For Muslims living in a western country there are many issues that we have to deal with every day that are challenging for us – the whole gender interaction, both at and outside the workplace; how we manage our prayers and making our ablutions when we’re away from home; finding halal food options and of course the way we dress, in particular for Muslim women, is a much talked about issue. But we muddle our way through most of those and find a way to meet our obligations to Allah (swt) without causing too much anxiety for our neighbours and colleagues – if you see a Muslim washing their feet in the office bathroom it’s not because they are trying to save water at home and there is no need to call the terrorism hotline either!
But one of the biggest issues facing us is, I think, the fundamental question of what is our own obligation to the non-Muslim community? In many ways this is a rephrasing of the often asked question of where does the loyalty of Muslims lie, with their religion or their country? When the question is phrased in that way it becomes meaningless and straight away leads to Muslims becoming defensive. The simple fact is, that it is not a question of religion or country – any person who believes in the existence of a Divine Creator, and all that goes along with that, can not answer that question in any but one way. Obviously religion comes before all else – it is a nonsensical question.
It is also the wrong question to ask. The question isn’t where does the loyalty lie. The question is what obligation does your religion impose upon you as a citizen of this country? If that question was asked it would be far more thought provoking for the Muslim community and I would suggest more beneficial for the broader community. It would in all likelihood also show up a greater divergence of opinion within the Muslim community than the first question.
There is no doubt that over the last 2 decades there has been a greater focus and increase in religiosity within the community generally but certainly within the Muslim community. I believe I would be right in suggesting that the younger generation of Muslims in Australia are far more focused, and in many respects knowledgeable, about their religion than their parents were. They are, on the whole, more educated – despite the media stereotyping. The percentage of Muslims attending tertiary institutions is significantly higher than the national average. But with these higher education levels and greater religiosity comes a need to address questions that their parents were too busy surviving in a new country to worry about. One of those is what does Islam say about my role in this society?
The way this question often plays out in reality now is in the fight against terrorism and the need for western authorities to get assistance from within the community to counter this threat. The reality is that without information coming from Muslims themselves no western government or police authority would have a chance of stopping such events. In almost every case where there have been charges of terrorism brought post 9/11, if you look closely enough, you will find evidence of information coming from within the community itself which has allowed the authorities to take action.
The debate which is now taking place within parts of the community, and one which will only grow, is whether or not providing such support to western authorities is religiously appropriate. It may seem a silly question for most non-Muslims but that is only because many still can not grasp the fundamental principle of Islam which is absolute submission to the Will of Allah (swt). Once you accept that as being a driving premise for Muslims then the lens by which you see and judge things changes completely.
Part II to come insha’Allah
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