Imam Serigne Lamine Sall’s words have caused an uproar in Senegal, but he was just repeating a standard Islamic view. Islamic theologians centuries ago divided the world into the dar al-Islam, house of Islam, and the dar al-harb, the house of war. Islamic scholars have never shown a great deal of interest in the beliefs of non-Muslims, except arguably in modern times, as they are just the imaginings of infidels. Sall stated a mainstream Islamic view, and is getting criticized for it by the Catholic leader Philippe Tine, who clearly shares with Pope Francis a near-total ignorance of what Islam actually teaches.
“Senegal: the Church denounces the ‘contempt’ of an imam towards Christians,” translated from “Sénégal : l’Église dénonce le «mépris» d’un imam envers les chrétiens,” Le Figaro, March 1, 2022 (thanks to Medforth):
The Catholic Church in Senegal on Tuesday, March 1 condemned the “contempt” of an imam for remarks deemed offensive towards the Christian community, inviting him to apologize on the television channel where he had spoken.
Imam Serigne Lamine Sall was invited Thursday onto the set of the local television channel Walf TV, where he notably affirmed that Catholics were “condemned in the same way” as Freemasons and Jews in Islam. According to him, there are only two religions, “Islam and the infidels.” The imam’s remarks are “inadmissible and can only be justified by contempt, indecency and ignorance,” said Philippe Abraham Birane Tine, President the National Council of the Laity, which brings together Catholic associations and movements in the country, on Tuesday during a press briefing at the Archdiocese of Dakar
Strong reactions
These remarks triggered a lively controversy in Senegal, a West African country renowned for its tolerance, with a Muslim population of nearly 95%. Among the reactions, Mame Mactar Guèye, vice-president of Jamra, an Islamic NGO, estimated on radio that “Imam Serigne Lamine Sall could have done without these unfortunate remarks with regard to the Christian community. It is (one) word too many.” The Catholic Church in Senegal on Tuesday demanded an apology from Imam Sall and asked the authorities for a “self referral” to the prosecutor in this type of case. “What we expect is not complicated: there is an adage that says public offense, public reparation. We want the imam to return to the program where he spoke and to apologize,” Father Alphonse Birame Ndour, episcopal vicar of the Catholic Church in Senegal, in charge of interreligious dialogue, told AFP.
In addition, according to him, the prosecution must be undertaken because there is “a flagrant act and national cohesion may be threatened.” “The offense is not only made to the Christian community but to Senegal as a whole,” he added. For Philippe Abraham Birane Tine, who described the imam’s remarks as “discriminatory, outrageous, aggressive,” the latter “confirms our certainty that the foundations of our nation are in danger.” Philippe Abraham Birane Tine called on Senegalese President Macky Sall to do “everything so that, from now on, the culprits of such crimes are identified and punished.”
Jayell says
‘Islam and the infidels’ – yes, but only one of those is what one might call a genuine ‘religion – or group of religions – and it’s most certainly NOT Islam.
mortimer says
Ok, Jayell, please stop repeating your inaccurate trope and stop inventing your own ‘facts’. Islam is indeed a ‘genuine’ religion, but not one that you approve of. Aztec human sacrifice cults were also religions. Himmler founded a religious ‘VRILL’ cult for the SS which was a religion. Islam combines religion and politics
The American Heritage Dictionary defines ‘religion’ as follows:
noun
1.The belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers, regarded as creating and governing the universe.
2.A particular variety of such belief, especially when organized into a system of doctrine and practice.
3.A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader
Islam has all the above. Everyone ‘gets it’ that you disapprove of Islam, but you do not say why … you are merely expressing an unsupported opinion of yours without presenting a shred of evidence to support it.
I supported my claim and showed that Islam conforms with the formal definition of a ‘religion’.
You did not. That is a ‘cheap shot’.
gravenimage says
Islam is indeed a religion by definition.
Plenty of reasons to dislike it, though–it is *not* a benignant religion.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
The Imam has it right. My compliments to him for how he reduced this to the basics, that being it’s Islam vs. All Other Religions. Fight until there is no God but Allah.
gravenimage says
Yep, this is how Muslims see things–there is Islam and then there are the “filthy Infidels”.
APF, good to see you posting. Oddly, just yesterday on a story about Minnesota foolishly observing Muslim holidays I noted that I missed seeing your commenting here. Hope you are doing weill.
PRCS says
Islam’s version of a Bible thumper.
He really, really believes it and–over there–others are expected to believe it; or else.
mortimer says
To PRCS: every Muslim is required to believe and practice ALL the revelations of Mohammed.
Muslims must struggle constantly to keep doubt out of their minds … a huge task, because Islam contains so many totally absurd teachings … such as flat earth, sun sets in a muddy spring, the Koranic text was perfectly preserved.
Michael Copeland says
“It is unbelief (Kufr) to hold that the remnant cults now bearing the names of formerly valid religions such as “Christianity” and “Judaism” are acceptable to Allah….”
Manual of Islamic Law, “Reliance of the Traveller”, w.4.
mortimer says
Yes, MC. The mullah is expressing the teaching of ‘abrogation’, namely, that Islam abrogates all other ‘revelations’. As a consequence, anyone who disagrees with Mohammed is a kafirs hated and opposed by Allah.
The Koran defines the kafir and says that the kafir is:
Hated- 40:35 They who dispute the signs of Allah [kafirs] without authority having reached them are greatly hated by Allah and the believers. So Allah seals up every arrogant, disdainful heart – of arrogant and obstinate transgressors.
Mocked- 83:34 On that day (in paradise) the faithful will mock the kafirs, while they sit on bridal couches (while having sex) and watch them. Should not the kafirs be paid back for what they did?
Enslaved- 33.50 Muslim males may have sex with ‘slaves that are the booty of war’.
Punished- 25:77 Say to the kafirs: My Lord does not care for you or your prayers. You have rejected the truth, so sooner or later, a punishment will come.
Beheaded- 47:4 When you encounter the kafirs on the battlefield, cut off their heads until you have thoroughly defeated them and then take the prisoners and tie them up firmly.
Confused- 6:25 Some among them listen to you [Mohammed], but We have cast veils over their [kafirs] hearts and a heaviness to their ears so that they cannot understand our signs [the Koran].
Plotted against- 86:15 They plot and scheme against you [Mohammed], and I plot and scheme against them. Therefore, deal calmly with the kafirs and leave them alone for a while.
Terrorized- 8:12 Then your Lord spoke to His angels and said, “I will be with you. Give strength to the believers. I will send terror into the kafirs’ hearts, cut off their heads and even the tips of their fingers!”
gravenimage says
All grimly true.
Westman says
The Imam stated the official, Al-Azhar sanctified, truth of Islam doctrine. Now, if he had simply said, “its just some old stuff we don’t follow anymore”, the Catholics would give him a pass while Muslims would be offended.
Since when did Islam and tolerance for unbelievers cohabitate in a 95% Muslim nation? If it’s in the water, it should be bottled and sent to Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc.
sidney penny says
“According to him, there are only two religions, “Islam and the infidels.” ”
Infidel is a religion?
An Infidel (Kafir) is a non-Muslim.
It would be better for him to say there is only one religion and those not of that religion are infidels/kafirs
James Lincoln says
sidney penny,
Yes, I thought the same thing.
I guess that would also include the Infidels who are atheists.
Hank says
Strange that a Muslim would believe in divinely sanctioned lying (Taqiya), hate and embezzling (Jizya) other people without questioning its basis. Today, you could go and visit any Shaman or other forms of occultism and get a false vision and divination dictated to you, write it down and wupti – start a new religion. Its basis is of course satanic.
PRCS says
Test