For most, Islam is a way of life which is revered by its followers but according to Laura Hayes, when the Taliban ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, they controlled 90% of the country's territory and their policies—including their treatment of women and support of terrorists—ostracized them from the world community. The Taliban considered themselves mujahideen or holy warriors of the Islamic faith.
This is one aspect of religion that is often studied by observation. How does someone become a religious fanatic to the point of causing pain or discomfort for others? Does anyone have the right to question or challenge another person’s religious convictions regarding their morals and values? How should members of the western religions view those who practice ancient and seemingly barbaric forms of religion? Upon viewing the state of affairs in countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq someone uneducated in the laws of Islam could easily assume that the Islamic way of life seems to promote violence against women and those who wish to relax the laws.
Closer to home, Britain remains a multicultural environment. In some areas the ethnic make up of certain areas have changed dramatically in the past 10 years. According to Nicola Davies, Slough represents one of the most multicultural parts of England.
Of the 119,067 residents, 12 per cent are of Pakistani heritage, five per cent are Black or Black British, 14 per cent Indian heritage and 63 per cent White. Twenty per cent of the residents were born outside the European Union. Thirteen per cent of the population is Muslims, nine per cent Sikhs, four per cent Hindus and 53 per cent Christians.
This means that schools and other public places have had to restructure their curriculum or modus operandi to accommodate the freedom to practice other religions as stated in the constitution.
In one predominantly Slough school, the decision was taken three years ago to set up a committee to observe and identify ways in which the school could better serve students’ religious needs. Out of this initiative, those who practiced Islam were allowed a time and a private room during the day for prayer. The canteen menu was also redesigned to include a variety of vegetarian dishes to accommodate dietary needs and students were allowed to wear symbols of their religion such as dreadlocks and the hijab. The performing arts department made an effort to encourage students from other faiths to lead and participate in dance and music events to showcase aspects of their faith and a special multicultural evening has also been organized for this year.
Another reason for studying religion is to understand what draws people into seeking out the existence of a higher being. Some are simply curious about their origins and are desperate to answer the question, ‘how did we get here’. Of course there is a clash between the scientific Big Bang theory, the Darwinian theory of evolution and the creation story. Dr. Peter Atkins.43 states that ‘however far scientists probe towards the beginning of the universe, a creator cannot be either proved or disproved by the results. It is this mystical aspect of religion that draws some people to study it.
An emergence of new religious groups have also created a need for observation. Leo Pfeffer suggests that If you believe in it, it’s a religion. If you don’t care one way or another, it’s a sect. But if you fear and hate it, it’s a cult. Often people who join new sects are those who are disillusioned by traditional religions. They are often emotionally needy and seek a sense of belonging. According to Mason, ‘typical converts are young idealists and spiritual seekers eager to feel that they are doing something to save the world’. On occasion these people become cliquish and lose regular emotional contact with the outside world. Sometimes this can have catastrophic results.
One such example was the death of 80 people in the Branch Davidian group in Waco, Texas, USA in 1993. Jim Jones in Guyana also persuaded over 900 of his followers to kill themselves by drinking lemonade laced with cyanide. Others still, like the Heaven’s Gate group believed that they were to wait for a sign from heaven and a space craft would come to take them away.
Karl Marx, who studied the impact of religion on society, concluded that religion shows the connection between the need to have an afterlife to look forward to especially if their lives have been difficult. Marx’s approach to the study of religion was objective and sociological. In his observations he arrived at the conclusion that ‘Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people’.
Religion and politics have come full circle as in today’s society there are laws which govern the recognition of a new ‘religion’. For example, a legitimate religion has the right to claim tax exemption and must promote the moral and spiritual welfare of the community. It is my opinion that although there are other reasons for studying religion, the most compelling reason by far is to better understand and cater for the diversity of modern society.
Bibliography
Atkins, Peter quoted in Poole, Michael. A Guide to Science and Belief. Lion Publishing.1990
Boeer. M. M. Karl Marx’s Interpretation of History.
Mason, Claire. New Religious Movements: the impact on our lives. White Thompson Publishing Limited.2003
Pfeffer, Leo. Quoted in New Religious Movements: the impact on our lives.