종교다원주의의 도전과 이슬람

Abstract

Issues of pluralism, democracy and Human Rights are of crucial importance to those Muslims who are in search for progressive Islam beyond 9/11, particularly to those who live in countries where Islam is a minority religious tradition. Historical Islam began as a minority tradition in a non-Muslim setting. When the Prophet Muhammad received the revelations in 610 CE, the people around him were largely tribal and polytheistic with christian and jewish minority. As with any new religious tradition, Islam would not have developed had it not been tolerant to other religions. Even after it became political and religious majority Islam was a tolerant religion. It was especially towards monotheistic religions such as Judaism and Christianity. Islam theology based on Qur'an identifies those religious tradition as the Providence of God. 'The People of the Book' as Christian and Juwish who dwell in Islamic countries were classified as dhimmis. They were under the social and economical protection of the government and enjoyed religious autonomy. But with the advent of modern society which is accompanied by humanism and secularism, the religious generosity of Islam lagged behind. Especially the Shari'a of ridda, 'apostasy' is contradictory the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Although islam recognizes other monotheistic religions such as Judaism, Christianity, it cannot embrace any new religious movements even they believe in the God. The question is what's the islamic view of religious pluralism. This article attempts to manifest the possibility of religious pluralism in islamic world.