If an Iraqi Yazidi or Christian mother is forced to recite Syahada three times at the armed invitation of the Islamic State war criminals, so that her children would not be killed and she would not be raped, does that act under duress make her a Muslim? Does she commit a sin against Allah (beyond punishment of apostasy on earth) if she denounces Islam later when she is no longer threatened with the murder of her children and herself being raped? These are fundamental religious questions that need to be answered now by mainstream interpreters of Islam. Insofar the Islamic State acts in spreading the faith is not completely disowned by fellow Muslims, by denouncing their outcome, the name of Islam will be tainted, and the global Islamophobia will be further fueled. It is a known fact that Al-Quran does promise religious freedom: To you your religion and to me mine [Al-Quran 10:41], It is however also a known fact that before the Islamic State, the practice of convert or die was carried out by some Muslim conquerors in history (not unlike the Christians who reconquered Spain). Unless the coerced converts (involuntary Muslims) can be invalidated through some forms of takfir, the theoretical guarantee has no meaning in reality for those who suffer religious persecution. The time has come for Muslims to take a clear stand to denounce forced conversion and invalidate any gain in the expansion of Muslim population caused by involuntary means such as war and coercion. It might be emotionally difficult as it might involve some revisiting of histories of some Islamic polities. But it is necessary. If such practice has indeed been denounced categorically by some Islamic scholars, please kindly share their fatwas. I hope these humble questions on the issue will be seen as a friendly query from someone who respects Islam, rather than an offensive one Farouk Musa, Altaf Deviyati, Ida Khan, Abdul Halim Mohamad Said, Mustafa K Anuar, Dina Zaman Karl Anwar Ahmad Fuad Rahmat, Sivin Kit If you find this question relevant for the debate on Middle East and elsewhere, please share.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 23:40:09 +0000
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