Religions of the World

Main religions of the World

• Christianity• Catholic

• Protestant

• Orthodox

• Islam• Sunni

• Shi’ite

• Judaism

• Buddhism

• Hinduism

Early History of Islam (610-632)

• Mohammad receives word of God

• Preaches against oppression of the poor in Mecca

• Hegira to Medina—foundation of the Ummah

• Victorious return to Mecca

• Caliphate founded and spreads Islam

Secularization/modernization hypothesis

• As societies become more wealthy and educated, belief in the supernatural or divine diminishes

• With one major exception

The emergence of the secular state

• America’s Ist amendment• States with established religions, not US

• France’s secular republic• No head scarves or large crosses at school

• Ataturk’s Turkey• Equality of sexes formally recognized and legal system

based on Switzerland, not Islam

Islam—the Muslim Brotherhood

• 1920s Muslim Brotherhood founded in Egypt to oppose colonialism and “back-sliding Islam”

• Became international organization with branches all over Arab world—Hamas, Islamic Party, etc.

Islam: Wahhabism

• Like Muslim Brotherhood, restoring Islam

• Embraced by Saudi ruling family

• Spread by means of schools (madrassas) and newspapers throughout middle East and beyond

Middle School official text in Saudi Arabia

• Teachings of the Hadith• 1/ It's fate decided by Allah that the Muslims and Jews will fight till the end of the world.• 2/ The Hadith predicts for the Muslims God's victory over the Jews.• 3/ The victory for the Muslims because they are right, and who ever is right is always victorious,

even though most people are against him.• 4/ God grants victory to the Muslims if they have a true will, if they unite, hold on to God's sharia, if

they go by God's ruling, if they are patient.• 5/ The material strength won't be enough to warrant victory, it is necessary to invoke God seek his

support.• 6/ . It's allowed to demolish, burn or destroy the bastions of the Kufar (infidels)- and all what

constitutes their shield from Muslims if that was for the sake of victory for the Muslims and the defeat for the Kufar

• 7/ Jews and Christians are the enemies of believers they will never approve of the Muslims, beware of them.

• • Questions for discussion• 1/ What was the prophecy of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) in this Hadith?• 2/ At the end, who will be victorious?• 3/ What should the Muslims arm themselves with against the Jews?

Taliban destroys largest Buddha in the world

Sharia

American Protestant fundamentalism

• 1980s organizing the “Moral Majority”

• Today, opposing foreign aid with birth control

• Supporting aid to Israel

Hindu fundamentalism

• BJP founded in 1980, and in 1990’s rose to majority party

Israel’s fundamentalists

• Shas founded in 1987, supported by Moroccan Jews—favors theocracy based on Jewish law

• National Religious Party—all of Palestine was promised to the Jews by God

Fukuyama’s “End of History” and Huntington’s “Clash of Civilizations”

• Inherent conflict between Islam and the West?