The Fate of Christians in the Current World
by Denis MacEoin, Gatestone Institute:
A recognition of the religious freedoms offered by secular non-coercive states should be of particular importance to Muslims worldwide. It is a serious criticism of Islamic practice both historically and in the modern era that many Muslim countries seem to remain deeply intolerant towards the followers of other religions or the followers of differing branches of their own religion; toward people they regard as having left Islam, or even whom they perceive as having “offended” its followers, whether inadvertently or not. Persecution of religious minorities, and other Muslims seems common in many Muslim countries — from the highly restrictive Saudi Arabia to the more liberal Indonesia, and especially in countries where the religion is closely allied to the state.
This situation needs to be discussed. Discussion could explore the disparity between European societies, where there is a separation between religion and the state — above all France — and the many home cultures where that separation does not exist, and from which so many Muslim immigrants arrive. The disparity between these two political climates is marked when it comes to religious freedom and the rights of different religious entities to live unmolested within differing nations and their differing state institutions, such as the judiciary. It is not hard to see how secular laws and values offer Muslims earthly protections well above those available to non-Muslims in Islamic states. However, there are individuals such as the British political scientist Jim Wolfreys, who condemn strong secularism and claim that it is a principal cause of ill will toward Muslims.[1]
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