By Cyril Anderson

 It is a common misconception here in the west that religion is a force of oppression.  It seem to be a common belief that religions are systems put in place to control people and assist the rulers in oppressing the people.  Marx called religion, “the opiate of the masses,” a drug to keep people docile, so that they accept the status quo and so that they could be ruled easier.  Nothing, however, could be farther from the truth.  While perversions of religion can be, have been, and are used as a force of control, this is not the product of any authentically rooted religious system.  Indeed, religion is, and has always been, a subversive force, questioning established authority, challenging the status quo, and pushing for liberating change.  Religion and religious faith and morality provide the engine that can sustain the drive for social and political change envisioned and carried out using reason.  Religious morality can also provide an ethical check to keep the movement for reform within control, preventing the idea that change can be pursued “by any means necessary.”  Morality shows us the right way to fight for human rights and change without violating people’s rights.

Liberative ideas in non-Muslim religions

 Looking at religious scriptures such as the The Bible and The Qu’ran, one sees that many, if not all of the greatest religious figures named and described in these books are famous for speaking truth to power, striving against the status quo, against oppression, and calling people towards liberation.  Moses (as) is a famous example, standing up to the might of Pharoah and leading his people to freedom.  Similarly with other prophets of the Old Testament.  Abraham (as) taught against the mental chains of idolatry.  Isaiah and Jeremiah taught against the corruption of their people.  Later on, Jesus (as) stood against the corrupt authority of the Pharisees and the corrupt and tyrannical authority of the Romans.

 In recent times, there is the example of the liberation theology of Latin American Catholics from the 1960’s on following the Second Vatican Council.  This movement in based on the idea that humans have a duty to work here and now to bring about a better world through hard work and self-sacrifice using the story of Jesus (as) as a model.  Gandhi, on a similar note based his message of non-violent protest against the British in the 1940’s on ideas in Hinduism.

Islam as a force of reform and liberation

 Similarly, history records the Prophet Muhammad’s struggles against persecution in the way of bringing positive social change.  Many of his followers also struggled, suffering persecution and even death.  Muhammad’s family and descendants also suffered greatly after Muhammad’s death in their efforts to try to carry on the reforms that Muhammad brought.  Muhammad brought many reforms to his society through the teachings of Islam.  These included teachings on the importance of social and economic justice, on the proper treatment of women, children, and the weakest members of society, as well as reforms to the laws of warfare to protect civilians and prisoners of war.  Islam acted as an agent of change, bringing many reforms to what was previously a largely lawless and uncivilized society.  Many Islamic practices support this notion of evolutionary and revolutionary change in the structure and aims of society, bringing people together to organize, bring positive social change, and develop a stronger society.   Friday prayer congregations, congregational prayers in general, the hajj pilgrimage, and the common fast of Ramadan serve to build a sense of morality, community, and connectedness that are key foundations of a strong civilization. 

 Building on the sense of community built in some of the major ritual practices, Islam further works to build a better civilization through the obligations to work toward a better, more just world taught by the religion.  For example, two of the key acts in the religion are the obligations of a’mr bil ma’roof, or “enjoining the good,” and nahi a’nil munkar, or “forbidding the evil.”   This means that one has an obligation to speak up against injustices that one sees, and to do ones best to call people toward more just actions.  Related to this, to some extent, is the notion of jihad, which means that one must struggle; internally, to make oneself a better, more moral person, and externally, to make ones surroundings and the world in general a better place through whatever ethical means available, with the first choice always being non-violent means.  Economically, in Islam, the mandatory taxes of zakat and khums are part of the Islamic teachings that humans must strive to bring economic justice, redistributing wealth where appropriate through taxes on wealth in order to help the disadvantaged through charitable activities.