A Defense of Islam

Sept. 11, 2011, is an anniversary for the whole world. On the one hand, it reminds us of the tragic events of 10 years ago; on the other, it marks a decade of Islamophobia.

Today, terrorism and radical extremism are, in fact, equated to Islam. When we say “Islam,” we mean terrorism. When we say “terrorism,” we mean Islam.

If it were not for recent events in Norway, we would, perhaps, not even imagine that terrorism might have another face, like Christianity. The question is how we refer to Breivik. Somehow, his ideas and the area from which he originates lead us to label him a post-Christian or pseudo-Christian.

The Islamic community today is suffering from a severe problem with its own PR. Their failure to demonstrate the cultural characteristics of their ancient religious tradition and show another side of Islam is evident. In addition, there is disregard for history, including the fact that if it were not for Islam, Europeans would still not be washing their hands before eating.

Aside from the facts of the past, it is necessary to talk about the present. The Islamic world often cannot do this, and the media is very actively accepting all kinds of stories demonstrating the barbaric character of Islamic culture, like the ones about eight-year-old girls being married off. Indeed, that is a barbaric act, but to talk about other aspects of Islamic culture is difficult.

The events of 9/11 have given rise to Islamophobia in modern European culture. Ever since the European Union began to take shape, tendencies like these have become very popular. Islamophobia has given some Europeans a sense of unity; this is similar to how both Catholicism and anti-Catholic sentiment have been used to bring Europeans together. In modern Europe, Islamophobia is becoming increasingly influential. This is a serious impediment to the further integration of Europe because it undermines multiculturalism.

Such a mood touches not only Europe but also Western civilization as a whole and Russia. It is very important to reconsider our relationship to Islam and try to look at it with fresh eyes.

A defense of Islam today is a defense, first and foremost, of the right of the freedom of worship. Muslims in Europe naturally consider it within their rights to follow their own religious norms and customs. It is the right of Muslims to slaughter sheep on Eid al-Adha; this is the natural right of religious communities to do what is needed under their own traditions. It is the same with us: Today, in Russia, it would be strange if someone tried to ban religious processions.

The problem is two-sided. On the one hand, the state does not create sufficient conditions for religious autonomy. On the other hand, religious communities are not very prepared for a new form of self-representation.

On Aug. 30, in Moscow, the holiday of Eid al-Fitr had once again passed, and once again, a problem arose. The three mosques were not able to let in all the thousands who wanted to attend the holiday service. This is a problem with state control and regulation. Support for other religious communities would benefit, say, the Russian Orthodox Church. But the Muslims themselves can present to the public and the media one of their own bright holidays from a new angle. They can try to promote themselves not in brochures, but in an interesting way — with festivals, perhaps. But nothing like this has been done. All the facts that we have about Islam today are about terrorist attacks and Islam’s rise.

It is a matter of education. The issue regarding the role of religion has not been resolved within Russian society. On the one hand, we are moving beyond modernity’s problematic belief that religion should remain within the ghettoes and the private sphere. However, society remains stuck in modernity: Religion is considered a private affair that cannot be imposed on public life.

The media is ill-suited to cover religion in an elaborate fashion. They don’t know how to talk about religion. Thus, when we today turn again and again to 9/11, we confuse terrorism and Islam. It is necessary to draw a line between the two. The Islamic community has very negative views toward what happened in New York and, of course, condemns it. When we speak of “radical Islam,” we are talking about a very small stratum of this community, and in order to understand this, it is necessary to go only a little deeper into the study of Islam.