Religious Accommodation - Harvard Style
Ronald Bailey | March 26, 2008, 12:13pm
Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus has an interesting column today about Harvard University's decision to close one of its gyms to men for six hours per week to accommodate the desire of Muslim women for unisex exercise. Marcus also notes that some Harvard students have objected to broadcasting over a loudspeaker the Muslim call to prayer from the steps of the university's main library during Islamic Awareness Week. Apparently they objected to the fact that the traditional prayer makes the exclusionary claim: "There is no lord except God." As Marcus reports:
Three graduate students, writing in the Crimson, argued that the prayer sowed "seeds of division and disrespect" by declaring that "there is no lord except God" and that "Mohammad is the Messenger of God." Harvard, they wrote, "should not grant license to any religious group, minority or otherwise, to use a loudspeaker to declare false the profoundly important and personal beliefs of others."
I wonder what the protesters would have thought if some students had similarly recited the Nicene Creed during Christianity Awareness Week?
As a private institution, Harvard should be allowed to make whatever accommodations it chooses. And of course, if a student, alum or faculty member doesn't like it, they can complain or leave.
Whole Marcus column here.
Note: Just googling around, I apparently missed several possible religious awareness weeks, e.g., Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week, and perhaps in the future, Christian-Fascism Awareness Week. Wouldn't it be fun if we could hold them all on the same week?
Disclosure: My views on religion are somewhat similar to those of Christopher Hitchens.
Ali | March 26, 2008, 2:28pm | #
Ali, being the resident libertarian Muslim on H&R
Hehe... :-) Damn, I keep forgetting to ask
reason to send me the check. I like the thought though.
So, in my capacity as the resident libertarian Muslim here...
Can you clarify once and for all whether or not there is a command or order in Islam for Muslims to generally obey the laws (or even customs?) of the land in which they reside?
As in Jewish law, as once edna on this board mentioned, and as mentioned in numerous places in the Quran (including Joseph's story), a Muslim has to abide by the law of the land, even if they conflict with basic Islamic teachings, unless there is coercion to give up the faith (which I do not imagine happenning in the US or any other Western country. That coercion can happen in some Islamic countries is appalling, but I am sure there will be other occasions to discuss this).
How does it apply to other recent incidents where Muslims appear (whether or not they actually are) to be petitioning the state or other institution for what some might call "accommodation"?
I think you are referring to the "sink" thingy up in Minneapolis. AFAIK, they are making a request for it, but not demanding it. Because they can't demand it based on Islamic law. Even if the special sinks for washing were mandated Islamically, there is no doctrine in Islam saying that a Muslim has to change the law of the land as long as it is non-Muslim land. There is nothing in there, though, that prohibits them from making friendly requests to the State to accommodate them.
More generally, how do Islam's traditions (public call to prayer, hijab, etc.) square with any such command, as some of these can be considered in direct conflict with not only culture, but laws of the land?
Again, AFAIK, the law of the land takes precedence since it is not a majority Muslim country.
Regarding the call to prayer, the same rule applies. That is why something like 99% of mosques (in fact, I think there is only one in Detroit that is allowed to make a call to prayer) do not make the call to prayer.
Which raises a good point, why allow Church bells but not Muslim call to prayer. Either ban all (which is what I favor because the sound infringes on the private properties of others), or don't pick one over the other.
TrickyVic | March 26, 2008, 4:46pm | #
"""I am the Lord your God. Thou shalt have no other Gods before me"""
Ah the first of the 10 Commandments. PBrooks, you beat me to it.
The hypocracy lies in people who want the 10 commandments in the schools and the courts, yet have a problem with the example in this thread.
I'm not religious, and I have no problem with Harvard promoting the religion within the context of learn about a religion week. That's far, far, far, away from trying to demand you practice that religion as a way of life. Unlike those who wish to place the 10 Commandments in public buildings 24/7.
I am confused about some of the responses to John posts. He seems to take the proper 1st amendment approach, what is good for one religion is good for another, and all religions should be equal under law, and there is no religious test for citizens. Although he would prefer to hear neither, he's standing for religious equality. No?
""What I am saying is that we are not, as JsubD contended, a truly "Christian" nation. Stated more simply, we are not a nation comprised of people that are actively practicing the Christian faith or that have that much knowledge about the core tenets of Christianity."""
That's true. We are a secular nation where people are free to practice any religion of their choosing. As long as you don't stockpile guns at the same time.
Even if it was true that we are a nation of Christians, we would not be Christian nation.
Ogre | March 26, 2008, 9:43pm | #
I'm not a Christian, but anytime I see someone use "xian" instead of "Christian", I know that person is an asshole.
As for this "Muslim Awareness Week" crap. They should post a running tally of islamic terrorist attacks for the week so everyone can be completely aware of what's going on in the muslim world.
Here's this weeks tally (starting Sunday):
Date, Country, City, Killed, Injured, Description
3/26/2008, Afghanistan, Helmand, 8, 17, Eight shoppers at an outdoor market are blown to bits by a Taliban car bomb.
3/26/2008, Somalia, Jowhar, 7, 0, Mujahideen kill at least seven Somalis in an attack on an agricultural town.
3/25/2008, Iraq, Basra, 31, 88, Thirty-three people are killed when a Shiite militia attacks government troops.
3/25/2008, Pakistan, Swat, 2, 1, Islamic militants gun down a married couple as they are standing outside their home.
3/25/2008, Pakistan, Swat, 2, 0, Two people are murdered by suspected al-Qaeda.
3/25/2008, Pakistan, Bajaur, 1, 0, A man is killed in a landmine attack by suspected Islamic militants.
3/24/2008, Afghanistan, Jawzjan, 5, 7, Religious extremists calmly shoot five Afghans to death. The workers were trying to clear landmines at the time.
3/24/2008, Somalia, Mogadishu, 4, 0, A civilian is among four people killed when Islamic terrorists attack a police station.
3/24/2008, Thailand, Yala, 1, 0, A 48-year-old man is murdered by Muslim gunmen after dropping his wife off at work.
3/24/2008, Iraq, Baghdad, 2, 0, The bodies of two American civilians are found mutilated following their kidnapping.
3/24/2008, Chechnya, Alleroi, 2, 0, Mujahideen murder two policemen with a homemade bomb.
3/24/2008, Pakistan, North Waziristan, 1, 0, A young man is executed by al-Qaeda with a gunshot to the head.
3/24/2008, Afghanistan, Heart, 6, 0, Religious extremists kill two farmers and four local police in an ambush.
3/23/2008, Pakistan, Torkham, 2, 50, al-Qaeda terrorists bomb a restaurant and an oil facility, killing two people.
3/23/2008, Somalia, Mogadishu, 1, 0, A doctor is reported killed in an attack by Islamic terrorists.
3/23/2008, India, Srinagar, 4, 3, Lashker-e-Toiba militants ambush and kill four policemen.
3/23/2008, Iraq, Baqubah, 2, 2, Two children are killed by a Jihad roadside attack.
3/23/2008, Iraq, Mosul, 15, 45, Fifteen Iraqi security personnel are murdered by a suicidal Sunni bomber.
3/23/2008, Iraq, Baghdad, 22, 34, Women and children are among the casualties as Islamic terrorists stage at least three separate attacks on civilians.
3/23/2008, Iraq, Samarra, 5, 11, A Fedayeen suicide bomber kills five Iraqis.
