<div dir="ltr"><h1 class="" itemprop="name">An Encyclical on Islam?</h1>
<span class="" itemprop="author"><a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/author/william-kilpatrick">William Kilpatrick</a><br><a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/2016/an-encyclical-on-islam">http://www.crisismagazine.com/2016/an-encyclical-on-islam</a></span> <img src="http://3m7ajlsrzj92lfd1hu16hu7vc.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/mit-brennender-Sorge-Titel-Seite-660x350-1467959401.jpg" class="" alt="mit brennender Sorge Titel Seite" height="350" width="660"> <div class="" itemprop="articleBody">
<p><strong>It was heartening to hear</strong> Pope Francis denounce the
Armenian genocide even though he knew it would incur the anger of the
Turkish government (which denies the genocide charge). <span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b>Dr. <a href="http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8337/pope-francis-protect-flock" target="_blank">Lawrence Franklin</a></b></span>,
who was the Iran Desk Officer for Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, took
the occasion as an opportunity to<span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b> pen an article suggesting the Pope
might do more to combat <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">radical Islam</span>.</b></span></p>
<p>One of his suggestions is<span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b> for the Pope to issue an encyclical
condemning</b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b> radical Islam</b></span>. This, says Franklin, <span style="background-color:rgb(255,242,204)">could be modeled on two
encyclicals issued by Pope Pius XI—<em>Mit Brennender Sorge</em> and <em>Divini Redemptoris</em>.
The first condemned <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">the Nazi doctrine of racial supremacy</span>, and the
second was a criticism of <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">communist ideology.</span></span><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"> </span>Among other things, <a href="http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8337/pope-francis-protect-flock" target="_blank">Franklin suggests</a>
that the Pope could “challenge Islamic leaders to institute specific
reforms which would root out theological justification for violent and
intolerant behavior.”</p>
<p>Considering his generally accommodative attitude toward Islam, it’s
difficult to imagine Francis taking such steps. But supposing that a
pope or a bishops’ conference were to “challenge Islamic leaders to
institute specific reforms,” what should those reforms look like?</p>
<p>Michael Weiss, the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/ISIS-Inside-Terror-Michael-Weiss/dp/1941393578?ie=UTF8&keywords=ISIS%2C%20Weiss&qid=1436491606&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><em>ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror</em></a>
observed that ISIS warriors had a casual attitude towards death because
of their certainty that their jihad activities would be rewarded in a
paradisiacal hereafter. <span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b>We often hear that we must defeat</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>the ideology
that inspires ISIS, but virgins-in-paradise is a central part of that
ideology.</b></span></p>
<p>So, should Islamic leaders be challenged to “root out” this
theological justification for violence? And how likely is it that they
would comply? After all, the virgin-reward theme can be found in
numerous passages in the Koran (yes, I’ve heard the argument that
“virgins” really means “raisins,” but I don’t find it very convincing).
It’s not just ISIS warriors that yearn for the Islamic version of the
afterlife.</p><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>
</b></span><p><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>The problem with rooting out jihadist ideology is that its roots are firmly wrapped around the <em>Koran</em>, the <em>Hadith</em>, and the <em>Sira</em> (<em>The Life of Muhammad</em>).</b></span>
Speaking of the latter,<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b> it’s a central tenet of Islam that Muhammad was
the perfect man in every respect.</b></span> Muslims are expected to model their
lives after his example. But that is what ISIS and similar groups claim
to be doing.<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b> If you’ve read the <em>Sira</em>, you know that it’s filled
with accounts of raids, mass beheadings, and assassinations ordered by
Muhammad. As recorded in detail in the <em>Sira</em> and in the <em>Hadith</em>,
Muhammad also sanctioned the rape of <span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)">captives </span>and ordered that <span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)">women
and children</span> be sold into slavery.</b></span> So the jihadists have an excellent
case that they are merely following in the founder’s footsteps.</p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>In short, Muhammad himself is a large part of the “theological
justification for violent and intolerant behavior.” </b></span>Will Islamic leaders
renounce Muhammad and root him out of their religion? That’s not likely
to happen, since the validity of the faith stands or falls with him.
<span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b>Can Muslim teachers and imams work instead to soften the image of
Muhammad by emphasizing his kinder, gentler side? Yes, they can and they
have. In many popular accounts of Muhammad’s life, he is portrayed as a
saintly figure who spent much of his time caring for widows and orphans
and bringing freedom to the oppressed.</b></span></p>
<p>But it’s exactly because some Islamic leaders have diluted Islam in
this fashion that <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b>they command little,</b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b> if any, respect from the jihadis.
Jihadists claim that such people are apostates who have betrayed Islam
and corrupted its pure message.</b></span> In his article, Franklin says that the
Pope “could call upon Muslims of good will to summon their courage to
recapture their faith.” But recapturing the faith is exactly the project
to which jihadists and the theorists of jihad have dedicated
themselves. In short, how can you write an encyclical condemning radical
Islam without condemning Islam itself?</p>
<p>There may come a time for a pope to issue an encyclical on Islam, but
now is probably not the right time. <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)"><b><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">Right now, </span>Catholic leaders (and
that includes the Pope) <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">do not seem to have a <span style="background-color:rgb(217,234,211)">clear understanding</span> of
Islam or what, if anything, distinguishes it from so-called “radical
Islam.”</span></b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>Many Catholic leaders still subscribe to the <a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/2016/good-islam-vs-bad-islam" target="_blank">good Islam/bad Islam</a>
dichotomy which absolves Islamic theology of any connection to Islamic
extremism and intolerance.</b></span> As long as they persist in this erroneous
belief, they will continue to be surprised when “good” Muslims suddenly
morph into “bad” Muslims.</p>
<p>An encyclical at this time would only further muddy the already murky
water which surrounds the subject of Islam. It will take some time for
the Vatican to gain the clarity necessary for such an important
undertaking.<span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b> But it’s becoming</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>painfully clear </b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b>that a change of course
is needed</b></span>. The current policy of treating Islam as though it were simply
a rough-around-the-edges variation on the Judeo-Christian tradition has
failed completely.</p>
<p><b><span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)">If and when an encyclical is to be issued, it could, as Franklin says, be modeled on <em>Mit Brennender Sorge</em> or <em>Divini Redemptoris</em>,
but that would mean critiquing</span> <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">the totalitarian nature of Islam</span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"> as Pius
XI criticized</span></b> <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>the oppressive nature of Nazism and communism.</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b>That would
also mean talking frankly about</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>what is wrong with Islamic
theology</b></span>—<span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b>showing</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>where it goes off the tracks </b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b>and itemizing </b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>its
misunderstandings about </b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b>the nature of God and man</b></span>. <span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b>Such an encyclical
would also have to condemn </b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>many aspects of sharia law </b><b>as being opposed
to</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b>the goodness of God and the good of mankind. </b></span>This would be in keeping
with Pius XI’s condemnation of the Nuremburg racial laws. <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>The blasphemy
laws and apostasy laws</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b>should come in for particular condemnation.</b></span></p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b>An encyclical on Islam could acknowledge that in different times and
places, Muslims have succeeded in humanizing Islam to some extent. </b><b>But
it should be noted that this softening of Islam was largely the result
of contact with other cultures and religions,</b></span> not because of any virtue
inherent in Islam itself. <span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b>Credit should also be given to those
individual Muslims who by following their consciences and the laws of
the true God written on their hearts have managed to rise above</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>the
crueler aspects of their faith.</b></span></p>
<p>This may sound harsh and, to some ears, triumphalist. However,<span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b> the
primary purpose of an encyclical is to teach, not to<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"> please</span>. </b></span>Encyclicals
are often written to address crises about which there is a good deal of
confusion. They are meant to shed light on disputed issues. Moreover,<span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b>
the primary audience for an encyclical is Catholics</b></span>, followed by other
Christians. <span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b>An encyclical on Islam should not be written</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>with the aim of
avoiding offense to Muslims</b></span>, <span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b>but with the aim of preventing <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)">harm</span> to
Christians </b></span>who, because of confusion about Islam, are susceptible to
conversion or interfaith marriage, or who, because of ignorance of its
tenets, are unprepared for attacks and persecution.</p>
<p><span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b>Would such an encyclical go against</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(217,210,233)"><b>the spirit of the times?</b></span><span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b> It certainly would, but then, so did <em>Mit Brennender Sorge</em>, <em>Divini Redemptoris</em>, <em>Humanae Vitae</em>, and numerous other encyclicals. Would it offend many Muslims? Again, yes. But then, <em>Mit Brennender Sorge</em>
offended</b></span> <span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b>many Germans (recall that it was published in early 1937 when
Nazism was popular not only in Germany, but also among many Western
elites)</b></span>. It could be countered that although there were only 70 million
citizens in Nazi Germany, there are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world.
And—how does the question go—“<span style="background-color:rgb(255,229,153)"><b>do you want to criticize the faith of 1.6
billion people?” Well, yes we do. </b></span>And the reason that we should
criticize this rapidly growing and aggressively proselytizing faith is
that,<span style="background-color:rgb(234,209,220)"><b> if we don’t, it may soon become the faith of 7.6 billion
people—that is to say, the entire population of the planet.</b></span></p>
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<span class="">Tagged as</span>
<a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/tags/islam" rel="tag">Islam</a>,
<a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/tags/lawrence-franklin" rel="tag">Lawrence Franklin</a>,
<a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/tags/pope-pius-xi" rel="tag">Pope Pius XI</a>,
<a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/tags/vatican-public-policy" rel="tag">Vatican public policy</a>
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<img alt="William Kilpatrick" src="http://3m7ajlsrzj92lfd1hu16hu7vc.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/William-Kilpatrick_avatar_1388375486-75x75.jpg" class="" height="75" width="75"><h4>By <a href="http://www.crisismagazine.com/author/william-kilpatrick" title="Posts by William Kilpatrick" rel="author">William Kilpatrick</a></h4>
<p>William Kilpatrick taught for many years at Boston College. He is the
author of several books about cultural and religious issues, including <i>Psychological Seduction; Why Johnny Can’t Tell Right From Wrong;</i> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Christianity-Islam-Atheism-Struggle-Soul/dp/158617696X">Christianity, Islam and Atheism: The Struggle for the Soul of the West</a> and the forthcoming <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Politically-Incorrect-Guide-Jihad-Guides/dp/1621575772/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1467592202&sr=1-1&keywords=the+politically+incorrect+guide+to+jihad">The Politically Incorrect Guide to Jihad</a>. His articles have appea</p></div></div><div id="post-79424" class="" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article"><div id="tl-author-box"><div class=""><p>red in numerous publications, including <i>Catholic World Report, National Catholic Register, Aleteia, Saint Austin Review, Investor’s Business Daily,</i> and <i>First Things</i>. His work is supported in part by the Shillman Foundation. For more on his work and writings, visit his website, <a href="http://turningpointproject.com/">turningpointproject.com</a></p>
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