Freedom of Speech and Islam: Where is the Nuance?

“Let there be no compulsion in religion.” Surah al-Baqarah (2):256

Islamic beliefs certainly do not preclude freedom of speech. The Qur’an is replete with verses denouncing, for example, the use of force to compel belief, and the Prophet Muhammad is consistently told that an individual’s faith is a matter between him/her and God. Not surprisingly, Muslim history is full of believers challenging mainstream thought and practice. Of course, as in the context of other faiths, many of these individuals were persecuted; others, however, thrived and made an enormous impact on their communities and the Islamic faith as a whole.

Nevertheless, like all religious adherents, Muslims have and are continuing to struggle with the delicate balance between freedom of speech and the duty to respect and honor the Divine. These issues are extremely complicated. We must recognize that this is a fundamentally intra-faith debate, and while the voices of non-Muslims should be heard, its solution(s) must come from within the Islamic tradition and community. Answers may not look exactly like those of Christians, for example.

Perhaps most importantly, we cannot lose sight of the contemporary contexts of events such as this most recent one in Afghanistan. In my opinion, this is less about Islam – a religion of over one billion people who understand and practice their faith in quite dissimilar manners – and more about the political environment in Afghanistan. The Afghani people have suffered through literally decades of poverty and war, frequently instigated by non-Muslim countries. Fierce and sometimes disturbing resistance to criticism of Islam’s basic tenets must be seen within this particular impoverished and war torn milieu. Furthermore, it must be considered one manifestation of the larger feelings of defensiveness amongst Muslims globally. Rightly or wrongly, many Muslims feel Islam is under attack.

Certainly Islam is relevant to this issue – its texts, their interpretations, and of course, how Muslims understand them in particular contexts. However, as a Muslim from another area of the world devastated by violence (Kashmir), I wish the media would focus less on a presumed monolithic Islam and more on the specific contexts of suffering which always lead to sad, unfortunate episodes like this one in Afghanistan.

By Daisy Khan  |  February 15, 2008; 12:45 PM ET Save & Share:                 
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