COLUMN: Politics and worship

From Daniel Septimus', "I Know My Last Name is Septimus," Fall '00 From Daniel Septimus', "I Know My Last Name is Septimus," Fall '00Last month, Zamfara became the first Nigerian state to adopt sharia, or Islamic law. Two more Nigerian states, Niger and Sokoto, officially instituted sharia on Tuesday. Despite all of this apparent harshness, it appears as if most Muslims are very much in favor of government-enforced sharia. Many assert that it will improve the quality of life. Women, who often suffer the most from Islamic fundamentalism, have garnered at least one considerable gain -- school enrollment for girls is on the rise because of the separate schools. In the U.S., freedom of religion has been maintained by relegating religion to the private sphere, effectively divorcing it from government. But American democracy's separation of church and state may not be the only plausible paradigm for how politics and religion should interact. The new laws in Nigeria, as well as reform movements in Iran, are in their own ways attempting to maintain theocracies while avoiding the oppression that often accompanies states with religious rule. Christians in Kaduna, another northern state in Nigeria, began protesting on Monday in response to Muslims who are requesting that Kaduna adopt sharia. The protests have led to riots in which more than 100 people have been killed. The Nigerian situation, however, is not your classic case of religious coercion and oppression. The theocracies being established reflect a sort of pluralistic religious extremism -- a post-modern fundamentalism, if you will. In Zamfara, state officials have informed Christian citizens that sharia will apply only to Muslims. According to Niger's governor, Abdulkadir Kure, "non-Muslims would not be tried for whatever offense under the law." Non-Muslims in both states will, theoretically, be free to go on living as they have until now. The Christian citizens of Kaduna, who account for 40 percent of the population, have protested because they believe that their rights will in fact be threatened by the implementation of sharia. Perhaps they are right but, theoretically -- if the Nigerian states can handle the proposed double standard -- the Christian residents of Kaduna may have nothing to fear. The Nigerian states that have instituted sharia are attempting to conserve a traditional religious way of life. As long as they stick to their promise to not bind non-Muslims to sharia -- and as long as most Muslim citizens want to live under Islamic law -- we should recognize their compromise as an acceptable reconciliation of church and state. Officials in Iran are also hoping to rework the relationship between religion and government. In last Friday's elections, voters heavily supported parliamentary candidates aligned with the reform-minded president, Mohammad Khatami. Khatami is in favor of several social and cultural revisions to current Iranian law, which has been in the hands of religious conservatives since the revolution of 1979. Reformers hope to free the press from clerical censorship, legalize satellite dishes and encourage public discourse about religious and social issues. In addition, a restored dialogue with the U.S. is a possibility for the first time in 20 years. However, the reformers are not trying to revolt against Islamic rule. Like in Nigeria, they too embrace theocracy. President Khatami -- himself a mid-ranking cleric -- and his associates are not interested in abandoning Islamic law. Rather, they intend to try and align traditional religious order with democratic principles. This may seem paradoxical to us, but perhaps it doesn't have to be. Government restrictions which attempt to maintain culture and tradition are not unique to the Third World. In Quebec, for example, numerous laws regulate the use of language. There is a law that determines who can send their children to English-speaking schools, as well as a law requiring that large businesses be run in French. And in Israel, the Bible is taught in the public schools and public buses do not operate in Jerusalem on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath. In Iran, power still remains in the hands of the supreme religious leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He has ultimate control over the judicial system, the police, the army and everything having to do with security and foreign policy. Will the reform-minded parliament be able to enact change in this environment? And can Nigeria, a country with a history of ethnic conflict, manage a stable government that supports such a nuanced double standard? Only time will tell. In the mean time, we should encourage both countries to continue developing creative ways to reconcile their religious ideals with the affairs of state.