Honorary doctor Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na`im:
“This distinction confirms the existence of universal human values”
Since 1995, Professor An-Na`im has been associated with the Faculty of Law at Emory University in Atlanta. He is internationally renowned as an expert on human rights in Islam. Almost a quarter of a century ago, An-Na`im said farewell to the University of Khartoum. It was a turbulent period for Sudan, as its society was being permeated by Islamic fundamentalism. An-Na`im had to go in search of a new homeland to propagate a modernist, liberal interpretation of Islam.
“I am committed to promoting human rights and spreading peace from an Islamic perspective”, he says. “I draw courage from this honorary doctorate from K.U.Leuven; my colleagues from various academic disciplines are apparently aware of my work and appreciate my humble contribution. Universal human values do indeed exist and it is possible to arrive at mutual understanding and shared commitments, across cultural and religious boundaries. This distinction from Leuven’s university is a confirmation of this conviction.”
“I remember feeling restless and ambivalent as a young Muslim. I did not want to abandon my faith, but I could not accept the violations of human rights committed in the name of that faith either. I became confused by the rising perception that the problem lay with Islam itself and with its law, sharia. Ultimately, it was Mahmoud Mohamed Taha who helped me to come to terms with myself and my concerns. As a law student at the University of Khartoum, I joined the Islamic reform movement Ustadh in 1968 and I remained associated with it until it was outlawed in December 1984. Islamic fundamentalists held Sudan in a stranglehold at the time. The first time I heard Taha speak in public, I immediately felt that I had no other choice but to walk the path he described. He enabled me to become a convinced Muslim, but one who practices his religion in a way that I can morally defend to the world.”
“From Taha’s thinking, I began to understand how complex the causes of human rights violations really are. Islam – and religion in general – may be part of the problem, but the correlation is never so simple and straightforward. I do not believe that Islam’s perspective on human rights is any more problematic than that of any other religion. The problem is that an incorrect perception of Islam has developed in this regard. This is a result of the fact that almost all the African and Asian countries of which the majority of the population is Muslim – more than fifty countries in total – were colonies of European superpowers, in some cases for centuries. Only a handful of those countries were members of the United Nations when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in 1948. A great many problems arose in the post-colonial context as a result of general underdevelopment: lack of education, poverty, political instability and cultural conservatism. Another recent cause of the misconceptions concerning Islam and human rights is the emergence, since the 70’s, of militant Islamic factions in the Middle East and Southern-Asia, who want to establish Islamic states to strengthen sharia.”
Pillars
“The central question however, does not concern religion in its abstract form, but how the faithful understand and practice their particular religion. Islam itself is not in need of reform; we must reform the ways in which it is interpreted by Muslims today. That was also the message of Taha’s book ‘The Second Message of Islam’ (1967), which was published in my English translation in 1987. His primary argument was that the Koran can only be understood from within a specific historical context.”
“What the guiding principles should be of the way in which Muslims interpret and practise their faith in the 21st century? In my opinion, they are equality for women and non-Muslims, freedom of religion and faith and the cessation of violent jihad. These principles should not only be introduced into the constitution, but must be part of daily interaction between Muslims and others: Muslims and non-Muslims, men and women. Further still, human rights must first be respected at home before we can expect them to be defended legally by the state. That is the only way broad, societal support for human rights will develop so that society as a whole can engage in the struggle against the violation of those rights.”
“I would like to point out that most Islamic societies have already introduced a modern interpretation of Islam in practice, as is apparent from the constitutional and judicial systems of Senegal, Morocco, Bangladesh and Indonesia, for example. I invite your readers to focus on the large majority of Muslims who live in peaceful and democratic countries, not on those in the extremist margins. Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi-Arabia and Sudan are not at all representative of the Muslim world on a global scale.”
“I am addressing you from Sudan. Since 2003, I have been able to return here safely, without having to fear prosecution. Every time I come to visit my family, I wonder whether or not I can settle here permanently again. I feel as though I left a part of myself here. At the same time, I want to continue my work concerning Islam and human rights and there are many more opportunities to do this abroad. I hope that, some day, I will be able to work freely in Sudan.”
