yusuf writes "Islam: A Religion of Intolerance?September 2002On 5 September 2002 Stephen Franks was quoted in the New Zealand Herald as saying I do not respect Islam because he felt that Islam does not acknowledge women's rights or religious freedom.

What questions does this report raise about the popular perception of Islam?New Zealand's Muslim population is relatively small compared with some of its neighbours. Indonesia, with a population of over 200 million, is 90 per cent Muslim while Australia's Muslim population is over 200,000. By comparison, the figures from New Zealand's 2001 census shows that only 23,415 people living in New Zealand identify as Muslims.While New Zealand's local Muslim population is small, the religion has its own interest and importance. And it carries considerable weight in the Asia Pacific region, with which New Zealand has close associations.Indonesia has over 180 million Muslims, while Malaysia has Islam as its official religion and a Muslim population of around 50 per cent of its 20 million people. Brunei is another Muslim state and many other regional neighbours have significant Muslim minorities.The total world population of Muslims is 825 million people, or 14 per cent of the world total.It is claimed that Islam is one of the world's fastest growing religions. Yet for all that, there is much misunderstanding about it. Because of its lack of reach into the 'western' world, countries of other traditions have tended to see Islam as monolithic and unchanging. It is even regarded by some as a threat to the western way of life.The perception of threat emerged at the end of the Cold War, when speculation focused on whether Islam would emerge as a new ideological enemy to replace the 'red peril' of the communists. The 'green peril' (green being the colour of Islam) was given prominence in an influential article by Samuel Huntington (1993) who proposed the 'clash of civilisations' thesis. According to Huntington, the source of conflict post-Cold War was between different civilisations and he foresaw a clash between Islam and the west.Some argue that Huntington was right in light of the events of 11 September 2001. However, that conclusion errs in presuming that Islam is a united, monolithic religion. In fact Islam, much like Christianity, has experienced a number of schisms since its inception in the seventh century. One of the major schisms was between the Sunnis and the Shi'ites, and within each of these schisms lie further divisions.Islam also differs according to region. The form of Islam found in Southeast Asia is not the same as that found in the Middle East. This is due to the mixing of Islam with the beliefs that existed in that area before the religion's arrival.In Southeast Asia there are traditions of female inheritance and a social hierarchy based on age, seniority and class rather than gender. When Islam came to Southeast Asia it adopted and accepted these traditions, becoming in practice more pluralistic than the Middle Eastern version.To think that all Muslims hold exactly the same beliefs is a mistake, similar to thinking that all Christians are the same. As with Christianity, Islam holds some central beliefs such as that there is one God and one only. But the codes of belief and practice diverge widely from that point.The horrendous events of 9/11, and the subsequent 'war against terrorism', saw some ugly lashing out at Muslims in general. The reaction overlooked the fact that those who perpetrated terrorism in America, while Muslim, did not represent all Muslims or even a majority of them.As with all religions, Islam has its share of fundamentalists, some who prefer a literal reading of their holy book, the Qu'ran. Others hold beliefs not shared by other Muslims. Again, this can be compared with fundamentalists in Christianity who refute evolution, decline medical intervention, or believe men should always be the heads of families.Such beliefs do not necessarily impact on others. The term fundamentalist does not inevitably mean an inclination towards violence. The reverse can also be true, because it is not always fundamentalists who are involved in conflict. Catholics and Protestants, neither of whom claim to be fundamentalist, perpetuate the conflict in Northern Ireland.In relation to women and Islam there are also many stereotypes. Islam actually accords to women rights that are not available in other religious contexts. For instance Islamic law allows women to hold property in their own name, to enter contracts, and to keep earnings made during the marriage.Women are also entitled to maintenance during marriage and for a period of time after divorce, and wives are also able to divorce their husbands on certain grounds.That is not to say that the laws of Islamic countries always treat women equally with men. For instance, some countries force women to veil, allow male polygamy, allow men to divorce more easily than women, and refuse women as witnesses.Such laws are arguably a product of society rather than religion, and differ from country to country. In fact in Malaysia each state has its own set of laws, meaning that in one country alone there are 14 versions of Islamic law.Often Islamic law covers personal issues including marriage, divorce, custody and inheritance. In some countries Islamic law also covers the criminal area, for instance theft and murder. In Turkey on the other hand, where Islam is the dominant religion, there is no Islamic law at all.Under all Islamic law there are certain assumptions made about women. Women are often assumed to be under the protection of a male. It is expected that a married woman will stay at home and raise children, while her husband earns the main wage. Yet in many countries this is no longer the case as women are joining the paid workforce. Conversely there are also cases of wife abandonment and of male refusal to pay maintenance.Where unequal treatment exists, Muslim women all over the world have begun to demand changes. Some seek access to secular law, some demand that women be treated fairly in their roles as mothers and wives, and others more dramatically demand equality in the legal sphere.Muslim women's attempts to influence Islamic law, as well as the interpretation of the holy book the Qu'ran, is an important development. They have made progress in some countries, for instance in both Pakistan and Indonesia there are female judges in the Islamic courts.The activism of Muslim women demonstrates that they are not by definition an oppressed group. It should be remembered too that in many countries Muslim women choose to veil. In Malaysia since the 1970s there has been a great increase in the number of Muslim women choosing to veil as a sign of their beliefs. Wearing a piece of cloth on one's head does not automatically denote oppression.Islam is a constantly evolving religion and if we are to judge religions on their treatment of women, then few come off consistently well. At certain points in time Christian women have been blamed for bringing all sin into the world, considered inferior to men, and denied the right to speak and vote.Islam then is not a monolithic religion, and to believe it is unchanging is to neglect its history. Islam has been used for both good and bad, as have all religions, and it is only by making an effort to understand it that common stereotypes will be put to rest.Islam is as tolerant as the people who practice it, and the same can be said of any religion and of any creed. Muslims that come to New Zealand come to build a better life for themselves and their families. If eventually they become intolerant, it will probably be more a reflection on their personal experience than it is of their faith.Dr Rebecca FoleyDr Foley is a Policy Analyst with Asia 2000. She completed a doctorate at Monash University in Melbourne on Muslim Women in Malaysia. "