Muslim Lookout

The Toronto Star recently published an interview with famous atheist thinker Christopher Hitchens, author of God is not Great.

Christopher Hitchens (Photo source: Toronto Star)

The bulk of the article talks about Hitchens’ impact within North America, with a particular focus on the ways that he has challenged Christian communities.  There were, however, a few choice references to Islam:

For example, the article describes Hitchens as “a man who’s called the Muslim practice of wearing a headscarf “witless plagiarism” of Judeo-Christian tradition.”  Considering that Islam in its entirety is generally understood by Muslims as a confirmation of many Jewish and Christian traditions and beliefs, I’m not sure why the headscarf itself is getting singled out as supposed “plagiarism.”  On the other hand, this was a more creative anti-headscarf comment than most of the accusations of being oppressive and/or anti-Western, so he can have points for originality despite the lack of logic behind it.

The spectre of a death threat – specifically from Muslims – is also raised.  The journalist asks at the beginning “Why hasn’t anyone dropped a fatwa on him in the past little while?”  The article finishes with the following paragraphs:

“If I write a book saying, `The Prophet Muhammad sucks,’ it’s of no interest at all to any Muslim scholar or cleric,” says Hitchens. “I dwell in the world of jahaliya, of ignorance. I don’t know any better.

“Whereas (Dutch critic of Islam) Ayaan Hirsi Ali was raised Muslim and so, technically, was Salman (Rushdie). They can be accused of apostasy.”

Though he has a teenage daughter (with writer wife Carol Blue) and certainly no death wish, there is a hint of wistfulness as Hitchens says this. The search for that proper brawl continues.

First of all, the word fatwa refers to a religious decision or decree, and not to a death threat.  While it is true that certain individuals have, at various points in history, issued fatwas that called for the death of someone, the vast majority of fatwas have absolutely nothing to do with killing anyone.  The use of this word as synonymous with death threats creates an image of Muslims as collectively ready at a moment’s notice to attack the next person who insults Islam.  Using the word “fatwa” in this way is helpful for fearmongering, but is completely inaccurate.

Second, this idea of “wistfulness,” almost longing for a death threat to be imposed (by Muslims, of course), again paints Muslims as violent and irrational, people whose views are so antithetical to proper, civilised Western ideals that the only way to tell that you have succeeded in these Western ideals is if Muslims want you dead (I’ve written about this elsewhere too.)  Zarqa Nawaz has a short film entitled “Death Threat” in which a young woman attempts to have a death threat written against her as a way of gaining attention for a book she wants to publish, and media comments like these make me feel like perhaps Nawaz’s satire is not so far off from reality.

Third, as the article points out, no death threat has been issued.  One might conclude that perhaps Muslims aren’t that violent, fanatical, or scary after all.  But no: despite the lack of uproar from Muslims calling for Hitchens’ downfall, the suggestion remains that those scary violent Muslims continue to pose a danger, even with absolutely no evidence to demonstrate the existence of such a threat.  It starts to feel like some kind of urban legend, or ghost story, with little grounding in reality.

However, more than the content of the article, what bothers me is the placement of the references to Muslims and Islam.  Although nothing of the body of the article refers to Muslims specifically, references to Muslims bookend the article as if to suggest that it is only the opposition from Muslims – and not, for example, from the Christians mentioned several times in the main part of the article – that Hitchens has to fear.  Hitchens is established as a daring intellectual whose current safety has been ensured only because of his inability to “pick a real fight,” rather than the possibility that maybe people just aren’t that interested in fighting him in the way the journalist suggests.

I’m not trying to argue that Muslims wouldn’t disagree with Hitchens – indeed, I would assume that most would disagree, at least with his main arguments – but, although it may seem shocking to some, Muslims have ways of expressing disagreement that don’t involve death threats.