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two on Sunday-simply cannot
comprehend the aJl-pervasive na–
ture of the Islamic faith in the
lives of its followers. Most West–
erners have long abandoned the
challenge of actually
living
thei r
professed faith.
Islam, however, is
central
to
every aspect of a Moslem's life.
lt
is far from a Friday-go-to-mosque
kind of religion. The average
Moslem takes the Koran seri–
ously. He strives d iligently to
obey its precepts. Islam guides
thought and act ion to a degree
vi rtuaJly without parallel in the
West. Religion and life are
insep–
arable.
Western visitors to Islamic
countries often make the mistake
of assuming that because many
upper class Moslems speak Euro–
pean languages, dress like West–
erners and may have been edu–
cated in the West, that they also
have adopted Western attitudes
toward religion.
Not so.
The overwhelming majority of
Moslems of
al/
classes and sta–
tions diligently pray towards the
holy city of Mecca five times
each day. On Friday, Moslems
observe a special day of public
prayer in the mosque.
During the entire holy month
of Ramadan, the ninth month of
the Moslem year, Moslems re–
frain from food and d rink from
dawn ("as soon as you can discern
a white thread from a black one")
to dusk.
Moslems are also expected to
make a
hajj
or pilgrimage to
sacred Mecca at least once in
their lifetime if financially and
physically able. Almsgiving to the
poor, aged and orphans is also an
obl igation to Moslems. An annual
2.5 percent
zakat
tax is levied
against one's total assets.
J
n addi tion to these major
directives, the Koran forbids the
eating of pork, the drinking of
alcohol and gambling. In more
liberal Moslem circles, however,
these particular observances are
often relaxed.
Church-State Unlon
But Islam is much more than a
set of prescribed ritualistic obser-
Oecember 1980
vanees. The Koran contains de–
tailed secular as well as religious
injunctions. It lays down stan–
dards for a wide range of person–
al, social , economic and political
relationships, and both civi l and
criminal law. This makes it vir–
tually impossible to confine Islam
to spiritual matters alone.
In the.Islamic world separation
of church and state is unknown.
From its inception, Islam has
been a state religion. No distinc–
tion is made between "God and
· Caesar," suoh as spelled out by
Jesus in Matthew 22:21.
Of course, the Jslamic revolu–
tionary government in Iran is
vastly different from the govern–
ment in Saudi Arabia. This, in
turn, is different from that of
Egypt, or Pakis ta n or Libya.
Moslem governments range from
semi-feudal monarchies to parl ia–
mentary democracies.
But regardless of these differ–
ences, there is no question among
Moslems that religion and gov–
ernment are-and should be–
inseparable.
Talk of a "secular Moslem
country" is generally considered a
contradiction in terms. The ulti–
mate fai lure of the shah's attempt
to set up a Western-style state in
Ira n, ignoring the role of the
mullahs, is attributed in part to
this deep-seated Moslem view of
the necessity of church-sta te
union .
Moslems see government as a
major vehicle for accomplishing
good in this world. Much more
than among professing C hris–
t ians, whose hope often líes pri–
marily in a " next life," Moslems
are committed to the monumen–
tal mission of taking history into
tbeir hands and fashioning it to
wbat it ought to be.
The real ization of good , Mos–
lems believe, is possible
in this
world.
They generally do not view
this life as an ordeal laden with
trials and sorrows through which
the faithfu l must laboriously pass
to achieve salvation in the "next
world." Instead, the Koran laysout
a social and legal order aimed at
happiness, prosperity and well–
being hereand now.
This is not to say that Moslems
do not believe in an afterlife as
well. Punishment in hell or re–
ward in paradise is vividly de–
scribed in the Koran.
Eye for an Eye
One of the most publicized as–
pects of Moslem life is the strict
Koranic code of justice, in force
in increasing numbers of Moslem
countries.
The
Sharia,
or Koranic canon
law, has been condemned in the
West as cruel and barbarie. The
severity of Koranic punishment
shocks most Westerners. For ha–
bitual thievery, the penalty may
be the Joss of a hand. For premar–
ital sex, l 00 lashes in public. For
false accusation, 80 lashes.
Most Moslems, however, are
little concerned with the reactions
of the West. The Koran sanctions
the Sharia law, and that is suffi–
cient. Moreover, Moslems daily
read of the growing crime rate in
permissive Western society.
" How can t he crime-ridden West
criticize us?" tbey ask. Moslem
countries have considerably lower
crime rates than most Westero
countries.
The lslamic eye-for-an-eye
Sharia law, they also note, is not
much different from those civil
and criminal laws of the Old
Testament given by God to an–
cient Israel (see Exodus 21-23).
Moslems also point out that in
their countries, unlike in the "de-
_., cadent" West, the
seriousness of
sin
is still recognized and dealt
with accordingly.
Another point must be recog–
nized . Like many Westerners,
many Moslems have themselves
been horri fied by the trials and
executions that bave been taking
place in l ran under the Khomeini
regime. They point out that those
trials and execut ions are not a
true reflection of Islam, but are
instead associated with the politi–
cal turmoil in that country.
Moslems also observe that the
taking of hostages- especially
diplomatic ones- is clearly for–
bidden by Islamic tradition. " 1 do
not break treaties, nor do 1 make
prisoners of envoys," Mohammed
once insisted. Many Moslems see
the Khomeini regime's actions in
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