why we need to be secular when they are not?

Question

how can muslims expect Europeans and Indians(read Christians,Jews and Hindus) to be secular where they are minorities and totally ban other religions(implementing sharia law) and supress non-muslims in any muslims majority state?

Except a few muslims countries most don't allow other religions to be practised, while they cry foul even in the most secular countries(like in France which bans head scarf).

Muslims, what justification can you give about this?

Answer 1

I totally agree.

Answer 2

The common answer that Islam is correct (they think), and is what God wants (they think), so, when it is the majority religion it should be dominant, while when it is a minority religion, it must be highly respected nonetheless.

It is similar to the Islamic answer for why, when a husband is Muslim and a wife is Jewish or Christian, the children are to be raised Muslim. Their answer is that the children should have the "best" of the two religions, and of course, to a Muslim, the "best" religion is Islam.

This is a point on which Islamic thinking and of the strains of Western thinking which gave birth to the U.S. Constitution are radically different. In that branch of Western thinking, one will believe that he is truly right, but will also believe that it is good to give equal rights to those who disagree, so that:
(I) people can go on with their lives without constantly fighting over their beliefs, or
(II) in order to prevent the establishment of a human authority which could eventually start persecuting those who are right.

Also, importantly, this sort of Western thinking is *not* the same as the relativist view, which holds that the reason to give equal rights to all is because "all views are equally valid". And it is *not* the same as the strains of thinking that were behind things like the Spanish Inquisition.

Answer 3

If you look throughout history European religions did the same thing. Historically every religion thinks that theirs is the best and they try to convert others and don't accept other religions. Governments based on Democracy try to prevent this from happening (ex. Bill of Rights). The problem is that many of the Middle East governments incorporate religion, because Islam is a religion that is an every day part of life (ex the five pillars of Islam). I am not defending Muslims I am Catholic I am just saying that everyone has done it. The Western world has just advanced politically, so we have laws that are suppose to prevent this from happening.

Answer 4

There is a natural difference between Muslims here and Muslims in Muslim countries -- just as there is a difference between Christians here and Christians in Muslim countries. What Muslims here want (generally) is for Christianity to be out of the laws. What Christians want in Egypt, for example, is for Islam to be out of the laws. One large difference is that our Muslims have legal ground to stand on, whereas most Islamic countries do not pretend to be secular. In the case of France, the government is (again) becoming secular to the point that it is actively opposing religion, instead of just letting it exist by itself. Essentially, they want what everyone else wants -- religious freedom. Why do you have a problem with that?

Answer 5

I'm not a muslim but I do recognize the general idea posed by this question. If you take away the religion, you are left with humans and how they treat each other. To this there is no good answer. but I truelly believe in understanding why things happen, and just doing the best I can everyday and hoping that people uderstand me, not by force statements or hurtful views, but by realizing I'm human and will make mistakes and the best thing I can do is learn from them

Answer 6

True Sharia law allows other religions to live in peace.
When Muslims ruled Spain, Jews moved there to live in peace and practice their religion.

Answer 7

Christians were not so "secular" when they arrived in the New World ... now were they? Native Americans were sloughtered for practicing their spiritual beliefs and were oppressed to this end until the Freedom of Religion Act of 1967.

Answer 8

I don't know what you mean. What Muslims are calling for Europeans and Indians to be secular? What are you talking about?

Answer 9

For one thing, we have this funny thing called a Constitution

Answer 10

I guess theocracy is bad if not everyone agrees.

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