Saudi takes a step backward for religious freedom

Last week, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia decreed that only senior religious scholars were going to be allowed to make public religious rulings (or fatwa) in the kingdom. At first glance, given some of the high publicity, alarming and/or ludicrous rulings in the past few months -- from fatwas that allowed men and women who worked together to be killed because they were deemed to be mingling inappropriately, or conversely for women to breastfeed adult men so as to make it legal for them to work in the same office -- this would seem like a good move. On second thought, however, it is clear that the decree only serves to limit debate, delegitimize alternative voices, and take a step toward creating an ordained clerical class, which to this date has been an anathema to Sunni Islam.

Freedom of speech, of conscience and of religion dictate that everyone has the right to approach the Qur'an and other sources of Islamic jurisprudence for themselves. These principles are enshrined in the Qur'an itself when it commands that there be no compulsion in religion (see verse 2:256), and that the job of the Prophet is only to deliver the message not to enforce it (see verses 4:79-80, 6:107, 16:82, 17:13-15, 24:54, 39:41, 42:6, 64:12, 88:21-22, and others). Further, the Qur'an explicitly states that we all bear responsibility for our own choices, and that we cannot blame the opinions of other for our own mistakes. (see verses 6:164,11:109, 35:18, 38:39, 39:7, 53:38, etc). For the king to deny the citizens of Saudi Arabia the right to make their own decisions, or to consult whomever they choose in making their decisions, is an abrogation not only of the values of Islam, but of fundamental human and civil rights that should be accorded to all people.

If we have a problem with ridiculous and/or dangerous fatwa (and I would say we obviously do), the answer is not to squelch divergent opinions, but to arm the citizenry with enough knowledge and analytical ability to be able to reject those fatwa that are clearly off-base. Free debate will purge those opinions that make little or no sense. Trying to impose conformity to a narrow standard will only drive those opinions underground, and cause their proponents to become entrenched.

It also promises to be a double-edged sword, as this certification of scholars can be used against not only wacko or hyper-conservative voices, but also progressive, liberal, or even moderate ones. As someone who believes we Muslims need a reformation in how we view and interpret the Qur'an, that proposition is alarming. The king's statement that, "The king is determined to stop any transgression against approved religious establishments," makes it clear that it's not only wackos who will be targeted by this decree, but anyone who disagrees with Saudi style religious rulings. That is even more scary than some of the crazy fatwas coming out of the Muslim world these days.

I mean, does anyone really want the king of Saudi Arabia to be the arbiter of who is or is not a sound scholar, or what is or is not a sound Islamic opinion? The guy who's runs a country whose laws include no driving for women and hanging for gays? What kind of rulings might we expect from his pet scholars?

And therein lies the third issue. Sunni Islam has long stood for the decentralization of scholarship, and the individual's right to his or her own opinion vis a vis religion. When we start ordaining clerics, we will have lost something central to our religion. By certifying clerics we interpose a layer of authority between God and the believer, and we also establish a rank of clerics who are beholden not only to their own conscience, but also to the institution or individual that certified them. This will ensure greater conformity among scholars, but it also shuts out those original and genuine voices that make Islam a house that people of all bents can call home.

By Pamela K. Taylor |  August 16, 2010; 9:05 AM ET Save & Share:                 
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