Row erupts over Harvard chaplain’s ‘Death to apostates’ e-mail

TAHA Abdul-Basser, Muslim chaplain at Harvard University, is at the centre of a row over the leaked contents of a private e-mail to a student.

In reply to a question about the Islamic death sentence for apostasy, the chaplain wrote that there was:

Taha Abdul-Basser in full flow during an Islamic Awareness event

Great wisdom (hikma) associated with the established and preserved position (capital punishment [for apostates]) and so, even if it makes some uncomfortable in the face of the hegemonic modern human rights discourse, one should not dismiss it out of hand.

Which can only mean one thing: he endorses the death sentence for apostates.

Wrong!

Abdul-Basser, in an e-mailed statement issued after all hell broke loose, said that he:

Never expressed the position that individuals who leave Islam or convert from Islam to another religion must be killed. I do not hold this opinion personally.

He explained that he was not advocating for the positions in his e-mail mail, but was rather:

Addressing them in the context of the evolution of an Islamic legal doctrine.

According to this report, the original e-mail was circulated among Muslim students, and later picked up by the blogosphere. It sparked debate and, in many cases, criticism of Abdul-Basser from those who interpreted his statement as supporting the execution of those who leave the Islam.

Said one Muslim student, who asked not be named to avoid trouble with Muslim religious authorities:

I believe he doesn’t belong as the official chaplain. If the Christian ministers said that people who converted from Christianity should be killed, don’t you think the University should do something?]

According to the student, many of Abdul-Basser’s other views are:

Not in line with liberal values, such as notions of human rights. He privileges the medieval discourse of the Islamic jurists, and is not willing to exercise independent thought and judgment beyond a certain limit.

Another, Samad Khurram, said Abdul-Basser’s remarks conflicted with the Harvard United Ministry’s support of freedom of religion.

I support free speech, freedom of belief and association, so this came as a big shock to me.

Yet another Muslim, who requested anonymity for fear of harming his relationship with the Islamic community, said:

[His remarks] are the first step towards inciting intolerance and inciting people towards violence.

A fourth critic, Aqil Sajjad, said that Abdul-Basser’s statements were:

Totally wrong, definitely out of line for somebody in that position. I wouldn’t go and seek religious advice from one who is saying this.

A fifth, who also asked to remain anonymous, said the chaplain’s remarks wrongly suggested that only Westerners and Westernised Muslims who did not fully understand Islam would find the killing of apostates objectionable.

If what he said was what I thought, then it is very shocking and not something that I would expect or want coming out of a chaplain at any major American university.

But Harvard Islamic Society spokesperson Nafees A Syed said that Abdul-Basser:

Was speaking as a chaplain to a student in a private e-mail exchange. One of these e-mails was misinterpreted, misconstrued, and posted on the blogosphere.

She praised Abdul-Basser for promoting diversity within HIS and the campus at large.

His immeasurable contributions should not be overlooked in this matter.

Last word from one of the many who posted comments under the Harvard Crimson report:

Who would have thought that a believer in violent bronze age myths would express violent bronze age opinions …

HAT TIP: Peter Brietbart