Religion and Rationality in the Muslim World

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 8:09 pm by Robert Hunt

Religion and Rationality in the Muslim World 2015-03-13T20:09:03-06:00 Robert Hunt

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

As we continue to see people across North Africa and the Middle East take to the streets to demand democracy, or at least some voice for themselves and accountability for their governments, the question of just what role religion will play in the future of these societies arises again and again. There is little doubt that at least two different groups in the region, Al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood, are committed to eventually establishing some kind of Islamic State. Yet the differences between them is large, and the differences in situation from Libya to Iran are too great to let the ready but very rough term “Islamist” dominate an analysis. And more to the point, there is little evidence that the protesters themselves have an Islamist agenda. In Iran it is precisely what they oppose.

The problem is that too much Western analysis from both the left and right associates the religious commitment of Muslims with a kind of fanatic forgetfulness of rational self-interest. The origins of and evidence for this particular facet of orientalist bigotry need not be rehearsed – simply read your editorial cartoons or tune into Fox News. Nor is it immediately necessary to explore the apologetic assertions by Muslim scholars that their is the most rational of religions. More to the point: the demonstrators on the streets have shown that what they want is governments that address their legitimate and ration interests. Despite some provocation by radicals they have not been coaxed into scapegoating religious or ethnic minorities. Nor have we seen them thrust men who are popular symbols of Islamic piety in to the political limelight.

This isn’t to say that such things cannot happen. Events in Iraq and Pakistan remind us that Islam, like other religions, can serve as the focal point for inchoate rage. And the ability of foolish humans to be led by bigots to act against their own interest cannot be ignored. It happens here in the United States on a regular basis. Yet the observable reality is that when the peoples of the Muslim world speak most freely, whether in the mass demonstrations of these last weeks or in free elections in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Turkey, and even Iraq they speak, however imperfectly, for their rational self-interest, and not for irrational hatred. And this is why democracy is the solution, and the people are our true allies and friends in the Muslim World, not the dictators.

There is a particular hubris in believing that we of the West are the only people capable of taming our passions and pursuing rational self-interest while still living in the warm glow of religious faith. We need to get over it. It is irrational.

Christian Muslim Relations

Home Page

Previous Post

February 6, 2011

No Freedom without Religious Freedom in Egypt

Next Post

March 4, 2011 II Peter 1:16 - 21 - A Sermon

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Christian Identity Christian Muslim Relations Home Page Inter-Religious Dialogue Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 July 2010 May 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz