Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Islam and da3wa, Christianity and evangelism

I posted this question below, and here is my answer:

Shaw's question
:

WHY are we so threatened by Muslim evangelism?

WHY do we find Muslim evangelism offensive and outrageous when we also embrace evangelism?

Abu Daoud's answer:

I think the reason people don’t like it is because it is not at all a level playing field. Muslim proselytizing (we should not call it evangelism I think) or da3wa goes forth throughout the West while Christian proselytizing (evangelism) is illegal in most Muslim countries.

This is simply not just and people know it. Muslims know very well that the freedom we afford them is not granted to us in their countries. Perhaps most alarming is that vision of a world which submits to Allah and his shari’a is one where ultimately Christianity is deprived of her birth right and reason for being: to proclaim the Good News.

6 comments:

Ph.L A M 3 R said...

Your reason about that there isn't a safe place for whom proselytized to Christanity in the Islamic world is not true. Answer is just simple, poeple who attend to Islam can not proselytize to any other religion due to the rationale philosophy of Islam,.For example, christian believe in Trinity, three Gods in one, separated and united at the same time. while muslims believe and submit to one god who's called Allah.
If Trinity is true why is the solar system resembles the atomic design?
which means that there is only one creator and one god.
thats it, I hope u enjoyed that.

shaw said...

abu daoud,

do you really think that this sense of outrage towards muslim evangelism is essentially bitterness towards the unfair Muslim world?

it seems also, and perhaps more in line here is a sense of fear of the "threat" of Islam "invading" our land.

after all, if it is as you say, wouldn't there be more *action* by Christians in the West to bring about greater human freedoms in the Muslim world?

Abu Daoud said...

Phlam3r: the circular logic of your argument defies reason. You have provided a good example though of Muslims apologetics. In other words to simply affirm, we're right, we're logical and if you understood Islam you would accept it. Since you don't accept Islam, you don't understand it.

Shaw: What exactly can we do to increase freedom in the Middle East? Military action to replace regimes? Activism? It is nice to say that we should have more action, but the only way that is historically proven to increase freedoms in the ME is what the British did: colonize the place and get rid of the shari'a. I doubt you would accept that.

I agree that there is a sense of the "threat" of Islam. I addressed that I think. I mean, people are afraid of Islam because where Islam has gone freedom has perished--I know of no exceptions. That seems like a threatening scenario, at least for people who like freedom--and I don't think it's unreasonable to find it undesirable.

Anonymous said...

yes, in fact. to start with: activism.

secondly, civil society within the middle east needs to start meeting with each other, they need to "grow up" and organize better. there needs to be international activism coupled with greater partnership with UN civil society initiatives to bring legislative reform that empowers civil society.

Third: you are getting to know me well. I am totally against colonization, of course. in fact, we are reaping the destructive and divisive "fruits" of the colonial era still today. this is an indisputable fact among scholars.

Abu Daoud said...

Hi Shaw,

My experience from living in the Middle East is that there is very little distinction in the popular mind between actual military imperialism and activism. Any effort to intervene in the culture--much less to "bring legislative reform"--will be seen as imperialism.

Also, civil society in most countries throughout the Middle East is a profoundly Islamic society, and Islam has no concept of inalienable human rights.

Our desire for civil society and human rights in MENA is itself a form of imperialism, a form of coercion, a form of will to power.

(But I'm not going all the way with Nietzsche, mind you. I am enjoying this conversation, by the way.)

Anonymous said...

hey more to come later, but you might be interested in this: http://www.altmuslim.com/a/a/a/2648/