Semantics in Islam

Today, the city of Lahore hosted a marathon for local and international contestants for the second year. The event got propelled into the international news again for groups protesting the inclusion of women, ostensibly for the mixed-sex race and attire of women racers in public - but few outside the MMA seem to be actually speaking out.


I was happy to hear of the event in Pakistan as a physical marvel. However, a protest Friday over the un-Islamic event held a dark cloud over these prospects. I am glad today to report that the marathon came off without incident. I don't wish to view this event as a triumph of western values or defeat to eastern ones; there is no real conflict between Islam and the west. The following writing focuses on how Muslim concerns, on the other hand, can produce conflict that is not inherent to this religion.


Let's clarify the words "Muslim" versus "Islamic."

There is a lot of talking about Islam, but people are ignoring important differences between the religion (Islam) and the people (Muslims). As a result, the general public is confusing the actions of people with the tenets of religion.

I am going to keep it simple since many people know more about Islam and Muslims than myself.

Suffice it to say that both are adjectives, and most people mean to use the word Muslim rather than Islamic. Why? Muslim describes the actions of people, typically of the Islamic faith, who also typically are not perfect. We are tempted by lust, we are ignorant of overall divine intentions, we take extreme stances on issues; we are not pure. Islamic describes only a few things designated as pure, for example the Qur'an and teachings of traditional Islamic education (i.e. chain of transmission).

As I write, I recognize the difficulty of the topic. An old post of mine, from a workshop of Dr. Shafi on Universality and Diversity, basically asserted that "Islamic" must describe universal principles but "Muslim" describes the diverse representations of Islam in our world.

The Qur'an says that all individuals should be modest. I would describe dressing modesty as an Islamic tenet (hijab). I would describe the diverse representations of modesty in women around the world (i.e. hijab, salwar kameez, burqa, niqab, chador, etc.) as Muslim principles that vary with geograpic regions and customs.


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If you want to make links between Islam-Judaism-Christianity, compare hijab to tzeniut to habits. Check out the pictures after you've taken a guess at the woman's religion. [Modest Clothing Directory for all three religions]

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You are What You Wear (tznuit)