In a highly anticipated speech at Cairo University, President Obama this morning made significant reference to religious freedom throughout, in terms of respect, diversity and communication across cultural-religious divides. Religious freedom was also the 5th of 7 issues, he said, that "we must finally confront together":
People in every country should be free to choose and live their faith based upon the persuasion of the mind, heart, and soul. This tolerance is essential for religion to thrive, but it is being challenged in many different ways.
Among some Muslims, there is a disturbing tendency to measure one's own faith by the rejection of another's. The richness of religious diversity must be upheld – whether it is for Maronites in Lebanon or the Copts in Egypt. And fault lines must be closed among Muslims as well, as the divisions between Sunni and Shia have led to tragic violence, particularly in Iraq.
Freedom of religion is central to the ability of peoples to live together. We must always examine the ways in which we protect it. For instance, in the United States, rules on charitable giving have made it harder for Muslims to fulfill their religious obligation. That is why I am committed to working with American Muslims to ensure that they can fulfill zakat.
Likewise, it is important for Western countries to avoid impeding Muslim citizens from practicing religion as they see fit – for instance, by dictating what clothes a Muslim woman should wear. We cannot disguise hostility towards any religion behind the pretence of liberalism.
Indeed, faith should bring us together.
Maronites are Catholics in Lebanon, and the Copts are Egyptian Christians. Zakat, by the way (thank you Google) is the Muslim obligation to give a portion of one's wealth to charitable causes, not unlike tithing. This is the first I have heard of America's "rules on charitable giving" making it harder…
[UPDATE: Spencer Ackerman takes a crack at the "zakat" reference:
A lot of work is going to need to go into establishing what exactly Obama means here. Some U.S. Muslim charities have been convicted of funneling money to terrorist organizations, primarily against Israel. Some of the cases, however, have apparently been created on the basis of illegal surveillance, as lawyers for the Al-Haramain charity contest. The issue, however, speaks directly to whether the government will compel American Muslims to choose between different aspects of their identity or embrace them as American citizens.
Thanks for the link, EB!]
