Programme 5: Living together
In
the final episode of the Channel 4 series Shariah TV, the discussion
focuses on how Islam relates to other faiths. The audience includes people
from a variety of religions as well as atheists, alongside Muslims and,
for the first time in the series, the panel is
not exclusively Muslim.
A Christian in the audience wants to know whether non-Muslims will go to hell when they die. Imam Shahid Raza believes they will, as this is stated in the Qur’an. However, he cannot categorically say that this applies to each individual, since, ultimately, God decides.
Heather, who is in a Christian/Muslim marriage, describes some of the difficulties faced by people in mixed marriages. She says she has met Muslim women who have been rejected by their community for marrying Christians. Imam Sajid says that Muslim women are not allowed to marry out of the faith as mothers are the vehicle for passing on the religion to their children.
Muslim men are allowed to marry outside the faith if the woman is Christian or Jewish as they are, like Muslims, People of the Book. The audience want to know what happens if a Muslim man wants to marry a Hindu woman. Imam Raza says he would advise the man not to go ahead with the wedding because: ‘Living in love is very good but living in religion is one of the requirements [of Islam].’
One recent revert (convert) from Buddhism says she was upset when her mother took her three-year-old son to a Buddhist temple. Ahmad Thompson, Karen Armstrong and Imam Sajid all agree that her son is likely to learn and benefit from the experience.
Ed wants to know why non-Muslims cannot go to Mecca. Imam Sajid says: ‘Mecca is not for holidaymaking or sightseeing. Thousands of people go to revive their faith. The Qur’an states that it is only for Muslims. That is why it cannot change.’
The final question is whether there is an inevitable clash between Islam and the West. The panel are clear there is not. Karen Armstrong says: ‘We are living in a dangerously divided world and the greatest challenge of our time is to try to heal these religious hatreds.
‘If your religious tradition makes you respect others it is good but if, however strong your beliefs, it makes you intolerant, belligerent and self-righteous, I would say it is not good religion.’
Poll results
Is Islam compatible with a secular, multicultural society? 73% say yes. 27% say no.