Should Muslims be allowed to impose Islam on Americans?
Published by Haseeb November 28th, 2006 in Current NewsSource: Middle East Online
By Dr. Muqtedar Khan
Muslims and non-Muslims must not allow a few rotten apples to impose their thoughtless understanding of Islam on others, subvert free societies, distort Islamic teachings and undermine the hope for a harmonious relationship between America and its Muslims, says Muqtedar Khan.
Many Muslim cab drivers in Minneapolis are refusing to allow passengers carrying alcohol in their cabs, saying it is against the Islamic Shariah [law] to do so. More than half the taxi drivers on the airport are Muslims, and as soon as they got a majority, they have resorted to imposing their beliefs on others.
Imagine if you have just flown in from Baghdad after a long flight, you can’t wait to get home, reconnect with your family, and share a glass of some exotic alcoholic drink that you purchased on Dubai airport [a Muslim country] with your wife to celebrate your return home alive from Iraq. It is 2.00 AM but your reunion is delayed because cab after cab, driven by Muslims, refuses to take you home once they spot you carrying alcohol.
Sounds crazy, but sadly it is true. As a Muslim I am both ashamed and shocked at this strange conduct of my coreligionists. In principle Islam does not advocate imposition of Islamic values on others; there are several injunctions in Islamic sources which make this clear. To cite only two; “Let there be no compulsion in religion” [Quran: 2:256] and “To us shall be accounted our deeds, and to you, your deeds. Let there be no contention between us and you: God will bring us all together - for with Him is all journey’s end” [Quran, 42:15].
But when it comes to contemporary Muslims, we must always remember, there is always an ocean between what Islam teaches in principle and what Muslims practice in reality. Most Muslims will acknowledge this readily. I call it the ocean of ignorance.
Apparently, the cab drivers have provided the Metropolitan Airports Commission with a Fatwa dated June 06, 2006, from the Fatwa department of the local chapter of the Muslim American Society [MAS]. The fatwa proclaims that “Islamic jurisprudence” prohibits taxi drivers from carrying passengers with alcohol, “because it involves cooperating in sin according to Islam.”
MAS, the organization behind this fitna [Arabic for contention and strife], is the American extention of the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt, a close affiliate of Islamic Circle of North America. MAS hypocritically runs a public affairs department called “Freedom Foundation”. I guess it is seeking the freedom to infringe on the freedom of others.
To be fair to them, Islamic sources do forbid alcohol consumption unequivocally [Quran 2:219] and Prophet Muhammad 
, may peace and blessings be upon him, also forbid trade in alcohol [Bukhari 34:297, 8:449, 34:429], but all these sources forbid selling and trading alcohol. Extending this ban to giving rides to tired travelers carrying alcohol for personal consumption requires an irrational and politically motivated leap that smells of mischief. Moderates and Muslims of goodwill should not stand for such thinly veiled attempts to sow discord.
Most Muslim scholars and most Muslims of Minnesota will tell you that the fatwa is indeed without merit. And indeed many Muslim voices, yours truly included, have already condemned and ridiculed this position. Even in Saudi Arabia, which is usually the champion when it comes to extremely narrow, irrational and intolerant interpretations of Islam, non-Muslims are allowed to consume alcohol, and even carry them on flights.
The alcohol issue is not really the problem. It is just a tip of the ice berg. It raises a fundamental and critical issue, can Muslims who live in free and democratic societies, simultaneously demand freedom and tolerance for Islam while denying others the same. Can we and should we demand freedom to practice Islam and then turn around and use these same freedoms to impose anachronistic understandings of Islam on others.
What next? Will Muslim doctors working in ER refuse to administer to patients brought in from an accident site or with a heart attack because they have alcohol on their breath? Will Muslim doctors refuse to serve an HIV positive patient because he or she is gay? Will Muslim fire fighters refuse to save people who are caught in a fire in a place that sells alcohol? Will Muslim cops refuse to protect women who do not wear Hijab [head scarf]? Will Muslim teachers refuse to educate children because their mothers do not wear the veil? All of the above would entail supporting sin according to popular Muslim beliefs.
If the cab episode in Minnesota becomes a norm, and MAS could make it so. It claims that it is the biggest Muslim grass roots organization in America; can America then trust Muslims in any job where it is important to treat all people, Muslim and non-Muslim, sinner and Imam equally? Since 98% of Americans are non-Muslims, I am sure they routinely commit acts which according to Islam are sins, such as worshipping Jesus. Will Muslims stop doing business with them?
Can Muslims live with those who do not share their beliefs?
This is an important debate, especially for Muslim immigrants, who come to America with their religious baggage. Are we here to give our families a better life or are we here to convert America into an Afghanistan under the Taliban? Do we want to use American freedoms to learn about Islam and practice it in an intimidation free environment, or use it to spread the disease of religious intolerance? Will Muslim presence in America strengthen it or subvert it?
American Muslims have the opportunity to demonstrate that not only is Islam a religion for all times and all places but is not a threat or trial for others. We can prove that Muslims can live in harmony with non-Muslims and that the thesis of the clash of civilizations is bogus.
America, in spite of its faults, its limitations and even its sins and sinners, is easily the best place to live on earth. If you do not believe me, then ask the millions of Muslims desperate to leave their countries, their families, their societies to come to America.
The thing that is most precious about America is not its capitalist nature or its wealth, it is the first amendment. The ideal of freedom of religion and thought in America has allowed it to become a society that most people in the world aspire to emulate and live in. The principle of freedom of religion allows Muslims to practice Islam. In essence there can be no faith without freedom; it must therefore be guarded very jealously.
A vast majority of American Muslims are highly educated, enlightened and have for decades performed their jobs with dignity, integrity and excellence. Unlike the Fatwa department of MAS, they remember what the Quran really teaches:
Where Muslims are allowed to practice their religion and there is no one trying to drive them away from their homes, Muslims are required to deal kindly and justly with all non-Muslims [Quran 60:8]. Muslim scholars have a name for places like America – Dar-ul-Aman [house of peace].
We, and by we I mean all Americans, Muslims and non-Muslims must not allow, a few rotten apples, to impose their thoughtless understanding of Islam on others, subvert free societies, distort Islamic teachings and undermine the hope for a harmonious relationship between America and its Muslims.
At 2:00 AM in the morning, we cannot leave you hanging in the cold waiting to go home, it would be inhuman.
Dr. Muqtedar Khan is Assistant Professor at University of Delaware and a Senior Nonresident Fellow with the Saban Center at Brookings Institution. He is also a Fellow at the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center at Georgetown University. He is the author of American Muslims: Bridging Faith and Freedom [2002] and Islamic Democratic Discourse [2006]. His website is Ijtihad.org.
19 Responses to “Should Muslims be allowed to impose Islam on Americans?”
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from: Germany de
Pingback on Dec 7th, 2006 at 7:40 am
This has nothing to do with the post, but the new poll on party games is great! It’s probably the most vital poll ever on hahmed.com!
no
Slippery slope fallacy. Do you really think that once cab drivers can refuse customers who have alcohol, ER doctors will soon stop treating car accident victims with alcohol on the breath? Not equal, and one will not allow the other to happen. I know what he’s getting at, but I disagree.
Muslims are a minority and underdogs in America, so I think demanding freedom and tolerance will be our position for decades and decades, unless this demographic changes. However, I don’t think the Muslim community is all that discriminatory. Do Muslims refuse to serve Christian customers at a halal restaurant? No, but I suppose they can, the same as Chick-Fil-A could probably refuse to serve a non-Christian. Hey, if some banks refuse to let you open an account because your name is Muhammad (Fleet and Western Union had incidents), then I suppose anything is fair game and you have a “right.”
haseeb, thanks for posting this. i read about this last month and had a number of thoughts. you want to know what i think is disgusting? when i see muslims who are so ashamed of their religion that they need to water it down and sugar coat it to appease others. THAT is disgusting. i can’t agree more with the muslim cab drivers who refuse to pick up passengers with alcohol. islam not only prohibits the consumption and sale of alcohol, it prohibits us from being in an environment with alcohol– how much closer can a cab driver be to alcohol when passengers are consuming it or even carrying it in the same vehicle? and if that’s not reason enough, then simply– it is THEIR right to refuse to transport passengers, alcohol or no alcohol.
this part really sickened me:
“Most Muslims don’t agree that cab drivers are prohibited from transporting alcohol.
Islam merely prohibits Muslims from drinking alcohol and those drivers are seeking to impose their religious values on others. The Free Muslims Coalition is disgusted by their behavior.”
why are they ( The Free Muslims Coalition) speaking on behalf of “most muslims?” i disagree completely that the drivers are imposing their religion on others. they are not telling passengers NOT to drink. they are simply following their own religion by not transporting them. if anything, the passengers are imposing their secular or unIslamic behavior on muslims by entering their vehicles with alcoholic products.
im disgusted by the behavior of the Free Muslims Coalition.
I must agree with the cab drivers on this point. A hadeeth in Ibn Maajah shows how serious dealing with alcohol can be:
“God’s curse falls on ten groups of people who deal with alcohol. The one who distills it, the one for whom it has been distilled, the one who drinks it, the one who transports it, the one to who it has been brought, the one whom serves it, the one who sells it, the one who utilizes money from it, the one who buys it and the one who buys it for someone else.”
The more pertinent question might be, are those Muslims working as cab drivers equally careful on being sent to pick people up from nightclubs, and allowing unmarried couples to act lewdly in the back of their cabs? Sometimes, we just have to accept that some jobs are more hassle than their worth.
On the alcohol issue, I face this often, as a Muslim professional. Often my colleagues go for lunch or dinner, and of course they drink. Now considering the prohibition of sitting at a table where alcohol is served, I often ask permission to be excused. Wlse, I request they not drink. Sometimes they oblige and I am grateful.
It’s tough holding onto principles!
When I first read this article on the original site… I missed the author’s name in the first paragraph, and missed where he used the word “correligionists” (I guess I was skimming) and while reading the article I thought the person writing this must be an Arab Christian or a super secular Muslim.
If theres anything thats absurd its how he talks about drinking alcohol as if he does it himself. The second riddiculous point is when he shows how upset he is over the cab issue. The third riddiculous point is when he goes on and on exaggerating on how Muslims being Muslim will create problems for everyone else.
Whatever happened to enjoining the good and forbidding the evil? A real Muslim would always encourage doing good and limiting evil within his sphere of influence. If its legally permitted to reject a customer by a cabbie on the grounds of him having an unconsealed alcoholic beverage then every Muslim should do that.
In NYC its illegal to carry alcohol in public. Thats why people who drink 40s put them in brown bags. So even society does not permit parading around with alcohol.
I swear when I read this, I thought this person must have no dealing with Muslims as if he doesn’t know how Muslim professionals carry themselves (i.e. doctors).
Its sad that wack jobs like this have books out in Barnes and Nobles entitled: “American Muslims”.
haseeb is a sellout
no he’s not.
“blockquote>Imagine if you have just flown in from Baghdad after a long flight, you can’t wait to get home, reconnect with your family, and share a glass of some exotic alcoholic drink that you purchased on Dubai airport [a Muslim country] with your wife to celebrate your return home alive from Iraq. It is 2.00 AM but your reunion is delayed because cab after cab, driven by Muslims, refuses to take you home once they spot you carrying alcohol.”
Oh my goodness! What kind of cruel, evil person would do such a thing to anyone?! Dang mozlems!
excuse my for my sarcasm, but this is a really poor article. The drivers are perfectly justified to deny service to a person who is carrying alchohol. Even if look at the issue from a non-religious standpoint, the drivers are still justified. I mean you dont want some guy getting drunk in the back of your cab, do you.
“Even in Saudi Arabia, which is usually the champion when it comes to extremely narrow, irrational and intolerant interpretations of Islam, non-Muslims are allowed to consume alcohol, and even carry them on flights.”
Can you please stop making such blanket statements reflecting your own prejudice and ignorance on the issue and where is your source for such?
Saudi Arabia scholars are one of the most open minded interpretation on religious issues and even doing itjihad, I hate it when Pakistanis and other muslims think they know what is up with Gulf scholars, being as they are brainwashed by South Asian scholars to hate and consider scholars from that region when in fact all those terms you listed are quite the opposite and I would definitely do more research than make blanket statments like that knowing full well that you are a medical student, a scientist and scientists dont come to conclusion based on heresay, gossip, other scholars OPINIONS and statements,no matter how much you trust them because in the end it is all about facts and the scientific process of making judgement and analysis.
As far as the Cab driver incident goes, I am rather confused, because personally what the passengers carry in their private bags or with them is no business of anyone. I do think it might have some legitimacy if the cab drivers wish the passengers NOT TO DRINK inside the cab but whether they are carrying alcohol in their bags is none of their business, again this is just my opinion, not a fatwa.
zeesh!
oh America is not Darul Aman
I am not sure you can classify that and for the record, I do agree that American Muslims should live in tranquility and understanding with everyone in America but I would not call this place darul Aman(I feel a little iffy calling that).
oops I guess I was protesting against Dr. Muqtader Khan’s words, not yours, sorry.
wow that was harsh…
Let’s all try to be more polite and respectful in our speech.
:s
why does every matter have to turn into muslim against west..so what if the cabbies dont want alcoholics in their cabs..its their choice..im sure theres plenty more non-muslim cabbies to take the fare.
sheesh. to people who think that it’s the cabbie’s right to refuse such fares, consider this: they were licensed by the company to do a job, a service. that job requires them to transport anyone that needs a ride from the airport. if you take that job, you have to execute it. if you don’t want to do it, find another job, or be fired. it’s that simple. you can’t on the one hand accept the job, and then refuse to do it, and also refuse to leave or be fired. the honourable thing to do is to resign. not complain and whine about having _non-muslims_ conform to what is not their belief in the first place. i never heard of such a thing as a muslim retaining a job, get paid for it yet not do the job. why should any employer be obliged to put up with that? if it can’t be executed in an allowed way, then resign. it’s rather childish to expect other people to change just so you don’t have to break your faith but also don’t need to sacrifice anything or change anything in order to keep the faith. why should things be handed to you on a platter? why should, for example, a non-muslim restaurant stop selling alcohol because it hires a muslim waiter? what’s so special about that one waiter that it needs to forego extra revenue, just to have him on the payroll? the restaurant is under no obligation to hire that person, and if he isn’t hired, he shouldn’t whine about it and instead be satisfied that he is keeping his faith. some muslims can be so selfish, all me, me, me, as though the whole world should be changed and adapted to make life the easiest for them to follow religion. sure, we should have rights, but other people have rights too.
as for this:
“God’s curse falls on ten groups of people who deal with alcohol. The one who distills it, the one for whom it has been distilled, the one who drinks it, the one who transports it, the one to who it has been brought, the one whom serves it, the one who sells it, the one who utilizes money from it, the one who buys it and the one who buys it for someone else.”
i should think that since the passenger is already in possession of the alcohol, this whole cycle is already complete. the cabbie is not transporting it to the passenger, the passenger already has it and can drink it at any time. what applies to this is really the truck driver who transports the crate of wine to the supermarket, or the restaurant worker who brings up a bottle of wine from the cellar to give to the waiter (the one who serves it), etc. a cab driver is totally out of this chain. the only exception that i can think of is if the passenger is asking the cabbie to take him to a strip club or brothel or something. that is clearly aiding and abetting sin, i.e. providing transport, which is a key step in order to commit the sin. again, if the cabbie job obliges him to accept these fares in the licensing agreement, the honourable thing to do is resign. not whine, but keep the license. surely if you would not deviate from ‘fatwa’, you have enough faith that God will provide for you… in terms of alcohol, whether or not the cabbie provides transport is immaterial on whether the person gets to consume the wine or not, since the bottle is already with the passenger.
Can we have a don’t ask, don’t tell policy for riders with alcohol?