Prejudice may blind us to Islam's contribution

A Spectrum, by Robert Thaggard

The flames of prejudice that rage on hidden battlefields in the minds and hearts of people manifests itself in war. The leaders of the current conflicting nations are followers of three major religions that originated in the Mideast: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Two of these faiths have a strong presence in our Western society. But Islam is portrayed by the media as associated with the views of the Taliban leaders of Afghanistan. Mullah Muhammad Omar's call to the Moslem world for acts of terrorism may cast Islam in an unfavorable light in our part of the world.

With religions that we understand, we have little trouble disassociating basic doctrine from the acts of its followers. But with a religion about which we are ignorant, that differentiation is more difficult. If the acts of the faithful are reprehensible to us, then we discredit the religion. This may appear to be a reasonable position, particularly where the follower himself is performing such acts in the name of a specific faith, as in the case of Osama bin Laden.

The history of Islam can only be appreciated by those who recognize its inner spirit, and the effect it has on the life of the common Arab. To understand, we must approach the history of the Arab-Islamic culture in a sympathetic mood and learn to feel as they do.

Imagine living in the sixth century A.D. on the Arabian peninsula, a stark desert, hot and arid; where perpetual feuds and brutal lawlessness held sway. A common habit was to walk into another's home without permission. Tribes battled and pillaged mercilessly.

This constant tribal warfare left numerous widows and orphans and the custom of the day was to bury infant girls alive, since girls were not highly prized. The Arabs worshiped idols. The Kabah in Mecca, a solid cubic stone structure, was the center for such idolatry, with annual pilgrimages made to pay homage to the idol gods. Such was Arabia when Mohammed was born in 570 A.D.

Mohammed taught the oneness and transcendence of God and dispelled the concept of idolatry among the Arabs. Mohammed also taught the succession of the messengers of God. The word Islam means "submission to the will of God."

To a devout Moslem, Islam means that one must be conscious every moment of his life that he has his being in God, that he is moved by the will of God, from Him he comes and to him he will return. Mohammed dictated a Holy Book, the Quran, and prescribed obligatory prayer, to be said five times a day; fasting during the lunar month of Ramadan; pilgrimage once in a lifetime to Mecca; specified payments to a common treasury and Holy War (Jihad).

Jihad could not be undertaken in defense of Islam and could not be directed against pagans, idolaters and polytheists. "People of the Book" -- Jews and Christians -- were to receive freedom of religious worship under the nation of Islam.

Mohammad also prohibited intoxicating drinks, the burial of infant girls, and entry into another's home without permission.

He permitted men to marry up to four women if they were treated equally. This law permitting more than one wife was intended as a form of social justice that recognized the high number of widows with children resulting from the constant tribal warfare.

In 632 A.D., Mohammed verbally indicated that succession should pass to his son-in-law, Ali. Ali, however, was assassinated and succession passed to a series of caliphs of the Umayyads, who were usurpers and tyrants.

Contrary to Mohammed's instructions that "No compulsion is there in religion," Islamic armies under direction of the Umayyad caliphs conquered a span of the earth eastward to India and westward to Spain within a few decades of the passing of Mohammed. Rather than simply defend their faith, as authorized by Mohammed, the Umayyad caliphs authorized conquests in the name of Islam.

Despite the carnage, so overwhelming was the power of the spirit released by the Arabian prophet that his faith reared a dazzling civilization. With a common language and under common rule, peace and unity were established in this new empire, and energies once wasted in welfare were channeled for prosperity under the brotherhood of Islam.

The dawn of Islamic culture and technology appeared first in the newly founded city of Baghdad, which means "abode of peace." Throughout the Islamic world, contributions from past civilizations and new scientific pursuits were encouraged, and centers of education and medicine flourished. The world's first university and the world's first school of pharmacy were founded by the Moslems.

Islamic law extended justice to the lowliest citizen. Prosperity was not limited to a wealthy class. Civilization was built on broad foundations of the welfare of the common people in accordance with Islamic precepts.

The high tide of Islamic culture, 800 to 1100 A.D., was coincident with the low ebb of culture in Europe -- the Dark Ages. But just as it had in Rome, political rivalry led to a grasp for power, and that led to an inequitable system of taxation, corrupt government and moral and spiritual laxity. Sexual indulgence led to the maintenance of large harems and to homosexuality among the ruling families and the wealthy. A resurgence of individualism led to the weakening of Islamic brotherhood.

And Baghdad, the first Islamic center to flourish, was the first to fall into decay. The very spirit that enabled the Arabs to conquer half the known world turned them inward against themselves. Yet despite the fall of its empire, Islam is still a vital force in the world.

Today, fundamentalist Moslem leaders believe that Western civilization and materialism is afflicting Islamic nations. In an attempt to restore Islam to its original purity, these leaders have resorted to militant religious fanaticism. This religious fervor must be regarded as a dying convulsion and must not blind us to the positive influence exerted by Islam on civilization. The religion has demonstrated its ability to refine mankind's capacity to achieve spiritual success and social progress.

It is my hope that Islam will be viewed by Americans in this light. We must be careful not to fan the flames of religious animosity, lest prejudice and strife infest our own community as it has the Middle East.

Robert M. Thaggard originally wrote this article about Saddam Hussein when the Persian Gulf War broke out in 1991 while he was living in Homer. He updated it to reflect the current situation.