There’s always news coming out of the world’s most tumultuous region, but a few stories regarding Islam and the Middle East have piqued interest as of late. People’s views on Islam and Arab culture have been solidified by extreme events of terrorism and vitriolic rhetoric that the world should know only represents a small minority. Islam is an old, complex religion that cannot be reduced to stereotype and oversimplifications.
These two stories hail from different Muslim majority nations and help to highlight the intricacy of the region. There are no two countries that are the same and not even a shared religion solidifies similar policy. The cases described below help frame the evolving nature of Arab culture, its relationship with Islam, and it’s compatibility with 21st century human rights issues.
Lebanon Makes Human Rights Progress:
Earlier this month in Lebanon, a judge struck down a notorious piece of legislation that makes homosexual sex a crime. The law in question was Article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code and it states that “sexual intercourse contrary to nature” is a punishable offense. Abolishing this law is a progressive achievement in the Middle East and Islamic world, but it should not be as big of a surprise if one looks at Lebanese demographics:
- 54% Muslim population
- 39% Christian
- 6% Druze
With the best percentages of religious diversity in the area, Lebanon is one of the most accepting of human rights. WIth more diversity and coexisting, tolerance forms.
In regards to Article 534, the decision was built off of a 2009 precedent case where the judge ruled that sexual relations between two consenting homosexuals was not against nature because “man is part of nature and is one of its elements, so it cannot be said that any one of his practices, or any one of his behaviors goes against nature, even if it is criminal behavior, because it is nature’s ruling.”
What a remarkably secular and rational explanation, if only other parts of the Muslim world could adopt such views. Even many American’s could learn something from that.
According to a PEW study in 2013 60% of Americans believe society should accept homosexuality but 45% of the country still think it’s a sin. No data could be found about American’s views on punishment but, more than likely, the number would be extremely low.
Unfortunately, other parts of the Muslim world do have opinions on punishment for homosexuality and they are harsh. There are forty-nine Muslim majority countries on Earth and all but a handful have laws in which homosexuality is illegal as this map from the Washington Post displays.
Out of all those countries, ten enforce the death penalty for homosexuality which is in accordance with Sharia law. It is disheartening to see many countries still using archaic rules that trample on human rights, but hopefully countries like Lebanon become beacons of hope for the region and the religion.
Saudi Arabia Sees Enemies Everywhere:
Within the past week, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia took drastic steps in labeling enemies of the state. This new law, or rather, this new royal decree, sets up a system where just about any thought or action against the state is considered a terrorist activity. But it isn’t just things contrary to the state, it also expands to anything threatening Islam.
As a theocracy, Saudi Arabia combines church and state which leaves very little wiggle room for opposition. Any dissent against Islam is dissent against the state and vice versa. This dangerous stance basically abolishes free speech and tosses liberties aside with reckless abandon. Also at stake is religious freedom which has subsequently become non-existent overnight.
With one broad stroke the kingdom labeled its enemies, creating dire circumstances for many with disparate beliefs. One such endangered minority are atheists. Nonbelievers are now terrorists even if they’re committed to the monarchy and its aims.
This repression of religious, rather, non-religious freedom does a great disservice to Islam. There are parts of the faith that are not kind to non-Muslims, but most modern day moderates have no problem with those outside of their faith. Now an entire Muslim country with close ties to America has quelched freedoms that are commonplace in all of the world’s developed countries.
According to Human Rights Watch, the language in the decree is very disconcerting. The law states anyone “calling for atheist thought in any form, or calling into question the fundamentals of the Islamic religion on which this country is based” is subject to punishment. Is this an Orwellian example of thoughtcrime?
Saudi Arabia is a Muslim majority country that practices a special sect of Islam called Wahhabism. Wahhabism, as one could probably have guessed by now, is an ultra conservative viewpoint. The move is shocking, but not without logic by the Saudis. As Brian Whitaker of the Arab news blog “al-Bab” states, “since the entire system of government is based on Wahhabi interpretations of Islam, non-believers are assumed to be enemies of the Saudi state”. The rationale is there for an autocratic monarchy to maintain dominion over their populous, but this is not representative view.
A 2012 WIN/Gallup International poll found that almost 25% of Saudis described themselves as not religious. Over that group, 5% declared themselves outright atheists. Going off of those statistics, a quarter of the population could be considered enemy combatants. Those numbers are important and larger than the Saudi kingdom would like to admit, but the monarchy will probably ignore those numbers and continue to rule on their own narrow terms.
The ebb and flow of progress is indicative of an always changing set of societies that place value in disparate discordant entities. Yet, there should be something all countries of the world agree on: freedom of equality. Lebanon needs to continue to press for equality, while Saudi Arabia needs to guarantee freedoms for all their citizens. A tight grip on people led to the Arab Spring, so thinking a tighter one to be beneficial will definitely become a problem in the kingdom.
Lazy Activism 