New Age Islam

Islam and Human Rights

10 Jan 2012, NewAgeIslam.Com

Human Rights . . . Here & There

By Sonya Nigam

An-Na’im is a practising Muslim. He takes his faith seriously and views himself as accountable for the ideas he presents not only as academic arguments but also as ideas in relation to his faith. The first sentence of his book is: “In order to be a Muslim by conviction and free choice, which is the only way one can be a Muslim, I need a secular state.” An-Na’im began his presentation by reminding us that out of 40 countries where Muslims are the majority most have no desire to have an Islamic state. Arabs make up only 12 per cent of the total Muslim population. The second-largest Muslim population is in India, which is a democratic and secular state. The combination of Shariah, or Islamic, law, and the notion of an Islamic state is not part of the lived experience of most Muslims. In fact, the term ‘Islamic state’ did not exist before the mid-20th century. It is a post-colonial concept based on European ideas of states and laws. It is not an Islamic concept. -- Sonya Nigam http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamHumanRights_1.aspx?ArticleID=6339