Lutheran Ethicists Learn about War in the Islamic Tradition

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- About 45 ethicists and pastors of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) discussed war in the Islamic tradition. Staff of the ELCA Division for Church in Society hosted the annual gathering of Lutheran ethicists Jan. 8-10 at the St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center, Pittsburgh, prior to the Society for Christian Ethics meeting Jan. 9-12 in Pittsburgh.
War in the Islamic tradition was not a familiar topic among Lutheran ethicists, said Kaari M. Reierson, ELCA associate director for studies. "Usually we discuss something in which people have had more experience. So, in this case, people were more open to being taught."
The featured speakers were Dr. Abdulaziz Sachedina, professor of Islamic studies, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Va., and Dr. Sohail H. Hashmi, assistant professor of international relations, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Mass.
Respondents were Dr. John Kelsay, professor of religion, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla., and Dr. David L. Perry, lecturer in ethics and religious studies, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, Calif.
Sachedina presented the development of several Islamic concepts from their roots. Muslims were in a minority and were persecuted in their early years. "Jihad" referred to the struggle of believers to defend themselves against the persecutions of the powerful Meccan tribes and not the offensive wars that were to take place subsequently as Muslims became powerful and began to conquer neighboring countries, he said.
Jihad grew to become a divinely ordained duty to expand Islam's influence into non-Muslim lands, said Sachedina. An ethical consideration of that time was whether or not such expansion should exercise moral restrictions in the conduct of war, he said.
Today, such ethical questions are not raised by such extremists as Osama bin Laden, who simply justifies violence in any form to fight Western domination, said Sachedina. The urging of militants for Muslims to undertake jihad against Western hegemony symbolized in the Israeli treatment of Palestinians has come to place more emphasis on seeking martyrdom as a religious duty to fight injustices, he said.
"Ethics is the central message of the Quran, but in the Muslim world it is now de-emphasized in favor of empowerment -- such as the power of martyrdom," said Sachedina.
Pacifism or nonresistance is not possible in Islam, said Sachedina. Islam places an emphasis on resistance to injustice and oppression, resorting to force if necessary, he said.
Hashmi discussed various ideologies in the Muslim world. He said, key figures in Islam during the past two hundred years are divided about the relationship between Islam and war.
"Apologists" tried to prove that Indian Muslims were loyal to the British colonial authorities and said Islam only fought defensive wars, said Hashmi. "Modernists" of the 20th century claimed only defensive wars were justified by Islamic tradition and jihad was never a war for religious conversion, he said.
"Fundamentalists" of today hold defensive jihad as central, said Hashmi. Islam has a mission to establish a just social order -- to "command the right and forbid the wrong," he said.
Fundamentalists believe expansionist jihad is directed at governments, not at belief systems, said Hashmi. There are no forced conversions, but Islamic moral order is to be enforced, he said. Jihad was needed to resist a corrupt and decayed secular order.
Kelsay responded to the presentations by moderating a discussion about current issues in the Muslim world regarding war. Muslims affirm criteria similar to "just war" criteria familiar to many Christians, he said.
Respected Islamic mullahs distinguish between combatants and civilians in considering war, clearly denouncing such extremists as Osama bin Laden for targeting civilians, said Kelsay. He said bin Laden argues that, because the United States is a democracy, all U.S. citizens share in responsibility for America's attacks of Islam.
Kelsay posed several questions for the ethicists to consider. "What constitutes honorable combat?" he asked. "Where does Islam fit in Christian salvation history?"
Perry asked the presenters a series of questions, comparing what they had said to what the popular U.S. media report about Islam. "Is there a notion of offensive war in the Quran?" he asked.
Sachedina said there are two terms for jihad in the Quran. One means to initiate hostilities to spread Islam's message, he said. The other means to respond defensively to aggression.
Several Lutherans made presentations during the Society of Christian Ethics meeting: Dr. H. David Baer, Texas Lutheran University, Seguin, Texas; Dr. Carl-Henric Grenholm, Faculty of Theology, Uppsala University, Sweden; Dr. Gilbert Meilander, Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Ind.; Dr. Cynthia Moe-Lobeda, School of Theology and Ministry, Seattle; Dr. Larry L. Rasmussen, Union Theological Seminary, New York; and the Rev. Christian A. Scharen, First Lutheran Church, New Britain, Conn.
The group of Lutheran ethicists includes seminary and college professors, retired professors, graduate students, ELCA staff and other guests. Bioethics will be the topic of their next gathering -- Jan. 7- 9, 2004, in Chicago. -- -- -- * Dr. Stewart W. Herman, assistant professor, Religion Department, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn., provided information for this story.

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