Thursday, January 11, 2007

The hypocrisy of Muslims and the west

I don't know why the Islamic world, and most Arabs and Muslims, are so hypocritical. Why do we treat the world in way different than we would like to be treated?
Saudi Arabia is a prime example of this hypocrisy. There are no churches in Saudi Arabia, actually nothing that is not Muslim. I am sure that some of the large expatriate compounds might have a "place" of worship, but the fact remains that it is forbidden to build anything that is not Muslim in Saudi Arabia, the same goes for the bible. It is illegal to have a bible in Saudi Arabia, and even if not "illegal" outright, I doubt you would be able to bring it into the country if customs officials find it in your luggage.
I am not even going to talk about pork.
Even in the more open Arab countries, say Egypt, Jordan or Syria (I am talking open in the social sense, not the political. Syria is definitely not open politically), it is very, very difficult to build a church. Anyone that is even suspected of proselytizing is harshly punished. The media is filled with Islamic shows, Muslim preachers and clerics, but there is nothing to serve the substantial Christian minorities there. Only recently through satellite television and the internet have these minorities been able to assert some of their views, and this has only led to even more tension.
It is a common source of tension, even violence, in a place like Egypt when Christians decide to build a church. The residents of the area will sometime rise up and prevent the church from being built.
How dare those Christians build a church here? A church? Here? Next to our mosque? Never.
With this in mind, now look at Muslim activity in the west. I do not think that there are many limitations to their activity, whether building mosques, preaching or proselytizing. Many Muslim clerics are very open and honest about their "da'wa" or efforts to spread Islam among westerners. Compare that to any Christian who goes public with his intentions to convert Muslims.
Muslims in the west do of course face problems, there is no doubt about that, but most are problems that can be overcome.
Muslims do not accept any limitations on their faith in the west, but yet have no problem putting limitations on others back in a Muslim country. I had a friend who was living in Saudi Arabia for a while. He got into a minor traffic accident and so went to the police station, with the other guy, (remember, women can't drive in Saudi Arabia) to file a report. When the cops there found out that he was Christian, they kept him in the police station for hours, I think he said close to seven hours, trying to convince him to convert to Islam, saying things like "oh come on, you know its better, convert."
Now imagine the reaction in the Muslim world if this had happened to a Muslim somewhere in Europe, or even some small town in the middle of nowhere in the states, in Texas or Arkansas or something. Muslims would be rioting in the streets.
I do not know when the Middle East will join the rest of humanity, maybe once Muslims realize that the beliefs of others are just as valid as theirs and learn to tolerate them.
I honestly do not know when this will happen, but it doesn't look like it will be anytime soon.