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Headline: Understanding Muhammad
Byline: Alexander Kronemer
Date: 12/09/2002
(WASHINGTON)It has become a familiar headline: A religious cleric rejects calls for
tolerance and understanding and castigates a US president; an argument
is made that peace will only come when nonbelievers convert; and
American values of pluralism and religious freedom are fundamentally
questioned.
Yet in recent weeks, these headlines aren't being generated by distant
Muslim fanatics, but by some of the most respected Christian leaders in
America.
Pat Robertson has taken issue with the president, after Mr. Bush
recently reaffirmed his belief that Islam is a peaceful religion that
has a welcomed place among the other faiths practiced in America.
In rejecting the president's words, Pat Robertson and other Christian
leaders once again are asserting that Muslims are dangerous, Islam is
fundamentally warlike, and that Muhammad was primarily a military
leader.
These assertions, of course, tap into the fears of many Americans. As
one of the coproducers of a new PBS documentary airing on Dec. 18
titled, "Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet," I have become well acquainted
with the story of Muhammad and believe that the program will shed light
on a debate that is currently generating only heat.
The idea that there must be something in Islam that nourishes the kind
of violence seen on Sept. 11 certainly is understandable.
But it should be remembered that no religion is inherently violent, or
for that matter, inherently peaceful. Not Islam, not even Christianity.
All religious scripture is subject to interpretation, therefore all can
be misused. We need only go back a couple of dozen years to the Jim
Crow era to find examples of how Christianity was shamefully misused
and distorted. Then, Biblical scripture was routinely cited (most
notably, Genesis 9) as the divine basis for racial separation and
superiority. The most famous American terrorist organization, the KKK,
used overtly Christian symbolism and scripture to justify its
decades-long campaign of violence, murder, and intimidation in pursuit
of its goals of turning America back into a "true" Christian nation.
Was there something about Christianity that bred or at least nourished
such racism? Of course not. Religion in general aims people toward
peace and justice, but people disposed to evil can always find
scriptural justification for their position. Just as for a time the KKK
was a significant political force in this country, so, today, Al Qaeda
is a political force in the Muslim world. These organizations, not the
religions they claim to represent, are the enemy.
Historical context must likewise be remembered when judging Muhammad.
The notion that Muhammad was a man of war as contrasted Jesus or Moses,
as Jerry Falwell recently asserted, ignores the fact that Muhammad
fought only a handful of battles in his lifetime, resulting in barely
1,000 casualties on all sides.
This might be compared to such Biblical figures as David, who is
praised in I Samuel 18 for killing his "tens of thousands," famously
earning the murderous jealousy of Saul who only killed his "thousands";
or to Moses, who in the book of Numbers 31 chastises his army for
sparing the women and children of the vanquished Midianites.
To compare Muhammad to Moses or Jesus, or against some contemporary
standard, is meaningless and anachronistic. The world that Moses and
Muhammad lived in was lawless and violent, different from even the
Roman dominated world in which Jesus lived. Strong vested interests
opposed the monotheism each preached, genocide was commonplace, slavery
was taken for granted. Women had few rights, and might was the only law.
In this context Muhammad and Moses and all the other Biblical figures
sought to create a new society based on justice and on the belief in a
compassionate God. Their achievements in accomplishing this in lasting
ways form the only relevant contemporary standard by which they can be
truly judged.
"Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet" attempts to present as clear and honest
a portrayal of Muhammad as possible. Yet the very way it was made is
itself a clear statement. As a collaborative venture, the documentary
drew on the talents and hard work of many dozens of people, including
Christians of various denominations, Muslims, and Jews, who worked
together for more than two years.
At a time when so many voices are creating division and conflict,
people not just from several different faiths, but from these three
faiths in particular - Christianity, Islam, and Judaism - have come
together and proven that pluralism is alive, understanding is still
possible, and tolerance is not beyond our furthest hopes.
* Alex Kronemer, a graduate of Harvard Divinity School, is a
coproducer of the new PBS documentary 'Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet.'
(c) Copyright 2002 The Christian Science Monitor. All rights reserved.
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