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Islam represents 25% of the world’s population of which Sunni are approx. 90% and Shiite 10% |
Judaism represents an insignificant percentage of the world’s population. There are about 13million Jews of which 80% live in either the USA or Israel / Palestine (However they have played a significant role in world affairs in the past century) |
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ISLAM |
JUDAISM |
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Founded |
Muhammad
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A longstanding and changing religious tradition |
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God(s) |
Belief in a single God |
Belief in one God who created the universe and continues to govern it. Also a belief in angels and demonic beings.
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Prophet(s) |
Various including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and finally Muhammad who received the final revelation from God through the archangel Gabriel.
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Many prophets from the Old Testament but especially Moses. |
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Leader(s) |
After Muhammad's death, a schism occurred based on who should succeed him. Basically a political dispute, although over time theological differences also appeared. The various problems relating to succession over the years lead to assassinations and civil war. Today the two factions (Sunni and Shia) are led by people who follow a hierarchy based on achievements in religious study such as jurists, mufti etc., down to the lower levels of mullahs, imams etc. There are no overall leaders, although different Islamic countries have their own levels of seniority.
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Rabbis |
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Afterlife |
Following bodily resurrection, paradise in Heaven or eternal fire in Hell
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Various differing beliefs throughout history, now generally resurrection of body & soul and afterlife containing rewards and punishments.
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Practices |
The five pillars of wisdom: 1. To recite the creed during prayer "I testify that there is no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God." 2. Daily prayers. 3. Almsgiving. 4. Fasting during Ramadan. 5. Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime.
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Prayers 3 times daily, benedictions, |
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Texts |
The Quran |
Torah / Pentateuch (the revealed will of god, sections of the Old Testament, scriptures, scholarly writings)
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Human situation/ Life's purpose |
That the purpose of life is to worship God.
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To acknowledge the unity of God and to serve God in the world. The world is both intelligible and purposive, because a single divine intelligence stands behind it. Nothing that humanity experiences is capricious; everything ultimately has meaning. |
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Punishment for heresy |
Historically: Death.
Currently: Death in almost all Islamic countries that adhere to Islamic Sharia law rather than secular laws.
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None.
(Judaism has long lived alongside Christianity and Islam. All Jews are free to practice the religion of their choice or no religion at all).
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Attitude to Women |
Historically: Extremely unequal, androcentric (male oriented), even misogynistic (fear or hatred of women).
Currently: Extremely unequal, androcentric (male oriented), even misogynistic (fear or hatred of women).
“The fourth chapter of the Quran is called "Women". The 34th verse is a key verse in feminist criticism of Islam. The verse reads: "Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great”.
“Thanks to the subjective/biased interpretations of the Quran (almost exclusively by men), the preponderance of the misogynic mullahs and the regressive Shariah law in most "Muslim" countries, Islam is synonymously known as a promoter of misogyny in its worst form. Although there is no way of defending the so-called "great" traditions of Islam as being libertarian and believing in equality with regard to women, we may draw a line between the Quranic texts and the corpus of declared misogynic writing and spoken words by the mullahs having very little or no relevance to the Quran”.
“Misogynistic interpretation has been persistently attached to the 34th verse because commentary on the Quran has been the exclusive domain of Muslim men". |
Historically: Reasonable
Currently: Equality (women are now ordained as Rabbis since the 1970's)
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Main objectives in theory |
1. Originally to spread Islamic beliefs by uniting peoples and tribes in to one religious and political society. (Muhammad as a religious warlord drew Arabs of the Arabian Peninsula to Islam by his forceful personality, the promise of salvation for those who died fighting for Islam, and the lure of fortune for those who succeeded in conquest. The caravan raids of the early years of Islam soon become full-scale wars, and empires and nations bowed to the power of this new religious, military, political, economic, and social phenomenon.)
2. Latterly, following the decline of Islam after the colonial era, to revive Islam throughout the world by re-establishing the straight path of Islam in personal and public life, which will ensure the restoration of Islamic identity, values, and power worldwide.
Thus, the renewal and revitalization of Muslim governments and societies require the restoration or reimplementation of Islamic Sharia law, which provides the blueprint for an Islamically guided and socially just state, society and world.
(Sharia, a term that refers to the body of laws and rules that regulate Muslim life. These laws are an expression of God’s will, according to Muslim belief, although derivation and application of the laws depend on interpretation by leaders versed in Islamic law. Over time, the laws that Muslims must follow have been elaborated upon by the schools of law. Today the schools of law, and their work is largely limited to applying laws and judgments generally not legislated by the secular governments, chiefly family law and ritual. The most important debate among modern Muslims concerns whether the Sharia should be applied in all aspects of life and whether and how to renovate it so that it addresses the most pressing issues facing the Muslim world today.) |
For the religious Jew, the entirety of life is a continuous act of divine worship. “I keep the Lord always before me” (Psalms 16:8)
For the Zionist, to establish a permanent homeland in Israel (Palestine)
(Zionism originated in Europe in the later part of the 19th century as a Jewish political movement. Believing that Jews could never assimilate in to any multicultural society/country - a belief not supported by orthodox Jews - its purpose was to unite the Jewish people in a homeland of Israel, based on the belief that God had promised the land of Israel to the Jews as his chosen people.
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Main objectives in practice |
1. As in 1 above.
2. Muslim societies suffered from a feeling of failure and loss of self-esteem after they achieved independence from colonial rule by the mid-20th century because of failed post-colonial political systems and economies and the negative effects of modernization. Characterizing many of the newly independent Muslim nations were autocratic leaders, repressive governments, overcrowded cities with insufficient social support systems, high unemployment rates, government corruption, and a growing gap between rich and poor, including abject poverty and a total lack of education for the poor. Many Muslims blamed Western models of political and economic development for these failures. Once enthusiastically pursued as symbols of modernity, these models increasingly came under criticism. Modernization, a process of Westernization and secularization of society, was seen as responsible for an excessive dependence on the West; for a weakening of traditional family, religious, and social values; and for a loss of identity that contributed to the breakdown of Muslim society. Therefor many Muslims wish to re-establish Islamic societies and values throughout the world. The majority of Islamic activists seek to achieve this gradually by working within their respective societies systems and laws. Known as Islamic Fundamentalists their ranks include members of non-governmental Muslim organizations that provide much-needed services to the poor through Islamic schools, medical clinics, social welfare agencies, and other institutions.
3. There is however at the fringe of Islamic Fundamentalism a significant minority of people who believe that they have a mandate from God to carry out God’s will. This extremist minority further believes that because the rulers in the Muslim world are authoritarian and anti-Islamic, violent change is necessary. They seek to topple governments, seize power, and impose their vision or interpretation of Islam upon society.
Radical Islamic movements often operate on the assumption that Islam and the West are locked in an ongoing battle that reaches back to the early days of Islam, a battle that has been heavily influenced by the legacy of the Crusades and European colonialism, and that today is the product of a Judeo-Christian conspiracy. This conspiracy, they believe, is the result of superpower neo-colonialism and the power of Zionism (support for a Jewish nation, now the state of Israel). These radical movements blame the West (Britain, France, and especially the United States) for its support of un-Islamic or unjust regimes and biased support for Israel in the face of the displacement of the Palestinian people. Thus, violence against such governments and their representatives as well as Western multinationals is regarded as legitimate self-defence.
Islamic radicals also believe that Islam is not simply an ideological alternative for Muslim societies but a theological and political imperative. Because it is God’s command, implementation must be immediate, not gradual, and the obligation to implement is incumbent on all true Muslims. Therefore, those who hesitate, remain apolitical, or resist—individuals and governments—are no longer to be regarded as Muslims. They are atheists or unbelievers, enemies of God, against whom all true Muslims must wage holy war in the form of the fourth aspect of jihad.
(Jihad - the struggle to please God. Jihad is the duty of all mainstream Muslims, who belong to the branch known as Sunni Islam. There are four ways they may fulfil a jihad: 1. by the heart, 2. by the tongue, 3. by the hand, 4. by the sword. The first refers to the inner, spiritual battle of the heart against vice, passion, and ignorance. The second way means speaking the truth and spreading the word of Islam with one's tongue. The third way involves choosing to do what is right and to combat injustice and what is wrong with action, or one's hand. The fourth way refers to defending Islam and waging war against its enemies with the sword. Islamic legal scholars, during the early centuries of Islam, divided the world into two 1. Abode of Islam and 2. Abode of war—that is, of non-Islamic rule. Islamic law further stated that it was the duty of the first to strive to bring as much of the second as possible under its control, preferably by conversion but by force if necessary. Although jihad has come to be equated with “holy war” in the West, most Muslims would argue that military action is only a small part of jihad and that this form of jihad should be undertaken only in self-defence or against injustice. They see the internal struggle to attain self-mastery and lead a virtuous life as far more important. In some countries, however, Muslim activists would like to see Islamic governments installed, and for them jihad encompasses a more revolutionary goal of replacing their country’s political leadership. Still other Muslim militants extend the concept of jihad to acts of terrorism against Western countries whose influence they view as harmful to Islam. The Quran (Koran), states that those who die in this type of jihad, while fighting for the faith, automatically become martyrs and are awarded a special place in heaven. Most modern branches of Islam, however, stress the inner, spiritual jihad. In contrast to mainstream Sunni Muslims, Muslim groups such as the Imami and Bohora-Ismaili Shias are forbidden from participating in a hostile jihad. These sects believe the only person legitimately capable of conducting such a jihad is their imam, or spiritual leader.)
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As above. |
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Major benefits to the human condition |
The bringing together of warring tribes and stopping the resultant slaughter and thereby creating a more peaceful society, although initially by also waging war and committing slaughter.
Many early advances in science. Establishment of the first public hospitals. Establishment of some of the first universities.
The giving of charitable donations (Zakat) to aid the poor and those in need (currently estimated to be 15 times global humanitarian aid donations).
Many beautiful buildings, architecture and works of art depicting abstract designs. (the human, animal or natural world is generally forbidden in Islamic art, although interpretation varies by country)
In general most Islamic cities, towns and villages live in relative peace, although "outside" influence is heavily curtailed.
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Major detriments to the human condition in deaths. |
Many deaths resulting from centuries of wars of conquest, plus both defensive and aggressive wars of the crusades.
Aggressive wars of Islamic colonialism throughout India and under Aurangzeb’s fanatical Islamic reign brought India close to total economic decline.
Wars of expansion of the Turkish Ottoman empire.
Aggressive wars of separation between Islamic Pakistan/India, causing over 250,000 deaths in 1947, followed by civil war between Islamic Pakistan and Islamic West Bengal (Bangladesh).
Currently increasing numbers of deaths from Islamic fundamentalist terrorism and civil wars in many countries aimed at the formation of Islamist only states.
In the 21st century, heresy is still punishable by death in many Islamic states
In the 21st century, adultery is still punishable by death in many Islamic states
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(For many centuries Christians in Europe discriminated against Jews. Many harboured a prejudice against Jews that is known as anti-Semitism, viewed as a religious prejudice or an anti-Jewish variety of hatred directed against ethnic minorities. To anti-Semites, Jews represent mysterious, mythical, and evil forces; are all-powerful; and play a sinister role in world history. In the Middle Ages, the Roman Catholic Church's anti-Jewish preaching sought to prevent contact with Jews, and many Christians believed that Jews were in league with the Devil. The Protestant Church also advised burning synagogues Christians blamed the Jews for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Many believed that Jews were not human and that they used magic to appear like other people. Also the false accusation that Jews used the blood of Christian children in their rituals. Such stereotypes of the Jews interacted in the minds of many Europeans with fear of foreigners and combined with economic and social frictions. As a result, anti-Jewish violence frequently erupted. The Christian church and various governments enacted laws that prohibited Jews from engaging in certain occupations, forced them to live in certain areas, kept them from attending universities, or even expelled them from various countries. The linking of anti-Semitic accusations to race struggle is what made Nazism so genocidal. The Nazis believed the Jews were responsible for what they regarded as the degeneracy of modern society. Hitler viewed modern ideologies that stressed equality and freedom as a revolt of inferior classes and peoples led by the Jews. The Nazis viewed communism as the most radical recent form of the ancient Jewish conspiracy that would lead to national dissolution and disintegration. For Hitler, Nazism was thus a doctrine of world salvation to redeem humanity from the Jewish-Bolshevik doctrine. He believed that the German race had to acquire and maintain total supremacy through total war against the Jews. Such a war would be a fight in which the only alternatives, for either side, were victory or extinction).
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Other Major detriments to the human condition. |
Muhammad indulged in Polygamy, having many wives, and also kept slaves.
Women's rights in Islamic states today vary greatly, however generally women are treated inferiorly, despite the Quran stating that men and women are equal, although may have different responsibilities.
Although greatly varied by Islamic country, and that countries level of conservatism / fundamentalism, even today in some Islamic countries:
· Women are not allowed to vote · Women undergo arranged marriages · Women are not allowed to inherit (land, property, goods or chattels) · Women are not allowed to work except in the home* · Women are not allowed to attend school or be educated* · Men can have up to four wives · Men can marry non-Islamic women but not the reverse · Men and women are not allowed to mix socially* · Women must dress modestly in public - varying from simple hair covering to total bodily cover including a yashmak* · Women are not allowed to drive cars or ride bicycles* · Women are not allowed to participate in sport* · Women must be accompanied by a male relative when in public* · Women undergo genital mutation as girls · Women are not allowed to dance or listen to music · Many more………….
*In some countries special religious police enforce these rules/laws in public
Education of boys (and girls in countries that allow it) is strictly controlled and follows a narrow Islamic agenda of total Islamic indoctrination.
Freedom of thought, expression and freedom of speech are not allowed and generally considered heresy. (only statements concomitant with Islam are allowed)
Certain Sharia inspired punishments are generally barbaric - the cutting off of hands for theft, public beheadings, stoning to death for adultery, payment of blood money or undergoing physical mutilation etc. Although these are extreme examples, many radicals wish to revive these types of punishment.
(Although an Islamic country like Qatar is supposed to have one of the finest rehabilitation prison systems in the world, resulting from the segregation of secular law - that deals with crime, and sharia law - that deals with family affairs)
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In November 1947 a two-thirds majority of the UN General Assembly, including both the United States and the Soviet Union, passed a resolution calling for the partition of Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. The Arabs rejected partition, arguing that the UN had no right to give more than half of Palestine to a minority of the population (approx. 14%) and that they should not be forced to pay for Europe’s crimes against the Jews.
The Arab state of Palestine called for in the UN partition plan never came into being. Instead Israel held 77 percent of Palestine, while Jordan occupied and annexed the West Bank and Egypt controlled the Gaza Strip.
Following the 1967 war with the Arab states more lands were annexed to and are currently occupied by Israel. During all this time the Palestinian people have been subject to harsh illegal rule, with virtually all their work, education, health and infrastructure operating at minimum levels. Universal punishment has been meted out to Palestinian communities in response to attacks upon Israel by Arab fighters.
The Palestinian people generally now live in fear and abject poverty.
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Notes |
· In many instances, most religions have been able to adapt to modernity by accommodating the diversity of contemporary culture, in part by the adaptation of religion to secular values and the repositioning of conservative religion that was previously in direct opposition to secular values (such as the Vatican II council in the Catholic Church). This is not so in Islamic fundamentalism which sees itself as unchanging. (The retired head of MI5 when discussing the radicalisation of young people to violent fundamentalism – terrorism – said about the Islamic religion "as a whole is not well geared to reviving and modernising itself so that it meets the values and the norms of a 21st Century society").
· Islamic fundamentalist inspired terrorism, which wants to take Islam back to the middle ages, which kills schoolchildren for wanting to be educated, kills women for attending parties and dancing, kills people born in Islamic countries but who believe in a different religion or no religion at all, kills men even for shaving off their beards etc., is abhorred by a horrified world at large and by mainstream Moslems.
· It is surprising that in the west the leaders and hierarchy of Moslem organisations only seem to condemn Islamic terrorism when absolutely pressured to do so. Could this be because of the subconscious and unstated belief, even in supposed moderates, in the 4th way of jihad (by the sword) to bring about world Islamisation?
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