A lecture given by Dr. Yusuf Estes at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio, on March 5, 2003.

In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful. All the praise is to Allah alone and peace be upon His last and final messenger, Muhammad.

Today's subject is about Islam and tolerance. And considering the many topics in the news today, it is a very needed discussion. Has everyone heard what is going on around the world on this date? - Too much, right?

So, let us begin and see what Islam is saying about tolerance, inshallah.

Quran says; "Let there be no compulsion in religion."

Does this mean that there is tolerance in Islam?
What does Islam tolerate?

First of all, let us ask the question, "What is Islam?" - That is to say, "What does Islam really mean and what does it stand for anyway?"

"s" "l" "m" is the root in the Arabic language -

What is Islam all about in simple terms? How can we best understand Islam in today's world?

This is an excellent question. Islam is principally about rights. If there is any word in the English language that could best serve the purpose of conveying the understanding of Islam, it would have to be the word "rights."

Islam is all about rights. The first and foremost right is that of the Almighty (Allah) on His creation of humans not to hold anyone alongside of Him in their worship. Worship, praise and thanksgiving are exclusive for Almighty Allah and not for anything that He has created, nor to be shared with any other.

The second right is the right of the messengers (prophets of Allah) to be followed and obeyed as they are in fact the representatives of Allah on earth and they are the best examples to be followed and obeyed.

The third right is the right that the parents have over their children to be obeyed and cared for, even in their old age. This is something that is highly stressed in Islam as it is in the former revelations of the First Testament, Old Testament, New Testament and Last Testament, the Holy Quran. So, parents have the number one rights on the individual after the rights of Allah and His messengers.

The next right is that of the other members of the family, including the individual himself. The children, siblings and so on all have rights. After the close family's rights would be the rights of the extended family.

Neighbors have the next rights on the individual and that would include those who are Muslims and those who are non-Muslims (dhimmi in Arabic).

Obedience to the Muslim rulers is actually a part of the faith in Islam and it is not ever considered correct to be a Muslim while trying to act contrary to the government.

There are also rights in Islam for animals, plants and even the environment itself in the teachings of Islam over 1,400 years ago.

The list of rights continues on and on, so much so that it could fill volumes if not libraries with the subject of the rights in Islam.

But let us go to the rights of the enemies of Islam.

This statement alone should cause even the most sophisticated of scholars to sit up and take notice. After all, how could it be that your enemies could have any rights?

Rights of enemies include that they cannot be attacked or killed based on prejudice or tribalism. They must be presented with the opportunity to know what Islam is all about and then given the chance to:
" Accept Islam - or at least to:
" Live peacefully with the Muslims

If there is a war - any fighting has to be for the sake of Allah according to very strict guidelines that include:
" Not killing or attacking innocent people
" Not attacking elderly or children
" Not destroying the infrastructures
" Not killing livestock
" Not destroying or stealing innocent people's property
" Not harming even the landscape

But the most impressive rights in Islam for me, are those for the very enemy himself. He has the right:
" Not to be starved
" Not to be tortured
" Not to be ridiculed and oppressed
" All terms of any treaties must be upheld by the Muslims

All of this and it is 1,400 years before the Geneva Convention.

So, again we see that Islam is all about rights.

Rights of humans to:
" Choose their own religion
" Choose their own way
" Choose their own destiny

Where Is Islam intolerant?

" Injustice

" Demoralization

" Indecency

" Oppression

" Terrorism

" Savagery