The ideological spectrum to which I have been exposed is incredibly broad. I have family members who are very pious. I also have relatives who equate religion (particularly Islam) with the greatest evil that ever existed. My grandparents, maternal and paternal, were Muslims, very devout, and wonderfully decent individuals. So I do not think that Islam or its followers are innately more prone to violence than other religions or religious individuals. Yet, I also live during a time in which senseless violence is primarily a result of religious differences (while I am sure economic and societal conditions also play a role in this conflict, that discussion is beyond the scope of this post and my expertise). So how can I reconcile this conflict?
I think to begin with, it is fundamental to distinguish Islam from political Islam. Given the inherently political nature of Islam, this is a difficult but not impossible task. My grandparents, as well as numerous other individuals, practiced Islam every day of their lives. Yet, they wholeheartedly believed it was a mistake to mix politics and religion, refused to defend political Islam, and refused to be involved with the current theocratic regime. So how can we begin to separate Islam from Iranian politics?
Given that Mr. Khamenei is the leader of Iran, not to mention the rest of the Muslim world (as he claims), I think we should begin with him. He has asked Western youth to read the texts of Islam. I will ask him to extend us the same courtesy and read some texts that “Western youth,” might suggest. To start with, I think the Ayatollah should read John Locke’s works since he is the individual to whom the idea of separation of church and state is credited. I will also humbly recommend to the omniscient mullah the works of Baron de Montesquieu, and the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights, which among other things prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, and abridging the freedom of speech.
In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attacks, Khamenei’s exhortation to Western youth is a significant improvement from Khomeini’s fatwa. At a minimum, he asks individuals to think for themselves as opposed to blindly and dogmatically pursuing others’ orders and interpretations. Nonetheless, Mr. Khamenei should be aware that encouraging the free pursuit of intellectual nourishment tends to conflict with the principles of authoritarian regimes. As such, he, as an individual who can largely shape the image of Islam presented to Western youth, should be careful to not respond with violence and brutality should the Iranian youth demand democratic change.