Reinterpreting the Qurʾānic Criticism of Other Religions

In a modern society, it is more or less self-evident that religious beliefs of others must be respected and tolerated. Perhaps this “norm” of the modern world has led to some sort of reluctance among scholars to discuss the element of the Qurʾān that criticizes other religions, both in terms of doctrines and social interactions. The qurʾānic criticism of the other has usually been viewed as an obstacle to peaceful coexistence among different religious communities. It is, therefore, understandable that the polemical aspects of the Qurʾān have often been left unexplored in modern scholarship. As Michael Cook has rightly noted, “It would be considered ill-mannered and parochial to refer to the religious views of others as false and one’s own as true; for those fully educated into the elite culture of Western society, the very notion of absolute truth in matters of religion sounds hopelessly out of date.” ¹ However, avoiding a scholarly discussion on those difficult passages is not a solution because many radical Muslims have used them to justify their violent actions. Unless we address these violent passages of our scriptural traditions head-on, the world will continue to be locked in an endless cycle of misunderstanding, hatred, prejudice, and violence.