Portrayals of Muslims in the media oscillate between hysteria over terrorism attacks, or defence of the Muslim community against allegations of Islamophobia.
Islam, Human Rights and Public Policy is edited by David Claydon, a Canon of the Anglican Cathedrals in Cairo and Sydney, who is a member of the Islamic Awareness Taskforce, was born in Palestine, and chairs the Dealing with Diversity Conference (Heads of Churches who meet with politicians).
Although it is an Australian book it takes a global focus, dealing with the public policy issues presented by accommodating Islam in non-majority Muslim countries. It deals with some of the well-known issues of jihad, fatwas, and concern about the human rights of women; as well as some of the lesser-known issues such as Islamic finance issues and de facto polygamy.
The scene is set by the opening essay by Peter Day, writer for The Australian, who reveals that the government policy of reducing Islamophobia by presenting an image of Muslim Australians as moderate, is actually covering up some very real public policy issues. In 2004 the Howard Government produced an 80-page booklet authored by Professor Abdullah Saeed, Director of the Centre for the Study of Contemporary Islam at Melbourne University. Day contends that the views presented in the booklet are misleading.
For example, in the government document Saeed says that "a person can neither be forced to become a Muslim nor to stay in the religion." Yet in another book authored by Saeed, Freedom of religion, Apostasy and Islam, Day contends that Saeed makes it clear that for the "vast majority" of Muslim scholars, the position is that people who leave Islam should be killed. Day concludes that,
"It is clear that the [government] Muslim Australians booklet falls well short of an accurate presentation of contemporary Muslim teaching… [The problem is that] the government and government agencies… have been actually promoting a form of partisan religious apologetics that serves not to enrich but impoverish the quality of public discussion - and the public policy that inevitably flows from that."
Just consider that discussion of religious issues is very easily branded "racist" by the Muslim community, while presentation of a Christian perspective would be branded "arcane", "inflammatory" or "conservative" in the secular media.
The major issue, as presented in the book, is that Sharia law and Australian law are incompatible. Moves to incorporate aspects of Sharia within non-Sharia law exist in Turkey and Canada. This presents legal and practical challenges especially in terms of religion, such as the right to change religion, the status of women, coercion and freedom of expression. The European Court of Human Rights concluded in 2001 that "Sharia is incompatible with fundamental principles of democracy."
The book concludes with an essay by David Claydon and John Arnold outlining 19 principles for the development of public policy. It includes suggestions to remember the Christian heritage and values on which Australian is based, and the need to separate the issues of religion and race. Claydon and Arnold also warn against the reluctance to robustly critique political goals cloaked in religious terminology or put forward by a religious community.
One such area is the danger of legitimising de facto polygamy. Under Islam a man is permitted to have up to four wives. The Age reported that Muslim women are concerned that this practise allows for human rights abuses and told stories of additional wives claiming single parent social security allowances.
The final exhortation is to be informed: "Islam is ethically, culturally, linguistically and religiously heterogenous." This book is sobering reading, and the response could easily lead to prejudice and fear. In a Lausanne Paper [Lausanne Occasional Paper (LOP) No. 49] edited by Claydon he pushed for a Christlike response of grace and love to our Muslim neighbours; for greater understanding and dialogue, and ongoing research. We need to face the challenges with eyes, arms and hearts wide open.
