Leonid sends this in. It appears to be some sort of workshop intended to help government executives understand Islam.

I actually think this sort of workshop is potentially a good thing. The vast majority of Americans don't even have the slightest understanding of Islam. Either they embrace it without question as a religion equal with all others or they blanket condemn it as singularly evil. Neither of which is the case.

Islam is not like other worldwide religions in that it accepts the use of political violence for religious goals and, in fact, has no corollary to the Western notion of separation of mosque and state. But since most Muslims in the West reject these core concepts of traditional Islam (just like most Catholics reject Papal rulings on birth control), then the essence of Islam as it is practiced is quite a different thing altogether and probably a force for good.

The problem is that these sorts of workshops are usually apologetics for the worst aspects of other cultures or they whitewash the truth. So, will this government training on "Working with Muslim communities" actually address some of the fundamental problems of reconciling core Islamic doctrines with American values? Since I've heard these kind of lectures before I certainly hope so, but I'm not holding my breath.

For instance, the workshop includes a disscussion on interpretation of the Koran and Hadith. These types of workshops usually sidestep any of the tough questions, such as Quranic commands to either convert, kill, or subjugate the infidel. Nor the rather complicated apologetics that developed in Islam for the conditions under which Muslims may permit themselves to be ruled by the kafir and not kill, convert, or subjugate them. Nor do they address the rather noncontroversial and widely accepted hadiths approving of the death penalty for adultery and apostasy.

There will also be a discussion of the difference between religion and culture. Very good, the problem is that usually anything good that comes out of the Muslim community is attributed to religious teachings while anything bad is attributed to cultural influences. Thus Islam is good but parts of Arab or Somali culture are bad. Which is true enough in that female genital mutilation or the Arab practice of honor killings is a cultural practice found nowhere in the Quran or hadiths,.

But these kinds of discussion are incomplete if they don't discuss cultural practices which are approved in the Quran and hadiths---such as slavery, polygamy, and child molestation.

So, probably a good idea for public officials to become more aware of Islam and Muslim practices, but it's never a good idea to substitute apologetics and propaganda for frank and honest discussion.

Posted by: Rusty at 01:46 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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