read the Qur’an, healthcare, education, and other services. In- security would be taken away. They would spend hours reading Hadiths, and meet with deed, they are given places to reside in peace- be persecuted or prosecuted if they did not an imam. ful societies, ones typically more peaceful comply with Sharia.” “Oh,” he blurted, “are you familiar with than their home countries. We observed how Silence ensued for several minutes. Our that book about how civilizations clash?” immigrants tended to congregate in neigh- driver’s smile slowly morphed to a pursed I was surprised. Could he be alluding borhoods. I noted that as these populations frown. He lifted his sunglasses and placed to Samuel Huntington’s book, The Clash of grew, so did their voice and the significance of See Sharia, page 3 from the president’s desk a word from dr. jeff myers You might have missed this in the Christians are not alone in their this view; Muslims are news: the new president of Egypt, Mo- alarm. Journalist Paul Williams, an un- much more willing hamed Morsi, a member of the Muslim abashed Secularist, is concerned that Islam’s to abide authoritar- Brotherhood, in 2012 led a crowd in a call growth in America will lead to such strong ian government. and response: pockets of influence in certain communities The Freedom in the Mohamed Morsi: The Koran is our that elected officials will be forced to cede to World 2013 report lists forty-seven nations constitution. Muslim demands for implementing Sharia that receive a rating of “Not Free.” 8 Most of Crowds: The Koran is our constitution. provisions. Williams believes this could hap- these are Muslim-dominated nations in the Mohamed Morsi: The Prophet Muham- pen by 2020. 3 Middle East and North Africa. Only 22 per- mad is our leader. The pathway into this “Muslim cent of Muslim-dominated nations are listed Crowds: The Prophet Muhammad is our transformation” will be through the gradual as “free.” Bottom line: Sharia cannot coexist leader. implementation of Sharia law, which is the with a Western conception of freedom. Mohamed Morsi: Jihad is our path. heart of a worldview fundamentally op- Sharia law is spreading rapidly and with Crowds: Jihad is our path. posed to Christianity: rare exceptions, people seem incapable of Mohamed Morsi: And death for the sake of 1. Islam has a different concept speaking up against it. Whether people Allah is our most lofty aspiration. of God. Unlike the Christian worldview, wake up before it is too late depends largely Crowds: And death for the sake of Allah is Islam teaches that God reveals only his law, on how proponents of democratic freedom our most lofty aspiration. not himself. 4 The body of laws based on respond. Mohamed Morsi: Above all — Allah is this revelation, Sharia, is seen as divine law, Good news: students at every Summit our goal. co-eternal with God.5 Sharia is considered session this summer are being taught about Morsi followed this with a pledge to by devout Muslims to be God’s direct will. Islam by Dr. Nabeel Qureshi, a former Mus- aggressively implement Sharia law: “The Bottom line: Sharia cannot coexist with lim who will share his powerful Christian shari’a, then the shari’a, and finally, the other governmental structures. testimony and prepare students to under- shari’a. This nation will enjoy blessing and 2. Islam has a different concept stand and respond to the truth about Islam. revival only through the Islamic shari’a….”1 of human nature. Muslim theology does Notes The Muslim Brotherhood has a plan not recognize humans as made in God’s 1. Andrew Bostom, Sharia Versus Freedom (Am- for America as well. A strategy document image. Humans gain value by obeying the herst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2012), p. 44. 2. Mohamed Akram, “An Explanatory Memoran- entered into the transcript of a 2007 trial precepts of Sharia and those who refuse dum on the General Strategic Goal for the Group of leaders of the terrorist-supporting Holy must be punished. Sharia calls for the killing in North America, “May 22, 1991, p. 7. Land Foundation, read, in part: of apostates (people who leave Islam) and 3. Paul L. Williams, Crescent Moon Rising (Am- The Ikhwan [Islamic religious militia] blasphemers (people who say negative herst, NJ: Prometheus Press, 2013), pp. 25-26. must understand that their work in things about Allah or the prophet Muham- 4. Bostom, p. 73. America is a kind of grand Jihad in mad). Marital rape is condoned, amputa- 5. Malise Ruthven, Islam: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 1997), p. eliminating and destroying the Western tion of limbs for theft is commanded, and 86. civilization from within and ‘sabotaging’ the whipping, selling into slavery, and 6. Lord Acton’s letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton its miserable house by their hands and oppression of non-converts is demanded. 6 (1887). See John Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, 13th the hands of the believers so that it is Bottom line: Sharia cannot coexist with a and centennial ed. (Boston, MA: Little Brown and eliminated and God’s religion is made western conception of human rights. Company 1955), p. 335. victorious over all other religions. 2 3. Islam has a different concept of 7. See Freedom House’s report, “Freedom in the World 2013” at http://www.freedomhouse.org/ Does the Muslim Brotherhood have sin. America’s founders established a separa- sites/default/files/FIW%202013%20Booklet%20 the resources to carry out this mission? If tion of powers believing, as Lord Acton said, -%20for%20Web_0.pdf they do, will Americans have the moral and “Power tends to corrupt; absolute power 8. Irshad Manji, Allah, Liberty and Love (New York: political will to resist it? corrupts absolutely.”7 Islam does not share Free Press, 2011), pp. 144-145. Page 2 June 2013 sharia continued from page one them on his furrowed brow. He tipped • Non-Muslims must wear distin- freedom while 60-75 percent favor killing his head to the side, and again, deep in guishing clothing in Islamic states apostates. Given the oppressive restrictions thought. Sighing, he yielded, “Well, I sup- • Jews and Christians are forbid- on non-Muslims in lands ruled by Sharia, pose that they could see us…as a threat.” den to build new synagogues or and the high levels of persecution in Mus- Just then I realized what had eluded churches in Islamic states lim countries8, the promotion of religious me for years: Islamic terrorists have as their • Existing churches and syna- freedom is patently unequal.9 goal the global rule of Sharia. However, this gogues may not be repaired Compliance or Violence also is the hope of many, perhaps most, • Non-Muslims must pay addi- Under Sharia no one may criticize non-violent Muslims. Their goal is identi- tional taxes to assure safety or mock Muhammad or the Qur’an,10 or cal; their means differ. Violations of Sharia may lead to per- evangelize Muslims, or leave Islam. Many Sharia Is Islam secution, exile, prosecution, incarceration, Muslims actively demand compliance to Islamic law, Sharia, is integral to Islam. torture, or death. Even outside of Islamic Sharia or threaten or enact violence. Exemplified by Muhammad, Sharia is the states, Muslims may feel permitted or For instance, in 1989, Iran’s Ayatollah “way” of Islamic life. It derives from the obliged to enact Sharia punishments upon Khomeini issued a fatwa for the assassina- Qur’an and the hadiths (oral traditions), apostates and blasphemers. Discrimina- tion of Salmon Rushdie for writing The and developed over Islam’s first few cen- tory systems naturally foster social and Satanic Verses. On November 2, 2004, in turies. It is expansive, addressing personal judicial discrimination. Attempts to ro- Amsterdam, a morality, religious rituals, family life, food, manticize Sharia are put to the lie as Sharia Muslim shot Suggested trade, dealings with unbelievers, govern- oppresses so many,3 especially women,4 and muti- Reading ing, and international relations. Here apostates,5 and non-Muslims.6 lated Theo are some restrictions, prohibitions, and Global Sharia Van Gogh for punishments listed in the Sharia manual, Revelations from an April 2013 Pew co-creating the The Reliance of the Traveller:2 poll are instructive and puzzling.7 Some filmSubmis - • Jihad for the promotion of Islam 90 percent of Muslims surveyed favor free- sion.