Wesley Theological Seminary Co-Sponsors D.C. Talk on Islam

on January 20, 2012
Asma Uddin of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
Asma Uddin of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty likened Sharia to Jewish law. (Photo credit: Tikkun)

United Methodism’s Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. recently co-sponsored “What is the Truth About Islam and Muslims in America: Everything you always wanted to know but were afraid to ask.” Critics of Islam were portrayed negatively, and concerns about Sharia, or Islamic law, were minimized. The event was held at the Newseum in the nation’s capital.

The evening began with a showing of “My Fellow American,” a short film showing average Muslim-Americans living ordinary, productive lives, while hyperbolic voice-overs, conflating all Muslims with terrorists, played. After the five minute video, the entire evening was devoted to the panelists answering “everything you always wanted to know but were afraid to ask.” When asked, however, what Sharia law really is, and why people are concerned about Islamic legal codes, the four panelists focused their answers more on why people should not worry about it at all.

Asma Uddin, an attorney at The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, said that to be fearful of what Sharia law would do to America represents a view “that doesn’t have a lot of faith in American legal framework.” Another panelist, Rabbi Marc Schneier, who is President of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, said: “I think Sharia law is very similar to Jewish law.”  He suggested that and to understand the issue, Americans must “make it personal” by imagining how we would feel if the government told us we could not abide by the laws our religion commands us to follow.

Most of the discussion centered on dispelling myths that most Muslims in America, and worldwide, are extremists who want to destroy Western civilization. Haroon Moghul, a fellow at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, said there is no real reason for concern about extremism in America because Muslims are not one, united, monolithic group. He reported that “Muslims don’t agree on a lot,” and there is constant debate about the correct interpretations of controversial passages in the Koran. To understand the Koran, he explained, one must “read it in the context of a tribal society,” because at the time it was written, if your tribe was “not the chosen tribe … you were on the margins of existence.” In this context, Moghul said, it made sense to conquer your enemies, but since it was written, teachings to show love to strangers have superseded older, more violent commands. Unfortunately, he said, there are “some extremists who will interpret it literally.”

When asked generally if there is legitimate reason to be concerned about Islam worldwide, Rabbi Schneier answered that “all the radical groups are fringe groups.” He believes people of the three Abrahamic religions “share a single destiny,” so “we have to fight for each other.” Similarly, panelist Melissa Rogers, who once served as general counsel for the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and was the only Christian on the panel, said this issue is about “honoring one another’s rights to practice our faith.” And we all have to “go to bat for the rights of every minority to practice their faith.” She explained that “members of every faith can relate in some sense” because extremists in every faith are “used to smear the whole faith.” “I’m a Baptist,” Rogers said, “but I don’t want to be known as the same as Westboro Baptists,” a small church known for its emphasis on God’s “hatred.” Instead of focusing on the extreme groups and elements of any religion, Rogers encouraged people to “look at the totality of the teaching of a faith.”

Rogers told American Christians to try and understand Muslim Americans by imagining themselves in a similar situation. Considering Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich’s recent comment that any Muslim in his hypothetical administration must give up Sharia practices, Rogers said an analogous and unfathomable situation would be if a Christian running for public office was expected to cease following Jesus Christ before entering public office.

The panelists generally agreed that Islam is a moderate religion that does not represent a threat to America in the way extremist groups in other regions of the world do. There was a lack of depth in the discussion about what Sharia law actually is, and when posed with such defining questions, the panelists mostly focused on how there is no reason for fear.  In the end, the audience left with many unanswered questions, even though this was at least the second time Wesley Theological Seminary co-hosted this event. Only six months ago in July, 2011, the seminary participated in a nearly identical event; the only difference was the featured panelists. A venue for people to ask the questions they “are afraid to ask” could have been beneficial, but only if those questions led to open and honest discussion.

 

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