Yusuf Islam: Man of Peace
October 23rd, 2007On January 4 of this year, Yusuf Islam was awarded the Mediterranean Prize for Peace, as a result of the work he has done to increase peace in the world. Earlier in 2004 he was given a ‘Man for Peace’ award by a committee of Nobel Peace Laureates and in 2003 he was awarded the ‘World Social Award’.
On the never-ending topic of the furor surrounding his supposed support for the Ayatollah Khomeini’s calling for Salman Rushdi’s death, Yusuf Islam has explained:
I never called for the death of Salman Rushdie; nor backed the Fatwa issued by the Ayatollah Khomeini–and still don’t. The book itself destroyed the harmony between peoples and created an unnecessary international crisis.When asked about my opinion regarding blasphemy, I could not tell a lie and confirmed that–like both the Torah and the Gospel–the Qur’an considers it, without repentance, as a capital offense. The Bible is full of similar harsh laws if you’re looking for them. However, the application of such Biblical and Qur’anic injunctions is not to be outside of due process of law, in a place or land where such law is accepted and applied by the society as a whole…
Back in 1999 I had the opportunity to attend a talk given by Yusuf Islam at a forum organised by young Muslim university students. He struck me as an entirely humble and pious man. He mingled with the audience and was happy to talk and sign autographs, and there did not appear to be a pretentious bone in his body. I am inspired by his good work in founding Islamia school and his charity work.
May God grant him peace and felicity in this life and the next, ameen!
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A Melburnian Muslim convert blogs religion, academia and life in general.
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I suppose it’s possible that Yusuf Islam held such views during the Salman Rushdie controversy, but I find it hard to believe that a man with over two decades in the public eye would simply go out and say “I support the killing of a man”.
The fact that I’ve never found anything concrete to support his having made such comments certainly makes me think he was simply a victim of being one of the more prominent Muslims in the western world at the time. I’d think if video or audio of such a thing existed it would be all over the internet and used to support Islamophobic sentiments.
I think he may have been a little naive in explaining the traditional (Jewish, Christian as well as Muslim) punishment for blasphemy, but it’s like what happened to Debbie Almontaser.
Capital punishemnt for blasphemy in the Gospels? Where?
Bearing in mind that according to Muslim orthodoxy, the Gospel (the Injil) is not the same as the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John). But even still I am guessing he is referring to teachings in the New Testament. Acts as a text is older than the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John and it is clear the early Christians were practising capital punishment for blasphemy.
Furthermore, in the text of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus is recorded as confirming Jewish law:
As you are probably aware, Jewish law prescribes capital punishment for blasphemy.
Finally, in Mark Jesus describes blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as the only sin that God does not forgive:
Umm Yasmin,
I like Yusuf Islam, but I have long felt dissatisfied with his statements on this subject. What is odd about his statement above is that he seems to be saying that execution for blasphemy would be appropriate and according to the law of God, under the right conditions:
“However, the application of such Biblical and Qur’anic injunctions is not to be outside of due process of law, in a place or land where such law is accepted and applied by the society as a whole…”
What do you think, both about what he is saying and about this law from your own point of view?
I can see how someone could use the quotes from the NT you give above to make a case for execution for blasphemy—and I thank you for taking the trouble to type them up and indicate a possible interpretation—but how common of an interpretation is that even in the wide weird world of Christendom? (Rare or nonexistent, today and for at least a century or two past.) Regardless, I for one do not accept such an interpretation. Here are some further thoughts, with typing (and input) from my husband Larry:
As for the story in Acts…you read it as evidence that “the early Christians were practising capital punishment for blasphemy.” That, I think, is inaccurate. First, because the crime in the story is not verbal blasphemy, comparable to writing an insulting novel, but lying and concealment of monies. Second, because in the story the Christians do not kill anybody: God does. And no religion has ever read the actions of God described in its writings as permission or command to do all the same things—“If God did it, then of course we must too.” If there are any historical records of the Christians of this period actually executing anybody for anything, I do not know of them.
Of course, Christians eventually did all sorts of killing and other horrible things—that is history. But these founding texts do not, in fact, record or sanction those crimes. I understand the crucifixion of Christ to be on-going. And even after resurrection, the body of Christ is a wounded body (as portrayed in the Gospel). So it is with the Church as his body. The crimes of the Church are wounds in Christ’s body: Christians’ contribution to his torment. That is a little piece of my theology.
As for the other passages: yes, Christ affirmed Mosaic law, but he also defied it, so there is no simple conclusion to be drawn there, and it is a fact that before the Gospel texts were ever written down Christianity had already definitively separated itself from obedience to the details of the Mosaic law. (The Epistles predate the Gospels.) No Christian community has ever, since the time of Paul, attempted or thought that it should attempt to fulfill the Mosaic law in all its particulars—including its various capital punishments.
The “sin against the Holy Spirit” passage is notoriously obscure: in any case, it makes no reference to capital punishment.
So. There is nothing in the New Testament that unequivocally or explicitly “considers [blasphemy], without repentance, a capital offense,” in Yusuf Islam’s words. This is not to say that Christians have never held such a view—but they didn’t get it from these texts. This is one reason why some Christian groups have been able to change their views on the subject of capital punishment so drastically. The Catholic Church, for example, which once upon a time did plenty of killing on its own account, is today opposed to the death penalty from the Pope on down, as I understand it. The founding texts leave room for such a shift.
I don’t think execution for blasphemy is okay under any conditions. I have hope that Yusuf Islam doesn’t either, but his statement seems to contradict that hope.
My best to you.
peace,
Priscilla
Hi Pricilla,
Thanks for your considered reply.
First I should say both the Bible and the Qur’an have been misused over the centuries to support all sorts of horrific things from slavery, to genocide, to terrorism and beyond. So, the fact that the medieval Catholic church had no problem executing blasphemers isn’t much of an argument I will grant you.
The problem for Jews or Christians who oppose the death penalty for blasphemy, is that they are forced into an uncomfortable position with God apparently approving of capital punishment at *one time* if not now. As you say, “he seems to be saying that execution for blasphemy would be appropriate and according to the law of God, under the right conditions”. Precisely. Even if you say that Jesus has come and abolished the law of the Old Testament, the God that Christians worship and adore, *at one time* appeared to sanction and even prescribe capital punishment for blasphemy in the Leviticus text.
Either that, or you have to take the position that God is not the author or inspirer of those bits of the Bible (which is what a lot of people do).
Now, from a Muslim perspective, we have it a little easier as the actual text of the Qur’an - what we believe are God’s Words - does not ask for capital punishment to be imposed for blasphemy. It promises lots of harsh things but these all occur in the next life (similar to the Gospel statement on blasphemy against the Holy Spirit).
BTW I should say, my hubby LOVES your blogging. He thinks you’re really funny and intelligent.
“BTW I should say, my hubby LOVES your blogging. He thinks you’re really funny and intelligent.”
It took me a while to realize you were adressing me with that addendum.
A man in Australia I don’t know thinks I’m funny. I think that’s funny. My best to him.
Much more to discuss here–what is scripture? how does one read it? etc.– perhaps I’ll blog on this in future.
I am a bit confused, though, since you say the Qur’an doesn’t ask for capital punishment for blasphemy and Yusuf Islam says it does.
Blog on, baby
Priscilla