Is There Freedom in Islam?

I received this note from Sami-Zaatari raising questions about Islam and Christianity. Islam is a religion of freedom, he claims, and Christianity is a religion of slavery. It seems that we have different conceptions of what freedom and slavery really are. It may be that Muslims readers need to raise these questions. Does Islam offer you real freedom? What is freedom in Islam? Let’s analyze this letter together.

sami z ([email protected])

Sent: Mon 8/31/09 11:17 PM
To: [email protected]

Free people from the slavery of Islam? More like free people from the backward slavery of Christianity. What is interesting is that the Christian west is slowly moving away from Christianity as I had antipicated. People who use rationality cannot honestly follow the Bible or logically follow the main Christian doctrine (which is why Christians even create false analogies to make sense of their doctrine!)

Atheism is on the rise in both Europe, and the U.S, so your point about most Muslims leaving to atheism is quite mute, Christians are leaving in droves towards atheism (as I have been saying they would), and I am quite sure many of them will eventually turn to Islam. Christianity has failed the west, big time, which is why it is becomming an atheistic society.

Islam=Freedom, Christianity=Death cult, which is very true, your a cult, your belief is around 1 man, and this man died, and you have to believe in his death and blood sacrifce to be saved, so free us from the prison death cult of Christianity.

Dear Sami,

Thanks for writing. It would have been helpful to know which article you were objecting to in your email. I will respond to your letter as detailed as possible.

You wrote:

“Free people from the slavery of Islam? More like free people from the backward slavery of Christianity.”

My Response:

This does not mean much except to slander Christianity.

First, let’s consider real slavery. Islam has supported slavery since the time of Mohammed. He had slaves, traded slaves, and because of Islam there are still millions in actual slavery in various parts of the Muslim world. Up until recently the royal family of Saudi Arabia had slaves. The Muslims were doing slave capturing and selling people long before slaves were sold to the early American settlers. Probably you would deny knowing anything about it.

Second, take a look at the sub human position of women and girls in the Islamic cultures.
Honor killings of girls particularly and boys occasionally is a type of irrationality. If a girl has been raped it is concluded she is the cause of it. Nothing is said about the lust of the guys involved. The requirement of four witnesses to prove rape is laughable. I suppose that you will think that female mutilation is an act of freedom. When a mother and other women takes their daughters, hold them to the floor, spread their legs apart for a quack “surgeon” to cut out part of their sexual organs you would conclude this is good and a part of freedom.

I suppose that you would also conclude that honor killings that are occurring throughout the Muslim world is another example of freedom in Islam. When a woman does not want to marry or be married to a man she has no right to exercise her choice in the matter and her freedom is annulled by a relative killing her. I wonder if you ever read about any of these things taking place.

Third, it is hard to understand the “backward slavery of Christianity.” You give no details. This seems another part of the Muslim apologetic – make charges but give no verifiable details. The freedom that the West has given has led to the great accomplishments of technology and prosperity in the history of the world. Basically the type of education in the West has led to great accomplishments. In contrast the education of the Muslim world has been ruled by the imams who have rejected the natural sciences for the education in Muslim studies. What kind of accomplishments can you point to that have come from the Muslim world?

Fourth, you should read the Life of Mohammed by A. Guillaume and see how the early Muslims had a parasitic existence. They were not productive of anything but holding up caravans, ransoming prisoners, and living off the dhimmis. The wealth of the Muslim world right now has not come from hard work but oil revenues. Mohammed and his followers had freedom for themselves, but freedom was not possible for the conquered unless they accepted Islam.

You wrote:

“What is interesting is that the Christian west is slowly moving away from Christianity as I had antipicated.”(sic)

My reponse:

I think you have a few hidden assumptions that are not revealed here. Yes, Western Europe is becoming increasingly Muslim. Why? There has been an influx of Muslims who cannot find work in their own countries and are seeking to find work in what was a Christian culture. Muslims are growing in Europe because of their birthrate. The average birthrate of Europeans families hovers around 1.38 children per couple. It is difficult to know precisely the birthrate of Muslims in Europe since some countries do not keep stats by religion. However, Mullah Krekar of Norway told the newspaper Dagbladet ever Muslim wonder in the EU was “producing 3.5 children.” (Mark Steyn, America Alone, Regnery Publishing Washington,DC., 2006, pp.39-40)

You can see that Europe could become Muslim by simple math. Why have Muslims deserted their own countries to come to Europe? There were no jobs at home? Why would they come to Europe to do jobs that Europeans did not want to do, or have the manpower to do them? Many of them wanted greater freedom but the Muslim ghettos in Europe did not allow them freedom. They did not assimilate and the same practices that existed in their homelands have been imported to Europe and they do not have any more freedom than they had before.

One other ingredient is the type of education they were not given at home. The Muslim world has existed for 1400 years. There is no great Muslim counterpart to Hong Kong, Singapore, New York, or London. Where are the technological geniuses of Islam?

If Islam does not change, a Muslim Europe can become a new dark age hovering over it.
The freedom of the universities will be compromised, freedom of investigation will be curtailed, and a dark age will descend upon Europe with Sharia law enforced and the power of the Imams will bring on a dark age. That is what I would anticipate.

You wrote:

People who use rationality cannot honestly follow the Bible or logically follow the main Christian doctrine (which is why Christians even create false analogies to make sense of their doctrine!)

My response:

Interesting comment, but misguided. Let’s talk about rationality for a moment.
I think your use of the term “rationality” is really irrationality.

Muslims are not really rational, they are submissive. Being submissive to Allah excludes rationality. You cannot question. If you are rational you will question jihad – killing people who do not submit to Allah. But as a good Muslim you don’t, because you are submissive. If you were rational you would campaign against honor killings. If you were rational you would urge your imams to condemn female mutilation. But you don’t. Being submissive makes it impossible to question the Qur’an, or Mohammed, or Sharia, or the hadiths.

The Greek influence of the conscience never passed into the Muslim world. The Bible also talks about the conscience. A conscience is related to rationality. A Muslim father who has taken the life of his daughter confesses he did it without a sense of shame, or guilt, or sadness. He did it because he is submissive. He has never raised the question of its rationality.

It may be a surprise to you to know that the Society of Christian Philosophers is the largest sub-group of the American Philosophical Association. Of course there are atheistic philosophers, but the Society of Christian Philosophers have some of the most famous names in philosophy, and the group is very rational in their evaluation of all opinions.

If you were interested in reading any of the Christian philosophers to see how rational they are I would recommend you start with the works of Alvin Plantinga. You will be surprised at the reasonableness of his work.

You wrote:

“Atheism is on the rise in both Europe, and the U.S, so your point about most Muslims leaving to atheism is quite mute, Christians are leaving in droves towards atheism (as I have been saying they would), and I am quite sure many of them will eventually turn to Islam. Christianity has failed the west, big time, which is why it is becomming an atheistic society.”(sic)

My response:

I don’t think you realize what you are saying. If atheism is on the rise in both Europe and the US , “your point about Muslims leaving to atheism is quite mute,” you are affirming the growth of atheism among Muslims not rejecting it. The example I gave was that of Ali Sina’s site where the majority of the people left Islam for atheism.

One of the problems we have about Muslims leaving Islam is that no one keeps figures.
In the west one can point to statistics showing that church attendance is down, and by how much, but no one can come up with stats about Muslims leaving, even though we know they are.

A few years ago I talked with a young Iranian who had fled the country trying to get to the US.
((Is it not strange that all those who hate the West are trying to come to find better opportunities and a better life?? This hated country where life is better than the home country.))
I asked the Iranian about religion and the answer was: “I am officially Muslim.” I asked, “what are you unofficially?” The reply was “atheist.” I then asked, are there many like you in Iran?
The reply: “many of the young people are officially Muslims but unofficially atheists.”
This is the observation of one person, but the current upheaval in Iran suggests that the
Muslims paradise is not all that it is supposed to be.

Let’s look at your statement,

“Christianity has failed the west, big time, which is why it is becomming an atheistic society.” (sic)

You don’t give any details on this, which again is just a negative statement without support. If you would care to read about the real history of the West, for example, Toby Huff, The Rise of Early Modern Science, you would discover the reasons for the progressive advance of western Europe in a Christian context with a rational view of the universe that promoted investigation as well as the universities which had the goal of pursuing the truth wherever it led.

No such institution existed in Islam, and no such goal was allowed. The madrasas were Qur’anic schools and the “foreign” sciences were not allowed. Rational discourse is not allowed, instead, submission is demanded, and questioning will get you into trouble.

You wrote:
“Islam=Freedom, Christianity=Death cult, which is very true, your a cult, your belief is around 1 man, and this man died, and you have to believe in his death and blood sacrifce to be saved, so free us from the prison death cult of Christianity.”.

My response:

I don’t think the idea that Islam equals freedom holds water. Moreover, the idea that Christianity is a death cult is meaningless and absurd. It is just the reverse. Christianity has given freedom and Islam has brought death. Since the time of Mohammed, the Muslim invasion of the world has brought about 270 million deaths. See here http://www.politicalislam.com/tears/pages/tears-of-jihad/

Jesus said, “A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest. I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd gives up his life for his sheep.” (John 10:10-11) Jesus did not command anyone to kill anybody. What can we say about Mohammed? More people have died because of Islam in its 1400 year history than any other cause. Even the total deaths brought about by the atheists Stalin, Mao, Hitler and Pol Pot do not come near the number of people killed by Islam.

You don’t really mention anything about political freedom.You live in a country in which you can attack Christian belief, but Saudi’s are not allowed to attack or criticise Islam. Other Muslim countries have similar restrictions. Islam does not equal freedom, rather Islam brings forced submission, or virtual slavery for non-Muslims.

Just today there appeared a story about 5000 Hindus who were forced to flee Pakistan in the last four years. Two men described their experience:

“ Ranaram, who used to live in the Rahimyar district of Pakistan’s Punjab, says he fell prey to the Taliban. His wife was kidnapped, raped and forcibly converted to Islam. His two daughters were also forcibly converted. Ranaram, too, had to accept Islam for fear of his life. He thought it best to flee with his two daughters; his wife was untraceable.

“Dungaram, another migrant, says atrocities against Hindus in Pakistan have increased in the past two years after the ouster of Musharraf. "We won't get permanent jobs unless we convert to Islam." See http://www.jihadwatch.org/
(Sept.10,2009)
How sad that Muslims do such things in the name of Islam. How sad that Islam forces Muslims to do such things.

Your description of “my beliefs” does not do justice. If you are going to argue against a person’s position, you must not mis-represent it. I presume that you don’t believe that Jesus died on the cross, and you do not mention the resurrection which is extremely important. If you leave out the resurrection you only have a dead man – which you may have presumed in your statement.

Sami, in conclusion, you have been misguided along the way. I would hope you would read my letter carefully. There are lots of Christians praying for Muslims during Ramadan. I hope the prayers of God’s people will touch your heart and mind to bring you into the light of the person who declared, “While I am in the world, I am the light for the world.” (John 9:5)

There is no darkness in Him.

Blessings, Dallas