Pluralism and Islam

Acts of Faith by Eboo Patel is filled with many hopes, thoughts, and stories, among them, the author’s comparisons between himself (or what he could have been) and the terrorists behind 9/11, the 2005 London bombing, and 1996 Olympics bombing. We know what happened to make Patel a different man from the others; he was loved and guided by the right people. The nineteen 9/11 terrorists, he believes, had extreme hate instilled in them and were made into puppets of intolerance and cruelty. Despite their extreme differences, both Patel and the 19 were Muslims, and yet they had very interpretations of the same religion. This is not an uncommon occurrence. Just as religious groups have fought against each other, they have also fought amongst themselves. A popular argument is that of pluralism. Patel and the 19 held very different views on pluralism, and each man got his reasoning from their shared religion of Islam.
In his article “‘So That You May Know One Another’: A Muslim American Reflects on Pluralism and Islam,” Harvard Professor Ali S. Asani claims, “The Holy Book of Islam teaches pluralism...” Asani also contends that “Muslims and non-Muslims frequently misuse the Quranic verses for political purposes....” (p. 41). Politics, along with religion, may have been the fundamental reason for the 19s’ actions. We can never know the exact reason why the 19 were anti-pluralism, but perhaps their actions on September 11th speak for themselves. We live in a democratic, pluralistic society. The freedoms that such a name brings inevitably lead to conflict. We anticipate that when a problem cannot be resolved by evidence, “liberty of belief” will result in judgment. Therefore it would appear that some amount of pluralism is an inherent product of democratic society. The 19, we know, were thoroughly against liberal freedoms, because they felt the Quran told them so.
Conversely, Patel feels quite the opposite. He grew up in a pluralistic society, immersed in a myriad of different of cultures. His parents encouraged diversity as well as religious pluralism. Even though he was not always particularly religious, he eventually fully accepted Islam, and his pro-pluralism stance did not waver. His upbringing had a large part in this, I am sure, but I think perhaps that confirmation of pluralism came in the form of a conversation with his grandmother. When he realized that she had been aiding helpless people (of different religions) for years, he asked why she risked her life for strangers. She replied, “I am a Muslim. This is what Muslims do” (Patel, 100). Those words cemented his belief. I feel that Patel would agree with Asani’s belief that, “The Quran reveals the beauty of human diversity....and promotes the idea of pluralism for cooperation, respect, and understanding among various communities” (p. 40).
Interestingly, scholars Alasdair Corckett, Daniel Olson, and David Voas claim that pluralism does not help or hinder religious participation of any kind. In their article, “Religious Pluralism and Participation: Why Previous Research Is Wrong,” the authors assert that the belief that pluralism has any effect on peoples’ involvement in any religion is completely false (p. 221).
I don’t know if I agree with this. On page 37, Patel writes, “I wanted to be good. It was in Islam that I found the clearest articulation of this inner struggle.” Though we find it hard to fathom, the 19 wanted to be good too, and they believed they were. It is, after all, the very reason for their actions. How sad to think that if they had only grown up with Patel and seen the beauty in pluralism--as the Quran says--they made have lead very different and peaceful lives.


Works Cited:

Asani, Ali S. “‘So That You May Know One Another’: A Muslim American Reflects on
Pluralism and Islam.” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 588, pp. 40-51. 2003.

Crockett, Alasdair, and Olson, Daniel, and Voas, David. “Religious Pluralism and Participation: Why Previous Research Is Wrong.” American Sociological Review, Vol. 67, pp. 212-230. 2002.

Patel, Eboo. “Acts of Faith.” Beacon Press, Boston, MA. 2007.