There are different views on the essence of Islam designed and promoted by Islamic leaders. For example, the leader of the Islamic revolution in Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini, believes that Islam is the religion of militant individuals driven by truth and desire for justice opposing imperialism and oppression of human rights and dignity (Strayer 1122-1123). He speaks about the rise of imperialism in Europe under the formation of the European Union, the spillover of ideas from the Western world, and the rise of globalized culture undervaluing spirituality and promoting permissiveness.
Kabir Helminski, for example, claims that Islam is the religion of tolerance, cultural diversity, and human rights. However, he draws attention to the acceptance of war as a last resort for self-defense (Strayer 1126). The author appeals to the examples of multicultural civilizations such as Jerusalem, the Ottoman Empire, and Medieval Spain, putting the 9/11 attacks within a broader context – there is no monopoly on truth, and when people become intolerant to other religions, they should be punished. This opinion is opposed by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, believing that Islam is silencing people and closes their minds. He appeals to modern society and points to the necessity of cooperation between cultures and religions instead of isolation (Strayer 1127).
These ideas can be explained by the recent development in the Arab world know as the Arab Spring. There are two scenarios in the region – the establishment of the Islamic State and terrorist attacks motivated by the will of God and punishing the intolerant Western world and the rise of democracy in Tunisia hinting to the opening minds of Islam followers and the desire to integrate into the global community (Feuer par. 3; Deville 89). The first scenario accounts for the philosophies of Khomeini and Helminski, while the second one is closely related to Hirsi Ali.
Works Cited
Deville, Darrel. God’s Answer for America, Lake Mary, FL: Creation House, 2001. Print.
Feuer, Sarah. “The Tunisian Democratic Experiment Five Years in.” Washington Post. 2016. Web.
Strayer, Robert. Ways of the World: A Brief Global History with Sources, New York, NY: Bedford/Saint Martin’s, 2010. Print.