Le Monde des religions, November-December 2006 —
Since the controversy surrounding the Muhammad cartoons, signs of tension have multiplied between the West and Islam. Or rather, between a segment of the Western world and a segment of the Muslim world. But this series of crises raises the question: can Islam be criticized? Many Muslim leaders, and not just extremist fanatics, want criticism of religions to be prohibited by international law in the name of respecting beliefs. This attitude is understandable in the context of societies where religion encompasses everything and where the sacred is the supreme value. But Western societies have long since become secularized and have clearly separated the religious sphere from the political sphere. Within such a framework, the state guarantees freedom of conscience and expression for all citizens. Therefore, everyone is free to criticize political parties as well as religions. This principle allows our democratic societies to remain societies of freedom. That is why, even though I disagree with Robert Redeker's remarks against Islam, I will fight for his right to express them, and I condemn in the strongest possible terms the intellectual terrorism and death threats he has received.
Contrary to what Benedict XVI asserted, it was not Christianity's privileged relationship with Greek reason, nor even the peaceful discourse of its founder, that enabled it to renounce violence. The violence perpetrated by the Christian religion for centuries—including during the golden age of Thomistic rational theology—only ceased when the secular state was established. Therefore, there is no other way for an Islam that intends to integrate the modern values of pluralism and individual freedom than to accept secularism and these rules of the game. As we explained in our last report on the Quran, this implies a critical re-reading of the textual sources and traditional law, which is what many Muslim intellectuals are doing. On secularism and freedom of expression, we must be unambiguous. Giving in to the blackmail of fundamentalists would also undermine the hopes and efforts of all Muslims around the world who aspire to live in a space of freedom and secularism.
That being said, and with the utmost firmness, I am also convinced that we must adopt a responsible attitude and speak reasonably about Islam. In the current context, insults, provocations, and inaccuracies only serve to please their authors and make the task of moderate Muslims even more difficult. When one launches into a simplistic, unsubstantiated criticism or a violent diatribe against Islam, one is sure to provoke an even more violent reaction from extremists. One might then conclude, "You see, I was right." Except that for every three fanatics who respond in this way, there are 97 Muslims peacefully practicing their faith or simply attached to their culture of origin, who are doubly hurt by these remarks and by the extremists' reaction, which paints a disastrous image of their religion.
To help Islam modernize, critical, rational, and respectful dialogue is a hundred times better than invective and caricatured statements. I would add that the practice of conflation is just as damaging. The sources of Islam are diverse, the Quran itself is multifaceted, interpretations are countless throughout history, and Muslims today are just as diverse in their relationship to the religion. Let us therefore avoid reductive generalizations. Our world has become a village. We must learn to live together with our differences. Let us talk, on both sides, with the aim of building bridges and not with the currently fashionable aim of erecting walls.