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this regard as an embarrassment
and a demeaning of Islam before
the world.
Actually, the Koran specifies
strict limitations on the power of
the Moslem religious courts. Ac–
cused persons are considered in–
nocent unti l proven guilty. In
addition, the standards of proof
are so exacting that severe pun–
ishments widely publicized in the
West can rarely be carried out. In
the case of adultery-punishable
by death in sorne Moslem coun–
tries-four actual eye-witnesses
are requi red for convict ion.
" Modernlzatlon" or
''Weaternlzatlon'
' ?
Another question often asked in
the West is whether Islam can be
successfully adapted to a modern
technological society.
This question is almost always
asked by non-Moslems. Moslems
themselves do not see Islam as
any barrier whatever to modern
life. They believe that Islam fits
all t imes and cultures. Moslems
are often genuinely surprised that
such a question should even be
asked.
Let us look at this issue
through Moslem eyes. No read–
ing of the Koran could ever pro–
duce the notion that Islam is
reactionary or tailored only to a
primit ive desert society. Develop–
ment and change are not contrary
to the spirit of Islam. In fact, the
seeking of knowledge and the
desirability of progress are heavi–
ly
stressed
in the Koran.
Why, then, t he cont roversy
· over whether Islam can keep pace
with modero times?
Islam itself does not oppose
technology and industry. But
many Moslems have come to rec–
ognize a danger in overemphasis
on technology and on " progress"
in the Western sense. As one
Egyptian government official put
it: " Islam is not against moderni–
zation. But when modernization
aims at fulfill ing only material–
istic needs while disregarding
moral matters, it always ends up
breaking down the s t ructure of
society."
Moslems contend that science
and technology have undermined
18
faith in religion in the West. l f
wrong ly applied, they fear it
could do the same for faith in
Allah.
Talk of Islam's failure to adj ust
to modernity is usually based on
Western definitions and concepts
of "modernization" and "prog–
ress." Moslems say that moderni–
zation does not have to mean
Westernization and seculari za–
tion. Sorne Moslems have com–
mented, half-jokingly and half–
seriously, that if the West repre–
sents the wave of the future, it is
better to remain stuck in the
past.
Most Moslems do not want to
return to sorne sort of medieval
l slamic configuration. They want
progress, but they want to pro–
ceed cautiously, choosing what is
suitable and rejecting what is
harmful. This way they hope to
avoid reaping the bitter frui ts
they see as having resulted from
the d izzying pace of moderniza–
t ion. in the West.
As Saudi Arabia's King Khal id
cautioned in an address to pil–
·grims at Mecca last year: "We
Moslems, the more we hold fast
to these eminent ideals, the better
are our prospects to get up and
bring the world under our con–
t rol. On the other hand, the far–
ther we veer away from our fait h,
the faster we succumb to factors
of decay and start suffering from
polit ical and societal ills, and
eventuaJ iy fall an easy prey to the
enemies of Islam. . . ."
Moslema Look at Communlam
Justas Moslems are disillusioned
with the materialism of the West,
they likewise deplore tbe Com–
munist alternative.
l t is not, however, the one–
party, dictatorial nature of the
communist state that they pri–
marily object to. Many Moslem
count ries are essentially one-par–
ty states. (Moslems often ask,
" How can there be other par ties
besides the party of the righ–
teous?")
lt is the atheism of Marxism
that they detest.
It
is no secret
among Moslems that Islam has
been suppressed in t he Soviet
Union in the last haJf century.
"Who can be guilty of a
greater wrong," the Koran asks,
"than one who forbids Allah's
name being g lorified in His
mosques and seeks to bring about
their ruin?"
· Moslem countries may culti–
vate relations with the Soviet
Union with a view towards vari–
ous material benefits such as
arms aid. But they have no illu–
sions when it comes to the philos–
ophy and system of communism
itself. Islamic states are over–
whelmingly anticommunist.
Role of Women
Another sore point to Moslems is
the West's concept of the role of
women in Islamic sociefy. Many
Westerners know, for example,
that women in ultraor thodox Sau–
di Arabia do not drive cars. They
aJso know about the much-publi–
cized vei l and of the
chador,
the
head-to-toe black garment worn
by women in I ran.
What Moslems wish Western–
ers would aJso reaJize is that the
traditions or customs in one Mid–
dle Eastern country are not nec–
essarily representative of all Mos–
lem women or necessarily a part
of Islam.
As Islam spread from its birth–
place in the Arabian Península,
the customs of conquered or con–
verted peoples often became en–
twined with the practices laid
down in the Koran. The chador,
for example, is a trad itional Iran–
ian d ress, not specifically re–
quired by the Koran. The Koran
specifies on ly modesty, which can
be interpreted in many ways.
Many lranian women actually
prefer to wear the chador.
The veil, too, is not required by
the Koran.
lt
was in troduced dur–
ing the period of Ottoman Turk–
ish domination of t he Middle
East, beginning in the 15th cen–
tury A.D.- more than 800 years
after Mohammed.
Increasing numbers of young
women throughout the Middle
East are donning the veil and
covering themselves up with tra–
dit ional floor- length robes- to
the dismay of many of their pro–
gressive mothers who fought for
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The
PLAIN TRUTH