ISLAMIC POLITICAL ETHICS Religion Rules All

DOM/VIDEOS/ /?FREF=NF The 8 minute YouTube clip is an insightfully raw denunciation of two worldviews: 1)The religious idealism of dawa that denies/misrepresents historical and present realities of Islam encountering democracy because “Muhammad is all in all” 2)The idealism & ethno-centrism of philosophy, materialism and humanism on numerous steroids, overwhelmingly uninformed by a biblical worldview. Resulting in an emphasis on human freedom at the level of religious fervor which denies/glosses reason and honest historical critique of Islam, “I think [and because I am Western and educated] therefore [you will become what] I am”

SIMPLY PUT… Muslims have for centuries understood and regulated private ownership of property through law (shari’a), allowing even some of the greatest Muslim thinkers to accept tyrannical or authoritarian religious rule. Al-Ghazali “If we were to decide that all wilayet [religio-political authority] were null and void…how should the capital be dissipated in straining after the profit?”

IN SMALL GROUPS, DEFINE: LAW, CAPITAL, PROFIT, AND RELIGION

WORLDVIEW IS OUR LENS, OUR METHOD OF MAKING MEANING OUT OF WHAT WE SEE In the context of Islam--No God but Allah and Muhammad (via the Qur’an and Hadith) the absolute authority and model, then salaam (social peace and prosperity) is the “capital” that can only come about through those submitted (Muslims/true humans) to those practices that “profit” (maintaining the boundaries of law (shari’a).

HOW DO YOU SEE IT? A show of hands- When violence occurs by religious people, is the religion the major cause? Violence in religion is the result of the followers misinterpretation of the religion, not religion itself? Or…some of both, depending on what the religion actually models or teaches

RESEARCH Younger people and those with higher levels of educational attainment are more likely than older and less highly educated people to attribute religious violence to individuals who use religion to justify violent acts. Americans’ knowledge of Islam is minimal with 30 percent saying they do not know very much about the Muslim religion and its practices and another 25 percent saying they know nothing at all. Only 9 percent of Americans say they know a great deal about Islam

HOW DO RELIGIONS DEAL WITH DEMOCRACY? Christian in Democracy Political freedom to express different views in/through Christ Identity by faith in Christ as His Body Politics/religion – perceived separation Honors national identity and borders Christian equal with unbeliever Boundary: Submission to Constitution where religious practices do not deny freedom to other religions in reciprocity Muslim in Democracy Political necessity may mean living in a democracy but the goal is Shari’a Identity by submission Islamic law Politics/Religion – no ultimate separation One “house” (nation)- no borders Kafir (ingrate, non-Muslim) not equal Boundary: Submission to Allah/Prophet with allowance to live in democracy with the goal ultimate goal of Shari’a governing

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR BAD BEHAVIOR ?

WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE? Not to decide is to decide

ARE ALL PEOPLE GIVEN EQUALITY UNDER ALL RELIGIONS IN THE SAME WAY? Figure it out…