Religion of Peace
Encyclopedia
The Religion of peace is a political neologism used as a description of Islam
. After the September 11, 2001 attacks
, some politicians described Islam as a "religion of peace" in an effort to differentiate between Islamic terrorists and non-violent Muslim
s. Subsequently, some critics of Islam
have adopted the phrase, using the term "Religion of Peace" in a sarcastic
manner as a pejorative synonym
for Islam.
Whether or not Islam is a religion of peace may depend on one's understanding of "Istishhad
" (i.e. heroic sacrifice, martyrdom).
As research continues on the Koran, but also the beliefs of Muslims around the world, however, relevant data is emerging. Despite, at times, public perceptions, almost every Islamic leader, organization and country has condemned the attacks of September 11th.
with the word Islam. This has led to a widespread misinterpretation that the word Islam means peace.
There are critics of Islam
who have argued that the underlying cause and motivation of the September 11, 2001 attacks
was the doctrines and beliefs of Islam, and that Islam is intrinsically violent. However, many notable Muslims have maintained that terrorism against civilians is motivated by a misunderstanding of Islamic doctrine
. Mahathir bin Mohamad
, the former Prime Minister of Malaysia said,
President George W. Bush
publicly adopted this latter view, stating that "Islam is peace":
This prompted criticism from some quarters and a poll of Evangelical Protestant leaders taken in 2002 revealed that only 10% agreed with Bush that Islam was synonymous with peace.
Muslims who are keen to emphasise their rejection of violence have used the term "a religion of peace” as a description of Islam, like Dalil Boubakeur, mufti
of the Paris Mosque
, who said, "The prophet did not found a terrorist religion, but a religion of peace." After the 7/7 London bombings, some Muslims in the West increased their efforts to present Islam as a peaceful religion.
Sherman Jackson
believes that the comments of Western politicians about Islam being a "religion of peace" is a an attempt at "political correctness
.". This use has also been criticised by both Islamists such as Sayyid Qutb
, and former Islamists such as Hassan Butt, who said, That is, he suggests that the religion can only be a religion of peace if followers explicitly denounce the terrorist actions.
The term "The Religion of Peace" is used sarcastically by critics of Islam
, such as Ann Coulter
. This is sometimes the case on anti-Islamic web sites and blogs, such as the web site TheReligionofPeace.com, which counts Islamic terrorist attacks and lists examples of violent speech and actions of Mohammed.
Pope Benedict XVI
refused to agree that Islam was a religion of peace. However he stated:
and Dalia Mogahed
present data relevant to Islamic views on peace, and more, in their book Who Speaks for Islam? The book reports Gallup poll data from random samples in over 35 countries using Gallup's various research techniques (e.g. pairing male and female interviewers, testing the questions beforehand, communicating with local leaders when approval is necessary, travelling by foot if that is the only way to reach a region, etc).
There was a great deal of data. It suggests, firstly, that individuals who dislike America and consider the September 11 attacks to be "perfectly justified" form a statistically distinct group, with suddenly more extreme views. The authors call this 7% of Muslims "Politically Radicalized". They chose that title "because of their radical political orientation" and clarify "we are not saying that all in this group commit acts of violence. However, those with extremist views are a potential source for recruitment or support for terrorist groups." The data also indicates that poverty is not simply to blame for the comparatively radical views of this 7% of Muslims, who tend to be better educated than moderates.
The authors say that, contrary to what the media may indicate, most Muslims believe that the September 11 attacks cannot actually be justified at all. The authors called this 55% of Muslims "Moderates". They applied the same label to an additional 12% who said the attacks were almost cannot be justified at all. To be clear, 67% of Muslims were classified as Moderates, meaning 26% of Muslims are not quite Moderates, and only a remaining 7% (with much more extreme views) are Politically Radicalized. Esposito and Mogahed explain that the labels should not be taken as being perfectly definitive, however (e.g. there may be individuals who would generally not be considered radical, although they believe the attacks were justified, or vice versa).
has studied religion and terrorism. He explains that terrorism
remains mostly rare, especially unorganized, and unsuccessful. Acts of Terrorism, he continues, are often cases of groupthink
causing a handful of individuals to take violent actions in the name of some sacred beliefs. These beliefs need certainly not be Islamist, or even religious. Terrorists can also be quite well educated. Besides the damage from September 11th, Atran summarizes America's interaction with terrorism as "three guys, two plots, two and a half years, and we're spending tens of billions of dollars to deal with it."
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. After the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, some politicians described Islam as a "religion of peace" in an effort to differentiate between Islamic terrorists and non-violent Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s. Subsequently, some critics of Islam
Criticism of Islam
Criticism of Islam has existed since Islam's formative stages. Early written criticism came from Christians, prior to the ninth century, many of whom viewed Islam as a radical Christian heresy...
have adopted the phrase, using the term "Religion of Peace" in a sarcastic
Sarcasm
Sarcasm is “a sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark; a bitter jibe or taunt.” Though irony and understatement is usually the immediate context, most authorities distinguish sarcasm from irony; however, others argue that sarcasm may or often does involve irony or employs...
manner as a pejorative synonym
Synonym
Synonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. The word comes from Ancient Greek syn and onoma . The words car and automobile are synonyms...
for Islam.
Whether or not Islam is a religion of peace may depend on one's understanding of "Istishhad
Istishhad
Istishhad means the act of or the seeking of martyrdom in Islam. In recent years the term has been said to "emphasize... heroism in the act of sacrifice" rather than "victimization," and has "developed... into a military and political strategy," often called "martyrdom operations". Istishhad...
" (i.e. heroic sacrifice, martyrdom).
As research continues on the Koran, but also the beliefs of Muslims around the world, however, relevant data is emerging. Despite, at times, public perceptions, almost every Islamic leader, organization and country has condemned the attacks of September 11th.
History of the term
The Arabic term Islam (إسلام) is derived from aslama, which means "to surrender" or "resign oneself". The Arabic word salaam (سلام) ("peace") shares the same abstract consonantal rootTriliteral
The roots of verbs and most nouns in the Semitic languages are characterized as a sequence of consonants or "radicals"...
with the word Islam. This has led to a widespread misinterpretation that the word Islam means peace.
There are critics of Islam
Criticism of Islam
Criticism of Islam has existed since Islam's formative stages. Early written criticism came from Christians, prior to the ninth century, many of whom viewed Islam as a radical Christian heresy...
who have argued that the underlying cause and motivation of the September 11, 2001 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
was the doctrines and beliefs of Islam, and that Islam is intrinsically violent. However, many notable Muslims have maintained that terrorism against civilians is motivated by a misunderstanding of Islamic doctrine
Doctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
. Mahathir bin Mohamad
Mahathir bin Mohamad
Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad . is a Malaysian politician who was the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia. He held the post for 22 years from 1981 to 2003, making him Malaysia's longest serving Prime Minister. His political career spanned almost 40 years.Born and raised in Alor Setar, Kedah, Mahathir...
, the former Prime Minister of Malaysia said,
President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
publicly adopted this latter view, stating that "Islam is peace":
This prompted criticism from some quarters and a poll of Evangelical Protestant leaders taken in 2002 revealed that only 10% agreed with Bush that Islam was synonymous with peace.
Muslims who are keen to emphasise their rejection of violence have used the term "a religion of peace” as a description of Islam, like Dalil Boubakeur, mufti
Mufti
A mufti is a Sunni Islamic scholar who is an interpreter or expounder of Islamic law . In religious administrative terms, a mufti is roughly equivalent to a deacon to a Sunni population...
of the Paris Mosque
Paris Mosque
The Grande Mosquée de Paris , located in the 5th arrondissement, is the largest mosque in France and the third largest in Europe. It was founded after World War I as a sign of France's gratefulness to the colonies's Muslim tirailleurs, 100,000 of whom died fighting against Germany...
, who said, "The prophet did not found a terrorist religion, but a religion of peace." After the 7/7 London bombings, some Muslims in the West increased their efforts to present Islam as a peaceful religion.
Controversy
The description of Islam as a "religion of peace" has created a great deal of controversy.Sherman Jackson
Sherman Jackson
Sherman A. Jackson is an American scholar. He is the King Faisal Chair of Islamic Thought and Culture and Professor of Religion and American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. He was formerly the Arthur F...
believes that the comments of Western politicians about Islam being a "religion of peace" is a an attempt at "political correctness
Political correctness
Political correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts,...
.". This use has also been criticised by both Islamists such as Sayyid Qutb
Sayyid Qutb
Sayyid Qutb was an Egyptian author, educator, Islamist theorist, poet, and the leading member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood in the 1950s and '60s....
, and former Islamists such as Hassan Butt, who said, That is, he suggests that the religion can only be a religion of peace if followers explicitly denounce the terrorist actions.
The term "The Religion of Peace" is used sarcastically by critics of Islam
Criticism of Islam
Criticism of Islam has existed since Islam's formative stages. Early written criticism came from Christians, prior to the ninth century, many of whom viewed Islam as a radical Christian heresy...
, such as Ann Coulter
Ann Coulter
Ann Hart Coulter is an American lawyer, conservative social and political commentator, author, and syndicated columnist. She frequently appears on television, radio, and as a speaker at public events and private events...
. This is sometimes the case on anti-Islamic web sites and blogs, such as the web site TheReligionofPeace.com, which counts Islamic terrorist attacks and lists examples of violent speech and actions of Mohammed.
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
refused to agree that Islam was a religion of peace. However he stated:
Gallup poll
John EspositoJohn Esposito
John Louis Esposito is a professor of International Affairs and Islamic Studies at Georgetown University...
and Dalia Mogahed
Dalia Mogahed
Dalia Mogahed is an American Muslim scholar of Egyptian origin. She is the Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, a non-partisan research center that provides data and analysis to reflect the views of Muslims all over the world. She was selected as an advisor by U.S...
present data relevant to Islamic views on peace, and more, in their book Who Speaks for Islam? The book reports Gallup poll data from random samples in over 35 countries using Gallup's various research techniques (e.g. pairing male and female interviewers, testing the questions beforehand, communicating with local leaders when approval is necessary, travelling by foot if that is the only way to reach a region, etc).
There was a great deal of data. It suggests, firstly, that individuals who dislike America and consider the September 11 attacks to be "perfectly justified" form a statistically distinct group, with suddenly more extreme views. The authors call this 7% of Muslims "Politically Radicalized". They chose that title "because of their radical political orientation" and clarify "we are not saying that all in this group commit acts of violence. However, those with extremist views are a potential source for recruitment or support for terrorist groups." The data also indicates that poverty is not simply to blame for the comparatively radical views of this 7% of Muslims, who tend to be better educated than moderates.
The authors say that, contrary to what the media may indicate, most Muslims believe that the September 11 attacks cannot actually be justified at all. The authors called this 55% of Muslims "Moderates". They applied the same label to an additional 12% who said the attacks were almost cannot be justified at all. To be clear, 67% of Muslims were classified as Moderates, meaning 26% of Muslims are not quite Moderates, and only a remaining 7% (with much more extreme views) are Politically Radicalized. Esposito and Mogahed explain that the labels should not be taken as being perfectly definitive, however (e.g. there may be individuals who would generally not be considered radical, although they believe the attacks were justified, or vice versa).
Nature of terrorism
Islam may be feared partially because terrorists have realized their goals: to spread anxiety throughout the population connected to the victims. Anthropologist Scott AtranScott Atran
Scott Atran is an American and French anthropologist.-Education and early career:Atran was born in New York City in 1952 and he received his PhD in anthropology from Columbia University. While a student at Columbia, he became assistant to anthropologist Margaret Mead at the American Museum of...
has studied religion and terrorism. He explains that terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
remains mostly rare, especially unorganized, and unsuccessful. Acts of Terrorism, he continues, are often cases of groupthink
Groupthink
Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within groups of people. It is the mode of thinking that happens when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives. Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without...
causing a handful of individuals to take violent actions in the name of some sacred beliefs. These beliefs need certainly not be Islamist, or even religious. Terrorists can also be quite well educated. Besides the damage from September 11th, Atran summarizes America's interaction with terrorism as "three guys, two plots, two and a half years, and we're spending tens of billions of dollars to deal with it."
See also
- Criticism of IslamCriticism of IslamCriticism of Islam has existed since Islam's formative stages. Early written criticism came from Christians, prior to the ninth century, many of whom viewed Islam as a radical Christian heresy...
- IslamophobiaIslamophobiaIslamophobia describes prejudice against, hatred or irrational fear of Islam or MuslimsThe term dates back to the late 1980s or early 1990s, but came into common usage after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States....
- Peace in Islamic philosophy
- Political correctnessPolitical correctnessPolitical correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts,...
Books
- Religion of Peace?: Islam's War Against the World by Gregory M. Davis ( ISBN 097789844X )
- Islam: Religion of Peace and Justice by Muhammad Nawaz ( ISBN 1410767868 )
- Religion of Peace?: Why Christianity Is and Islam Isn't by Robert Spencer ( ISBN 1596985151 )
List of sites using the term "Religion of Peace" in a sarcastic manner
- TheReligionOfPeace.com A site highly critical of Islam containing a database of Islamic terrorist attacks since 9/11.
- religion-of-peace.com A site containing articles highly critical of Islam.
List of web pages discussing if Islam is a "religion of peace"
- Islam: A religion of peace? by Gordon Nickel, National PostNational PostThe National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
Published: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 - Islam ‘A Religion of Peace’? at the UK humanist site.
- al-islami web page on "Islam: The Religion of Peace" argues Islam to be a peaceful religion.
- A religion that sanctions violence by Patrick SookhdeoPatrick SookhdeoPatrick Sookhdeo is the director of the Institute for the Study of Islam and Christianity and International Director of the Barnabas Fund. Sookhdeo is an outspoken spokesman for persecuted Christian minorities around the world...
Daily Telegraph 19 Sept 2001