Ben Herzig: The sentiments of a Muslim fundamentalist

I'll admit it. I'm a Muslim fundamentalist. Scary thought, isn't it?

You may ask yourself, "How is it that a Muslim fundamentalist could have gained admission to such an enlightened institution as Penn? How many of them have succeeded in this infiltration?" Allow me to explain why such anxiety is unwarranted.

The term "Muslim fundamentalist" is actually a deceptive one. The idea of religious fundamentalism was concocted by academics who sought to label certain "extreme" Christians that called for a more literal interpretation of the Bible as God's Word, and promoted adjusting one's worldview toward that of fearing God rather than amassing wealth and submitting to scientific truths.

However, in Islam, the Quran has always been viewed as the Word of God (as revealed to Muhammad), unaltered and inimitable. Mainstream Muslims have generally clung to the view that the truth of their religion transcends time and should not be vulnerable to changing political structures. The idea of success in the hereafter as triumphing in importance over worldly gains still resonates among most Muslims today.

Muslims have not had to engage in the same kind of struggle to reconcile science and religion as have their Christian counterparts. In other words, mainstream Islam and Muslim fundamentalism are, more often than not, one and the same.

It now becomes important for Muslims like myself to both elaborate on what a Muslim fundamentalist believes and to compare and contrast such beliefs with the beliefs of the alleged perpetrators of the Sept. 11 attacks.

I believe in an Islam that is strongly grounded in its most fundamental beliefs and principles, just as anyone would presumably want to live within a structure built on a strong foundation. In Islam, these principles include believing in God in a strictly monotheistic sense, establishing five-times-a-day prayer, showing compassion for the needy and striving to establish a just society.

I believe that God has made the message of Islam known throughout history by conveying it through a select group of prophets, including, but not limited to Abraham, Moses, Jesus and lastly, Muhammad.

So what makes Muslims like myself different from Muslims willing to kill any American in the name of Islam? To answer this question is to define the difference between fundamentalism and extremism.

I define Muslim extremism as the pursuit of any one principle or belief of Islam to the extent that such a pursuit begins to negate or compromise other integral aspects of the religion. So, for instance, all Muslims would accept the idea that giving to charity is a good deed.

However, if one Muslim were to focus on this deed so much so that he gave away all of his wealth -- and could no longer provide for himself or his family -- then he would actually be engaging in something undesirable, as he would be negating his responsibility as a Muslim to take care of himself and those who depend on him.

Similarly, I believe that a Muslim who is so intent on decrying an unjust American foreign policy that he is willing to crash a plane into a building is ignoring the fact that both murder and suicide are among the most serious crimes that a Muslim can commit. To call such people fundamentalists not only misses the mark and casts Muslims like myself into a category in which we feel we don't belong, but it also employs a term that implies the opposite of its intended meaning.

Indeed, such Muslims commit these acts in contradiction to the "fundamentals" of Islam.

There are dozens of Muslim fundamentalists here at Penn, and you did not see any of us celebrating on Locust Walk on Sept. 11. But we encourage the Penn community to stop by the table of the Muslim Students Association on Locust Walk this week -- Islam Awareness Week -- and pick up literature on the true nature of Islam, as well as a written response to the "Why do they hate us?" question prepared by the MSA. We will also have lectures throughout the week.

We hope that a better understanding of Islam will contribute to reducing the risk of the events of Sept. 11 repeating themselves, and think that this can be accomplished, in part, by learning how to better distinguish Muslim fundamentalism from Muslim extremism.

Ben Herzig is a sophomore Psychology major from Lexington, Mass., and publicity co-chairman of the Muslim Students' Association. His e-mail address is herzig@sas.upenn.edu.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.