Religion and Politics

Bismillah, I promised, today I would write some excerpt of Dr Jamal Badawi interview in a tv show on Political System of Islam. I would like to apologize if some of writings here is not as accurate as what he said in the interview. I hope this does not violate the copyright law.

Separation between religion and state

Separation, in the west has its own historical route. It has something to do with the way, the relationship between the church and the state was perceived by the people. For quite considerate period of time, the mass, used to perceive the church as an institution which align itself with the ruling elite, in the way that not necessarily serve the interest of the masses. It was perceived by some people especially in the 17th century on, as an institution which has strong desire for power, struggling with all times with the ruling elite’s i.e. so called temporal authority. Many people considers, the name somewhat synonymous with the inquisition court, with the prosecution of scientist, standing against free thinking and all that. That’s how thing were seemed by the masses.

At the age of enlightenment, people reacted again in a very strong way, going to the other extreme perhaps, by rejecting anything pertaining to the church or church power. Even those who took moderate position, “let’s be critical of the ‘church’”. Thought he best way is to separate the two functions. To keep the church devoted entirely to the spiritual and moral aspect of life and leaving the temporal authority or secular authority in the hands of other people. This can be understood in terms of the circumstances, surrounding of the church, its history, in the Christian world.

But this does not mean that this principle of separation, either universal or that it has to be imposed in Islam. Islam has its own system. The whole notion of separation doesn’t really apply on the faith of Islam.

4 min : 20 s - 7 min : 40 s