Attitudes to Pluralism

• Pluralism


  • Can be defined in terms of salvation: who is eligible to go to heaven in the afterlife
  • Can be defined in terms of social relations on earth, and the extent of mixing, cooperation and mutual respect between different faith communities
• Islam


  • A missionary faith which promotes conversion
  • The Qur'an was regarded as the final and complete message to humankind
  • Muslims encourage others to follow it
• Traditions regarding conversion


  • Various
• Muslims have held different attitudes towards others

  Based on their interpretations of Qur'anic text and the examples of Muhammad
• 'People of the book'


  Christians and Jews, fellow believers with whom Muslims can live alongside, eat their food and marry their women
• Muhammad promoted peace between religions on arrival in Madinah
• Later a Jewish tribe was exiled, probably for political reasons
• At times Muslims have forcibly converted others in the expansion of the Caliphate
• 'Dhimmi contract'


  Imposed higher taxes on non-Muslims and their evidence was regarded as lesser in shari'a law
• Attitudes of some Muslims today

  • Prefer to live largely separate lives in communities of other Muslims
  • Prefer to live in mixed communities and see no difficulty in this
• All children


  Seen as innocent creations of God, Muslims by definition, until they understand and choose an alternative path for themselves
• 'Reversion'


  Returning to their childhood state of being a Muslim
• Ceremony for revert


  1. Publicly announce their commitment to the shahadah, the statement of faith, in front of two witnesses

  2. Welcomed and supported by the community as part of the Ummah
• Apostacy is debated: some Muslim countries apply the death penalty whereas others say freedom of religion is an important principle to uphold