Can freedom exist if Islam grows stronger in the West?

The responses to this question vary ideologically. If you believe that you are a moral agent accountable to God for playing an autonomous role in the life, relationships, workings and generosity of your community, then your response will not be the same as if you believe that your mind is irrelevant to decision-making, creativity or progress and therefore somebody else must regulate your choices and actions. In the latter one, you certainly will give way to the dictatorial individuals who will take advantage of your passivity to achieve their goals. They never believe that their goals can be realized through reason and rationality and for this reason they target those who can serve their coercion and authoritarianism.

A prime example of such coercion is found in Islam, which is tolerated by passive westerners and politically correct politicians who know little about the means of democracy and freedom. Islam dictates to people how they should behave and what they should believe. People have no right to say anything when it comes to Muhammad’s or his successors’ decisions on any matter of life, since obedience is absolute and everybody must submit to  religious leaders and follow the dictates of the Islamic legal principles. Common people (awwam) are called animals; as the saying goes in Arabic: al-awwam kal anaam! (People are like animals). The master possesses all  rights and animals are just directed to perform their duties. Animals are free to eat, rest, be used or be killed,  at the convenience of their masters. This is what freedom is in Islam. You are free to be mute, like an animal, and perform duties for your leader.

Some Iranians and Saudi Arabians speak of Islamic freedom and say that there is freedom in their countries, but it is the kind of freedom in which you are only free to keep quiet in order to live, or to speak out in order to die.

Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, established this centralized social and political system in order to have absolute authority over his followers without any accountability to them. He said:

"Whoever obeys me, obeys Allah, and whoever disobeys me, disobeys Allah, and whoever obeys the ruler I appoint, obeys me, and whoever disobeys him, disobeys me." (Al-Bukhari: V9, B89, H251)

So, Muhammad – or a Muslim leader – is the second-in-command on earth on Allah’s behalf and has no need to consider the opinions of his followers.

It is not for a believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and his apostle, to choose another option: If anyone disobeys Allah and his apostle, he is indeed on the wrong path, and the consequences are dreadful, painful, and imminent (Q.33:36).

A Muslim leader does not have any shortcomings. Everybody must learn from him and be subject to him.  For this reason, opposition to him is unnecessary and ungodly and is to be treated with agressive violence:

You who believe (Muslims), kill any disbeliever who are close to you (relatives and neighbors) so that they may find out how harsh you are.  Allah is with those who are pious (Q.9:123).

Hostility and harshness are the signs of piety, perfection and victory in Islam. Muslims are asked to harsh from a deep theological fervor based on the instruction of the Quran. Muslim leaders, the most pious ones, are always right to be harsh to those who do not follow their models. This is why hostilities and wars never stop in Islamic countries.  They finish only when all opposition ceases. Also, whenever leaders attack their opposition, people have no choice but to confirm the leaders' actions and prove their loyalty to them and their obedience to Allah. It is sin if anyone speaks in favor of opposing authority. If any one does, then all the penalties of cooperating with enemies will be imposed upon them.

What is going to happen to freedom if the influence of pious Muslims grows in the West? How can we live in freedom and justice if Islam establishes itself strongly?

Islamic history and the life in Islamic countries prove that where Islam is present, freedom cannot flourish.

We need to hold on to the values of Christ strongly. Christ has a rational theology that encourages moral equality, reason, logic and relational trust. Freedom rose and advanced in the West because of Christian logic. Christian values founded social, political and economic relationships on honesty and equality, regardless of people’s rank, race, nationality or belief. Christian ethics revealed  God-given autonomy in work and working environment, and advanced life in every aspect by establishing economic liberty in the West. Max Weber’s “Protestant Ethic” even drew the attention of business men and women in the world to the value of the dignity of their workers and of the members of their organizations, which in turn also brought a better financial return to them. The West's economies boomed because of Christians' respect for mankind, including business owners and workers.

God has created all equally. In the eyes of God, there is no difference between prophets and normal followers, husbands and wives, employers and employees, masters and slaves. God wants people to base their relationships on mutual compassion and respect and to fight racism, discrimination and intolerance.

While communist governments killed off religious and non-religious opposition or persecuted them, and while Islamic countries were unable to tolerate reason and logic and discriminated against females and non-Muslims, and slaughtered thousands of their oppositions, the West aligned itself with  Christian values, demolished slavery, respected the dignity and rights of people, tolerated every belief and won preeminence by relying on reason and logic, prospering in every aspect of life. 

It would be better for westerners to being to accept the uncomfortable fact that Islam is an enemy to freedom, peace and equal opportunity. Freedom cannot exist without Christian faith. We need to hold Christianity up in the West in order to keep our freedom alive; otherwise, Islam will grow and destroy freedom completely.