Cultures Project Paper: The Essential Separation Between Church and State

English 10 Cultures Project Step 6 - Paper

Only a DRAFT!

May change/be updated - still in progress - may still contain inaccuracies

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Separation between Church and State ?make better title

Around the world, the separation between church and state is not being maintained. In many nations nonbelievers being forced against their wills and spiritual beliefs to submit to the state religion (cite). Women are being executed in inhumane ways for violating their basic human rights (Human Rights Watch). Entire countries are enacting religiously motivated laws which segment and discriminate against sections of the population, leading the entire country to starve (Womenaid International). These laws must not be allowed to stand; the separation of church and state must be maintained. Laws of sovereign nations ought not to be influenced by religion to protect and insure basic human rights in every country. Each nation shares an aggregate of people who have different religious beliefs then the majority of the ruling class. However, all people must be insured equal treatment under the law. Religiously-motivated laws must not impose on the minority of the population. Although the majority of people in power in certain countries support religiously-motivated laws, the separation of church and state must be maintained to protect all human beings.

An extreme example of religiously-motivated laws going too far could be Afghanistan under the Taliban. The Taliban implemented their extreme form Islamic law or sharia (شريعة). Under their strict religious code, women were forced to wear a burqa (برقعة) in public at all times (Womenaid International). Women were not allowed to work or be educated (Womenaid International). If a woman’s husband died, or divorced her, under the Taliban, she had no way of caring for herself. She could not work or find any sort of employment. She was forced to beg on the streets for whatever she could get. However, this situation is not the same in every country, including predominantly Muslim nations (?cite). Most Muslims condemn the actions of the Taliban, and claim that the Taliban misinterpreted the teachings of Islam (cite). However, this brings up ?informal the problem with religious laws in general. Religious teachings remain up to interpretation. Every major religion contains literally thousands of different sects which each have slightly different views on the topics and teachings (cite?). ?give examples This creates a complicated situation when making religiously-motivated laws. Therefore, religiously-motivated are dangerous to implement in society in general.

The restrictions put on in Afghanistan by the Taliban greatly hamper the Afghan economy, potentially cutting their possible production in half. This enormous lack of food and wealth hurts everyone, men and children included, in Afghanistan. All of these restrictions were done in the name of Islam. Television was prohibited and religious freedom was not allowed (CBC). These restrictions make Afghanistan one of the world's least developed countries, at least according to the UN (CBC). Only 5 sub-Saharan Africa nations manage to beat it. 142 out of every 1000 babies die before age one, and every 30 minutes another woman dies in pregnancy (CBC). All this contributes to a life-expectancy of 42.5 years (CBC). Afghanistan could most likely do better then this, if it did not so closely embrace religious law. By allowing all of the people willing to work, to work, it could greatly increase its productive capacity. Since the Taliban was evicted after September 11, Afghanistan’s economy has grown at 25 percent a year. This increase in their economy helps everyone in Afghanistan lead a better life, except perhaps the displaced warlords who can no longer use religious law as ruse for their own betterment. ?rework, move up, or drop

Basic human rights are not being respected in all parts of the world. Recently, Safiya Husaini was accused of adultery under Islamic sharia law in Nigeria (“Loophole Saves Woman From Death By Stoning”). She had supposedly confessed under police interrogation that she had been raped and impregnated by her cousin (“Loophole Saves Woman From Death By Stoning”). She was to be buried to her waist and stoned to death as soon as her daughter was weaned (“Loophole Saves Woman From Death By Stoning”). However, she was acquitted only because of one obscure passage in the Qur'ān which stated that a pregnancy can remain in the womb for seven years, possibly making the girl her former husband’s daughter (“Loophole Saves Woman From Death By Stoning”). Had the loophole not existed, she would have been executed by illegal corporal-based punishment methods for exercising her basic human rights (Human Rights Watch). LaShawn R. Jefferson, the executive director of the Women's Rights Division of Human Rights Watch said, "When a woman is punished so severely for having pre-marital sex, her right to make free decisions regarding her body is violated. Women have a basic right to control their sexual autonomy" (qtd. in Human Rights Watch). Religiously motivated laws are taking away people’s freedoms. Modern human rights groups believe that it is a basic right of all people to control their sexual autonomy (Human Rights Watch). When religiously-motivated laws revoke these rights, it is a flagrant violation of people’s right to live their life how they want, including the right of exercising their sexuality in ways both them and their partners wish. It is not clear if these laws are being forced upon non-believers. However, if they are, the state would be arbitrarily taking away the basic human rights of the pagan population. However, in any case, it is not the state’s job to make these decisions for their constituents. Citizens should be free to follow what ever religious principles they want.

Works Cited

"A Man’s World?" Current Events. 7 Oct 2005. EBSCOhost. 17 Oct 2006 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=18404729&site=ehost-live>.

Ireland, Doug. "Indonesia: Gays Fight Sharia Laws." ZNet. 18 Oct 2006. 23 Oct 2006 <http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=91&ItemID=11217>.

Khan, Aina. "Viewpoint: Women and Sharia law." BBC News. 22 Oct 2006. 23 Oct 2006 <http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/special/islam/3198285.stm>.

Little, David. "Phenomena of Faith." Harvard International Review. Winter 2005.EBSCOhost. 17 Oct 2006 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=16091342&site=ehost-live>.

"Loophole Saves Woman From Death By Stoning." Herizons. Spring 2002. EBSCOhost. 17 Oct 2006 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=6672703&site=ehost-live>

Norton, Jerry. "Indonesia vows to maintain religious pluralism." Reuters. 18 Oct 2006. 23 Oct 2006 <http://today.reuters.com/News/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=JAK192425>.

Omaar, Rageh. "Courts open old wounds." New Statesman. 28 August 2006 EBSCOhost. 17 Oct 2006 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=22059836&site=ehost-live>.

Patel, Mohammad. "The Islamic Era." Muslims in India: The Growth & Influence of Islam in the Nations of Asia & Central Asia. 2006. EBSCOhost. 17 Oct 2006 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=khh&AN=21167297&site=ehost-live>.

"The Union of Islamic Courts." Toronto Star. 20 Oct 2006. 23 Oct 2006 <http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1161294618111&call_pageid=968332188492>.

Weedon, Emily. "Reforming Islamic Family Law." Washington Report on Middle East Affairs. Jan/Feb 2006. EBSCOhost. 17 Oct 2006 <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=19300701&site=ehost-live>.