Dr.
Muqtedar Khan is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Adrian College
in Michigan. He is a Visiting Fellow at Brookings Institution For a
biography of Recent
articles on IJTIHAD American
Muslims Call for Radical Transformation American Muslims Push for Role in Policy Planning Political Memo to American Muslims: Rethinking American Muslims Politics: Prospects for Peace: Palestinian Leadership After Arafat Passion
for Palestine: The Rise of Political Christianity Political Memo to American Muslims: Rethinking American Muslims Politics
The Remarkable Moderation of Detroit Muslims The Role of Social Scientists in Muslim Societies Saudi Arabia: Rethinking its Soul: American Muslims and the Politics of Block Voting: Let the Elections be about the Future of the Free Society: The Politics and the Promise of Civilizational Dialogues: Liberal Islam, Radical Islam and American Foreign Policy Putting the American in "American Muslims" Dr.
Muqtedar Khan Debates Dr. Daniel Pipes on Islam and Democracy
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Supreme Court Decision on Ten Commandments is Shallow and Unwise Muqtedar Khan | 06.27.2005
The
US Supreme Court issued a split decision on
the constitutionality of religious symbols on public property. While
they voted 5-4 to rule that display of Ten Commandments inside
courthouses was inappropriate endorsement of religion, they also ruled
5-4 that display of Ten Commandments outside the courthouse on
government land was acceptable.
As
a Muslim who believes that Islamic teachings have a lot to offer to both
public life as well as to issues of governance and justice I
am instinctively averse to the idea that religious values must not
have a say in governance. However having watched the politics and the
strongly Islamophobic attitudes displayed by many Christian Right and
Evangelic leaders, I realize that it is this very wall between church
and state that might protect my civil rights and freedom of
religion, even thought it did not stop the passage of the Patriot Act which
systematically undermines Muslim civil rights in America. This
decision of the Supreme Court is both shallow and unwise. Instead of
resolving the issue, in my opinion, it will create a deeper rift in
society and galvanize political activism from both sides of the affair.
While there is a symbolic value to the presence/absence of the Ten
Commandments in courthouses, religious freedom and rights can both be
guaranteed only through a simultaneous appreciation of religion and
rights and not through marginalization of religious values. I have no problems with the presence of Ten Commandments in courthouses, parks, airports, wherever. They merely state values that all good people share and appreciate and they are also enshrined in the Quran. My problem is with the prejudice that resides in hearts and minds and is so difficult to dislodge.
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