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Eid mubarak!

“Understanding Islam” is a very welcome new initiative from the Coexist Foundation.

By Sholto Byrnes Published 10 September 2010 10:24

So much discussion of religion is a mere battery of assertion, unhindered by any proper grounding in theology. This ignorance is typical not only of committed atheists, but of an enormous number of people of faith, too, whose practices and beliefs often owe more to habit than to their sacred texts or the dissertations of their scholars.

So, as Muslims prepare to celebrate Eid ul-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, I'm pleased to write about an initiative by the Coexist Foundation that may help to remedy this unfortunate situation, which is at least one of the causes for the dogmatism and hatred that flourish around matters of belief and unbelief.

The foundation, set up in 2006 and run by James Kidner, a former diplomat and deputy private secretary to Prince Charles, is in the process of building three interactive online courses to explain Judaism, Christianity and Islam. They should be a magnificent resource for anyone wishing to learn about these faiths but bewildered by where to start -- perhaps slightly daunted by the prospect of beginning by reading the whole of the Torah, Bible and Quran.

The first course, "Understanding Islam", is already up and running (and available, for a fee, at understandingfaiths.net). It is divided into 15 units, each of which concentrates on a particular area. So "A Long Line of Prophets", for instance, explains that the Quran lists 25, 21 of whom are also in the Bible, and that every people in the world was sent at least one (even if today we have no idea who they were or what their message was). Muhammad's was the final revelation, not the only one; but the one that perfects and corrects those given to Jesus (the "Injil") and to Moses and the Jews (the "Taurat").

Each unit is narrated by Chris Hewer, currently fellow in Christian-Muslim relations at St Ethelburga's Centre for Reconciliation and Peace in the City of London, who wrote the course with four Muslim advisers from across the major traditions in Islam.

The units are subdivided into pages of roughly one or two minutes' length, during which the listener can pause to note the very useful Quranic references scrolling down the right-hand side of the screen or the information provided in the elegant, minimal graphics. From time to time, the narrative is broken up by a video commentary from one of the four Muslim scholars. At the end, or halfway through the longer units, the reader is invited to take a test to ensure it is all sinking in.

There is a wealth of fact and explanation here, from the history of and reasons for the split between Sunnis and Shias (how many western policymakers appreciated the significance to the latter of the Iraqi city of Karbala before the invasion, one wonders), to the origins of "Gibraltar" -- the name of that bastion of Blighty's being a corruption of "Jabal al-Tariq" ("the mountain of Tariq"), after the Muslim general who led the conquest of Spain in 711.

But it also manages to shed light on aspects of Islam that may seem matters of alien ritual to outsiders, such as the Hajj or the Sufi practices that aim for an altered state of consciousness. Much that strikes some as harsh and unyielding is presented in context and with justification, taking care to stress that sharia -- "the path laid out for all" -- is more about the rewards of a forgiving God and the benefits of developing taqwa ("God consciousness") than about the amputations to which Islam's enemies constantly reduce it.

It is true that this course does not answer some of the hard questions, and it paints a pretty conservative picture of the rules governing family life and dress codes. Are women really not supposed to go out alone with any man who is not a "mahram", a family member too closely related for marriage? Can men be expected to prize piety above all else when choosing a wife -- GSOP instead of GSOH, never mind (let's be realistic) physical attraction?

Unaddressed, too, is the thorny, but critical, question of how Islamic law can be accommodated with pluralism in states that are constitutionally defined as secular -- whether Muslims are a majority there or a minority.

But such a course (it lasts seven hours on a straight-through viewing, though the approach I would recommend, with note and test-taking, would require considerably more time) cannot deal with every query and criticism. Its aim is to promote understanding of Islam, not least by pointing out the connections between the Abrahamic faiths. The cousin of the Prophet's wife Khadija, for instance, was a Christian, as were those who came from Najran to pray at his mosque in Medina; and the constitution of that city, declared in 622, gave equal status to Muslims and Jews.

There will be those who criticise the course for its positive view of Islam, but it will be invaluable for police officers, doctors, teachers -- anyone working in the community, in fact -- as well as for those serious students of religion and international affairs who want a detailed and thought-provoking introduction to this faith tradition. Its range and detail are remarkable, as are its technical features and feel.

Given that the course may also be used by troops going into combat in the Middle East, I, for one, am very glad that it seeks to emphasise what we have in common rather than what divides us. That way, one is rather more likely to jaw-jaw than to war-war.

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Tags: Islam

More from Sholto Byrnes

21 comments

Sat, 2010-09-11 23:56 — Gideon Polya

I am an agnostic, Humanist scientist but I have many Muslim and Muslim-origin friends and readily concede that religion can be of great help to many in Life's Journey - and especially when they are being invaded, occupied, robbed, ravaged, bombed and slaughtered by Zionist-backed, genocidal US Alliance psychopaths (violent deaths and non-violent deaths in the Zionist-backed, US-led, anti-Arab anti-Semitic and Islamophobic War on Terror now total 8 million, the breakdown being 2.5 million in Iraq, 4.5 million in Afghanistan and 0.8 million opiate drug-related deaths world-wide due to US Alliance restoration of the Taliban-destroyed Afghan opium industry from 6% of world market share in 2001 to over 90% today).

Of course a way to a man's heart is through his stomach and I was amused to encounter several like agnostic people this weekend seeking out Muslim friends for some good Eid celebration food.

For a very important, courageous, helpful and very readable book reporting Muslim attitudes in a range of substantially Muslim countries and various Muslim approaches to Modernity (including Gender equality) read "Inside Muslim Minds" by eminent Australian sociologist Professor Riaz Hassan (Flinders University); for review see: http://bellaciao.org/en/spip.php?article19507 .

Love thy neighbour as thyself. Eid mubarak!

Mon, 2010-09-13 14:50 — Des Demona (not verified)

Sholto

I didn't 'pick these out' they are pretty much the bulk of your recent articles.
Reading those articles it is clear that you are a not just a commentator on Islam but are a fervent supporter. It is that distinction (gleaned from the content of your articles) which takes those articles into the realms of proselytising rather than comment, whether you accept/ realise it or not.

Mon, 2010-09-13 15:13 — DAULAT RAM

Des Demona:

It is all too clear that the NS has become an Islamist propaganda outlet. It's too late to complain about that. Asking Sholto to disown his bread and butter is futile.

I have no real problems with the NS' Islamism. It's their belief anbd line. Fair enough.

What I dislike is their determination to give no ground to Hindu nationalism, surely at least as valid. If nationalism is OK for Muslims, it's OK for Hindus. Let the NS only admit that, and my problem with them is over.

There are plenty of Muslims in India, but Indians are I think tough enough to both give them freedom and handle them severely if they make trouble.

Mon, 2010-09-13 15:19 — Des Demona (not verified)

Daulat Ram
I don't think the NS has become an Islamist mouthpiece, I just have a problem with the obvious religious proseltysing going on by certain 'journalists'- something which I do not think the NS should encourage.
I should also make it clear that I would feel exactly the same way about any religion, including Hindu.

Mon, 2010-09-13 15:54 — DAULAT RAM

DES DEMONA;

We must agree to disagrree, then.

Me, I am on second thoughts actually in FAVOUR of Islamist propaganda....Because the more Muslims boast, the harder the world will become for them.

So, lay on, Sholto!

With friends like you Muslims need no enemies.

Mon, 2010-09-13 16:11 — Des Demona (not verified)

Daulut Ram

I think we only disagree on the general assertion that the NS is an Islmamist mouthpiece.
There has been possibly one recent article critical of an Islamic country written by the editor ( On Iran) Not much I know, given the unrelenting coverage the other way but sufficient perhaps to go a little way to redress the balance.

As I said, my problem is that at least two of the journalists, namely Sholto and Mehdi seem to look on the NS as simply a platform to promulgate their pro Islamic views.

The NS has a proud tradition as a bastion of reason over dogma and an unbiased attitude to any particular religion. I feel that tradition is being compromised.

Sat, 2010-09-11 04:09 — zahid pak +966595990696 (not verified)

very happy EID

Sat, 2010-09-11 05:19 — Hamza Nasir (not verified)

happy "EID" MUBARAK!!!!!

Sat, 2010-09-11 06:31 — rashid mahmood butt (not verified)

happy eid mubarak /////happy live eid

Sat, 2010-09-11 07:48 — Sham Should Din (not verified)

pyor shwin sa yar Eid Mobarak par

Sun, 2010-09-12 16:00 — DAULAT RAM

Sholto Byrnes:

I suppose you are beyond cure as a sycophant of Islam. So be it.

What were they saying at your friend the Malaysian High Commissioner's residence about the unhappy Hindus of Malaysia, subjected to stystematic oppression, the destruction of their temples, denial even of the right of some Hindus to claim Hindu identity and not have Islam forced on them?

Do you read the newspapers? Have you any shame?

Is there even a small hope the once great New Statesman will not end its days as an ignoiminious apologist of an oppresive religion with growing and frightening power?

Sun, 2010-09-12 16:10 — DAULAT RAM

Some details on the persecution of Hindus in Malaysia:

The growing Islamic conservatism in Malaysia concerns many Malaysians who follow minority religions such as Hinduism.

Many Hindu advocacy groups have protested what they allege is a systemic plan of Temple cleansing in Malaysia. The official reason given by the Malaysian government has been that the temples were built "illegally." However, several of the temples were centuries old [3] and predated many mosques which do not receive the same treatment.

On May 11, 2006, armed city hall officers from Kuala Lumpur forcefully demolished part of a 90-year-old suburban temple that serves more than 3,000 Hindus. The "Hindu Rights Action Force," or HINDRAF a coalition of several NGO's, have protested these demolitions by lodging complaints to the Malaysian Prime Minister. Their chairman, Waytha Moorthy Ponnusamy, said:

“These state atrocities are committed against the most underprivileged and powerless sector of the Hindu society in Malaysia. We appeal that this Hindu temple and all other Hindu temples in Malaysia are not indiscriminately and unlawfully demolished”.

In 2007, Malaysian Hindu organizations protested the destruction of Hindu temples by the Malaysian regime. On October 30, 2007 the 100-year-old Maha Mariamman Temple in Padang Jawa was demolished by Malaysian authorities. Following that demolition, Works Minister and head of the Malaysian Indian Congress Samy Vellu, who is of Indian origin, said that Hindu temples built on government land were still being demolished despite his appeals to the various state chief ministers.

Such temple destructions in Malaysia have been reported by the Hindu American Foundation.

HAF notes that the Government of Malaysia Restricts Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and Association contrary to Article 20 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and Article 10 of the Malaysian Federal Constitution, and that the application filed by Malay Hindus to hold gatherings have been arbitrarily denied by the police. The Government has also tried to suppress a campaign launched by an NGO, the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) to obtain 100,000 signatures in support of a civil suit against the Government of United Kingdom. HINDRAF has accused the Malaysian government of intimidating and instilling fear in the Indian community.

In August 2010, a Malaysian woman named Siti Hasnah Banggarma was denied the right to convert to Hinduism by a Malaysian court. Banggarma, who was born a Hindu, but was forcibly converted to Islam at a young age, desired to reconvert back to Hinduism and appealed to the courts to recognize her reconversion. The appeal was denied.

Fri, 2010-09-10 13:45 — Des Demona (not verified)

''Unaddressed, too, is the thorny, but key, issue of how Islamic law can be accommodated with pluralism in states that are constitutionally defined as secular -''

The answer is it shouldn't be accommodated. In a modern secular society there should be no place for laws to be governed by centuries old religious dogma.

And
' is more about the rewards of a forgiving God and the benefits of developing taqwa ("God consciousness") than the amputations to which Islam's enemies constantly reduce it.''

Someone pointing out some of the more barbaric practices included in and carried out under Sharia Law is an Enemy of Islam? Really? Should that not be 'critic'? Or does your choice of words say a little about your attitude to anyone who dares criticise your view?

Sat, 2010-09-11 13:44 — DAULAT RAM

Sholto says:

"There will be those who criticise the course for its positive view of Islam..."

Don't waste time on them, Sholto.

After all there were those who were hypercritical about a positive view of Nazism.

Sat, 2010-09-11 13:49 — DAULAT RAM

At the end of all Sholto's gruesome understatements and grotesque evasions (critics of AMPUTATION as punishment "enemies?!) Islam remaims precisely what it s: the most dangerous source of illiberal ideas and practice in toiday's world.

No Sholto can cure that. All he does is bring the long and often honourable history of the NS as a progressive voice to a bizarre end. To have started out as an advocate of reason and progress and ended as a laughably dishonest apologist of a medieval set of cruel dogmas is pitiful.

Sun, 2010-09-12 20:31 — DAULAT RAM

Islamophobia exists because people are frightened of Islam. They don't hate it; they fear it. Can you blame them?

anwar feni bangladesh +9660560855844's picture

Fri, 2010-09-10 17:59 — anwar feni bangladesh +9660560855844 (not verified)

EID MOBAROK all vewars

Fri, 2010-09-10 18:50 — sumaira (not verified)

happy eid

Mon, 2010-09-13 11:29 — Des Demona (not verified)

Sholto

If you had been writing about the Christian or any other religion would you have used words such as 'enemies'?
I doubt it, aggression and violent language seems to be endemic when discussing Islam.
Perhaps if you and Mehdi took a step back from your proselytizing on behalf of your favoured religion you'd remember that only 3% of the population of this country are Muslims, though given the apparent concerted effort by especially you and Mehdi Hasan to stuff the NS with as much pro-Islam propaganda as possible one might be forgiven for thinkig otherwise.

You don't think that's a fair comment? Look at your recent output - This article preceded by -
The 'market appeal' of Ramadam
One Nation Divided Under God
Borderline Madness
The Clash of Civilizations will not be with Islam
Rethionking Islam 1V
Rethinking Islam 111
Rethinking Islam 11
Britons Link Islam with Extremism.

And on and on and on.....

In my view the use of the NS as a platform to push your religious views is disengenious and against the ethos of the magazine. Obviously the current editors has no complaints but you perhaps should bear in the mind that the readers of the NS are not stupid and perhaps you should curb your religious zeal and stick more to politics before or save it for a publicatio more suited to your views.

While there is of course a confluence between religion and politics on some occassions the NS should not be used as a platform for prosletysing on religious matters and unfortunately that seems to be your position.