Thoughtful Thursday

Ignorance is dangerous. It is especially dangerous coming from those who are supposed to be the political and (dare I say it?) moral leaders of a society. It seems like everybody has something to say in the debate about President Wulff's remark about the Islam being a part of Germany. And not always is that something helpful and/or informed. When will we stop seeing Islam as this big bad monolithic entity that deplores human rights, enslaves women and has as it's ultimate goal the destruction of all Western values?
No other religion is judged so much in its entirety by the actions of some of its members. Do we deny Catholics their affiliation with our society because there are some catholics who believe that wearing condoms leads straight to damnation? Do we cast out Protestants because some of its more radical sects want to implement biblical law as the law of the land? No, because we know that these are the opinions of individuals and small groups within the faith and they do not represent the faith itself. But when the subject of Islam comes up, there is some sort of kneeejerk reaction that it somehow represents a homogenous dangerous threat to our values.
It is conceived as such a threat that the mere mention of certain buzz words are enough to sow fear into our collective hearts. Sharia is such a word. Just now our Chancellor Merkel was using it to make clear that yes, Islam may be part of Germany but do not fear, of course not the Sharia. Well, I hate to disappoint you, the Sharia is part and parcel of Islam and therefore part of Islam even in Germany. What, stonings and amputations here in Germany? (I can almost hear the collective gasp). Of course, again that's the first thing that comes to mind at the mere mention of the word Sharia (and for a great number of people the only thing). Most don't know that when a Muslim prays or when he fasts during Ramadhan, he or she is adhering to the Sharia. Or that in German courts Sharia is taken into consideration in some cases of family law or inheritance. Again, its ignorance. As long as all this takes place within the boundaries of our constitution there is no threat to our society.
Muslims are individuals, too, and religion is a very personal thing. So wouldn't it be rational to take a step back and look at how Islam is lived among us? Because, make no mistake, it is, among us that is, it has been for a long time (longer than most of us believe) and it is not going away. Muslims are part of our society, they should have the same rights as we do and they should be recognized as valued members of our society. And as no society lives in a vacuum, of course their cultural and religious values help shaping our society (and they have throughout centuries).
And no, I am not closing my eyes before the conflicts that arise in between human rights and Islam (and any religion for that matter). I am a firm believer in the universal claim of basic human rights such as human dignity, the right to live, equality (for women as much as for homosexuals or handicapped (the list is not exhaustive, there are many more who do not enjoy the right to equal treatment even in our enlightened western societies) and many more. And yes, some aspects of Islam and all other religions, too, stand in conflict with some of these values. There is no easy solution, there is only the believer as an individual making choices and interpreting his or her believes to bridge that conflict. And sometimes you just have to live with it. Being part of a society does not only afford you rights and freedoms within that community, it also comes with duties. That means, you have to make a positive commitment to your community's basic, underlying rights and values, for example its given constitution.
But it also means that these rights and values are subject to discussion and even change. Just as society constantly changes, so does its interpretation of its values. There is a constant discourse in any given society about its rules and any member of this given society is part of the discourse. I believe that the foundation of such basic values as the human rights in our society is strong enough to withstand any changes. I also believe that there are other values and rules that will change over time, and that Islam as a part of German society will play a part in the changes that will occur within it. And I for one think that is a good thing.