- One of the worst anti-Islamic ideas out there is the notion that taqiyya (“dissimulation”) explains why Muslims in the West embrace secularism, go to non-Muslim countries, etc. The idea is that they do this only to bide their time until Muslims are a majority, at which point they will move for a religious shari’a-based state and turn non-Muslims into dhimmis, etc. Here are three reasons why this idea is misguided and mean-spirited.
- 1. taqiyya is a concept with no explicit Qur’anic basis (including Q 16:106); it developed specifically within Shi’ism as a way to allow Shi`ites to survive persecution in Sunni states that compelled them to renounce their beliefs in the Imams. Even for the Shia it does not give license to be dishonest or deceptive in a society that allows them to keep their beliefs (as in the West today).
- 2. The accusation of “taqiyya” is contrary to the principle of charity (a lesson taught by Jesus in the parable of the Good Samaritan). Essentially, it means that a non-Muslim will never accept the merits or good-will of Muslims, since anything “positive” they do will always be reduced to taqiyya. It undermines the tireless work of so many Muslims to build friendships and do anything.
- 3. There’s nothing wrong with hiding one’s faith under persecution. Of course, this is a Shiite doctrine. However, this is also very, very similar in the Bible. In John 7:1-10, Jesus tells his brothers that he isn’t going up to the festival in Judea, but later he does go in secret. In fear of persecution, Jesus hides his faith here. Even in John 20:19, the disciples were hiding in a locked room for fear of the Jewish leaders. 1 Kings 18:3-16 describes Obadiah hiding 100 prophets in caves in scared of persecution from Queen Jezebel. In the Book of Esther, Esther hides her Jewish identity initially as instructed by her cousin Mordecai, when she becomes queen of Persia. She later reveals her identity to the king to save her people from Haman’s plot to exterminate the Jews (Esther 2:10, 7:3-6).
- Taqiyya is a religious practice founded in Shi‘a Islam that allows adherents to obscure their true beliefs when they face persecution, coercion, or compulsion (“Taqiyah,” in Oxford Dictionary of Islam, ed. John Esposito).
Leave a Reply