Islam & Christianty

Religious Freedom

Just as Islam has made the state subject to the same ethical principles as govern individuals and has brought international relations within the scope of morality, making the subjugation and exploitation of one nation by another as reprehensible as the subjugation and exploitation of one man by another, in the same way Islam has ordained justice, equality and mutual respect in inter-religious affairs and relations. In the Islamic social order all individuals and religious communities are free to follow the religion of their own choice. No individual or religious community has the right to impose his own beliefs on others or to restrict in any way the profession, preaching and practice by others of the religion which appeals to them. Says the Glorious Qur'an:

(There is no compulsion in religion.)

(2:256)

The Islamic attitude towards inter-religious relations is much more than that of mere toleration. Islam enjoins equal faith in the prophets of all Divine religions of the world. It invites people of other religions to join the Muslims in forming a League of Faiths to uphold the principles of the Unity of God and righteous conduct.

In Muslim countries Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians and Hindus have enjoyed the freedom, which, till recently, was totally denied to the non-Christians in Christendom.