Last Saturday, there was an announcement that there will be an away friendly football match between our team and another the next day. We don’t really have a team, we go to the field to play and that’s all. For some reasons, those that showed up from us were not up to 11, so, we decided to play with the home team instead of against them and scheduled another day for the match.
The home team we were to join wanted to start the game and asked us to come over to their side. As we began walking towards them, they started clapping and singing. I got to understand that they are an all-Christian team and it is their custom to clap, sing, and pray before their matches.
We were six from my team; three Christians and three Muslims. We the Muslims tarried, walking towards them slowly without clapping. The coach of the home team asked us walk quickly and join them. The Muslim guy by my right side looked at me and said let’s join them.
I told him I’m a Muslim and I don’t clap. He said he is a Muslim too, then, I told him, “If you’re a Muslim, stay here and let them do their thing”. He listened and the third person did the same thing. We stood there without clapping and signing and at the end of the day, we all played and enjoyed the match. So, what’s the point of writing this?
Liberal Muslims make a conscious Muslim look like an extremist to non-Muslims than non-Muslims would without the presence of a liberal Muslim. It was easy for the home team to understand that the three of us are not clapping because of our faith because we had one voice. Had the other guy joined them in the praise and worship session while still identifying as a Muslim, there is no way we will leave that field without getting the extremist tag.
Understand that religious tolerance is not defined by passive or active omnism or syncretism. You do not need to join me in reciting the Qur’an as a non-Muslim for me to understand that you respect and tolerate my faith neither should I be involved in your praise and worship for you to understand the same.
The utmost form of religious tolerance which we should all embrace is in the Qur’an where Allah says in Surah Kăfirun, “Lakum Deenukum Wali Yadeen” meaning my religion to me and your to you.
We stood there without joining them in their clapping albeit with respect because we didn’t make funny faces or gestures that shows that we are making a jest of them.
We respected them and they respect us and that, ladies and gentlemen, is what is called religious tolerance.
Bashir Lucas Samson Lukman
Last Saturday, an announcement was made that there would be an away friendly football match between our team and another team the next day. However, we don’t really have a structured team; we simply show up at the field and play. For some reason, those who showed up from our side weren’t enough to make up a full team of 11 players. Therefore, we decided to play alongside the home team instead of against them and scheduled another day for the match.
The home team, whom we were to join, wanted to start the game and asked us to come over to their side. As we began walking towards them, they started clapping and singing. I soon realized that they were an all-Christian team and that clapping, singing, and praying before matches was their custom.
There were six of us from my team; three Christians and three Muslims. The Muslim players among us hesitated, walking slowly towards them without clapping. The home team’s coach asked us to hurry and join them. The Muslim guy beside me looked at me and suggested we join them. I told him I’m a Muslim and don’t clap. He revealed he’s also a Muslim, and I said, “If you’re a Muslim, stay here and let them do their thing.” He agreed, and the third Muslim player did the same.
We stood there without clapping or singing. Eventually, we all played and enjoyed the match.
The point of sharing this experience is that liberal Muslims can sometimes make conservative Muslims appear extremist to non-Muslims. Had one of the Muslim players joined in the praise and worship session while identifying as Muslim, we might have been labeled extremists.
True religious tolerance isn’t about compromising one’s beliefs or participating in another’s practices. Rather, it’s about respecting differences. The Quran emphasizes this in Surah Kafirun (109:6), “Lakum Deenukum Waliya Deen” – “For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.”
We stood respectfully without joining their clapping, making no mocking faces or gestures. We respected them, and they respected us. That, ladies and gentlemen, is genuine religious tolerance.
— Bashir LuCas Samson Lukman
English 