Many are alarmed that Islam is the world’s fastest growing religion (though demographic stats can be misleading, it’s unclear how much is due to conversion and how much is due to natural birth rates). It’s becoming more and more apparent to many people in the world that Islam is the worst religion (hey, we all need a common enemy). Those who try to counteract this image problem get labelled as apologists, or worse. If defending Islam’s image seems like an apology, maybe that’s because so many try to put as negative a spin on Islam as they can.
To paraphrase George Bernard Shaw, Islam contains some of the best religious tendencies. Sufism is inherently flexibility and has intermixed with other mystical paths. Islam’s holy book says it’s a summation and a correction to previous messages. Unfortunately, that means some of the previous baggage too, not to mention the baggage Islam picked as it developed as a distinct religion of its own.
Al Franken, in his humorous book Oh, the Things I Know, a sort of adult guide-book for post graduates, grades the value of the world’s religions from best to worst. Of course it’s a tongue-in-cheek exercise. He put moderate Islam relatively high on the list, and militant Islam dead last. If I were to construct my own list, it would probably be similar. Islamic fanaticism, out of all fanaticisms, is the one most dangerous to the world right now. Moderate Islam, on the other hand, can co-exist peacefully with the modern West, and for many converts it also addresses its ills. Moderate Islam is not “better” than other religions, but it is a balanced and inclusive approach to life. Islam’s mystical element exemplifies all that is good about Asian religions. Islam’s social ethos is part of an Abrahamic tradition of fighting for the weak and the oppressed. Islamic asceticism does not involve complete withdrawal from the world, but it does curb excess and materialism.
So my assessment is that Islam is neither the best, nor the worst religion, nor both. It is simply one wisdom tradition among many. Any political order that unites people of sovereign nations can’t be based on one religion, even if that religion is based on universal principles. The insights of any religion can be generalized and applied universally to human beings, but that doesn’t mean any one of them should dominate others. This is why unity must also honor diversity, lest idealism sink into barbarism.
