Of course, you’ve noticed the seeming contradictions in Islam between what is taught and what is believed.
That happens everywhere. It would be wrong to suggest that because there’s disagreement on the periphery, one can’t know what Islam stands for.
Most Moslems follow the Koran and the Hadith. The Hadith says a Moslem should not even take a non-Moslem as a close friend.
An important thing to note is that in Islam, there is no hierarchy to tell you what the proper interpretation of the Qur’an is, so its system reflects that of the Protestant world. There are four or so main schools of Islamic thought, ranging from very western and progressive to extremist and orthodox. We see this in the countries where Islam is predominant as well: In Turkey, the Muslims are very western and progressive (the exception is in the far eastern part where the Kurds live), but in Saudi Arabia, they are much more orthodox and have “religious police,” etc.
In Sunni Islam as far as jurisprudence there are four schools none of these is ‘very western’ or ‘progressive’
They are Maliki, Hanbai, Hanafi and Shafi’i
There are imams, but they are more like pastors or preachers and teach whatever they have learned or whatever they have interpreted the Qur’an to teach. So basically, one may interpret the Qur’an according to their own presuppositions and will obey or disobey the Sharia law and/or Hadith based on their own will; even if they are taught and instructed to obey it anyway.
Ah, so you are trying a relativist argument! That is, you’re suggesting that there’s such a wide-range of interpretations to Islam that one can’t criticise ‘an’ aspect of it, because it won’t necessarily represent “Islam” for all Moslems.
For example…
A Christian is someone who believes Christ is God. Not just that they ‘believe in’ Christ. Or else the Dalai Lama would be ‘Christian’ (because he views Jesus as a great teacher).
Islam has several pillars of faith. And, as noted the Koran and Hadith are of central import.
Your argument is as flawed as saying “We can’t condemn Nazism, because not all Nazis hated the Jews. In fact, Oskar Schindler (a Nazi-party member) saved them!”
One of these liberal notions, encouraged by Islamic people is that Islam is progressive, because it enshrined rights for women. Further, that men and women are equal in Islam. There is a germ of truth in this, but it is such a superficial treatment that it’s not worth repeating by liberals.
Islam did in fact give limited inheritance rights to women, and Muhammad ordered the cessation of female infanticide.
However, noble as these are, how are women treated in Islam? Are women equal in Islam? “Men have fear of your Lord, who created you from a single soul. From that soul He created its mate and through them He bestrewed the earth with countless men and women” (Sura 4:1). This clearly suggests that men and women were created from the same substance. Muslims will point to this as ‘proof’ that men and women are considered equal in Islam. However, Sura 2:228 states “Women shall with justice have rights similar to those exercised against them, although men have a status above women.” However this difference in status runs much deeper. In legal testimony, “Call in two male witnesses from among you, but if two men cannot be found, then one man and two women whom you judge fit to act as witnesses” (Sura 2:282), in other words a woman’s testimony is worth half of a man’s. Although the case was a contractual one, it does not state that such a ruling shall be limited to this type of case only; a fact that is accepted by many Muslim scholars; that it is a general rule for most court cases.
Can Muslim women be beaten? “Good women are obedient. They guard their unseen parts because God has guarded them. As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them and send them to beds apart and beat them” (Sura 4:34) (though some Islamic scholars claim that this is a symbolic ‘beating’ only where-by the husband just ‘taps’ his wife on the arm. Although the wording does not say it should be but a symbolic tap, it should be noted anyway that it still points to male domination over women. So they can differ on the degree of administration, but it is not ‘incorrect’ in Islam to beat one’s wife.
