“我相信，从长远来看，多元世俗主义是一种比公开迫害更致命的毒药。”——弗朗西斯·席勒 英国前外交大臣杰克·斯特劳再度引发争议，他提出穆斯林妇女应当摘下面纱。此前，斯特劳在授权对伊拉克开战、并否认英国外交政策与本土恐怖主义之间存在关联时，曾在穆斯林和非穆斯林之中引起极大的哗然。但斯特劳并非唯一贬低英国穆斯林社群伊斯兰特性的部长。社区事务大臣露丝·凯利曾呼吁就多元文化主义的优劣展开“一场崭新而坦诚的辩论”。

“I believe that pluralistic secularism, in the long run, is a more deadly poison than straightforward persecution” -- Francis Schaeffer ormer British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw again courted controversy by suggesting that Muslim women should remove the veil. Previously, Straw caused immense hue and cry amongst Muslims and non-Muslims alike, when he authorised the war against Iraq, and denied any link between Britain's foreign policy and home grown terror. But Straw is not the only minister who is denigrating the Islamic character of the Muslim community in Britain. Ruth Kelly, the Communities Secretary, called for a "new and honest debate" ion the merits of multiculturalism.

英国内政大臣约翰·里德表示，穆斯林父母应当监视自己的子女。显然，英国政府已经发动了一场“十字军东征”，为了在最后关头维护世俗化的英国，它正在践踏自己珍视的多元主义和宗教自由原则。

Home Secretary John Reid said that Muslims parents should spy on their children. It is obvious that the British government has embarked on a crusade to trounce its cherished principles of pluralism, and freedom of religion in a last ditch attempt to preserve secular Britain.

自9月11日以来,西方以反恐战争为借口,采取了一系列专门针对西方穆斯林的措施。这些措施包括任意逮捕、肉体酷刑、未经审判的监禁、对清真寺的监控、对伊玛目的钳制,以及在警方羁押中的死亡事件。一些穆斯林甚至被迫成为线人。穆斯林还目睹了西方媒体对伊斯兰教无休止的诋毁。

Since September 11, under the pretext of the war on terror, the West has undertaken a host of measures specifically aimed at Muslims living in the West. These measures include arbitrary arrests, physical torture, imprisonment without trial, surveillance of mosques, muzzling of Imams, and deaths in police custody. Some have even been forced to become spies. Muslims have also witnessed the endless vilification of Islam by the western media.

这一切在穆斯林心中留下了难以磨灭的印象：西方的世俗民主制度无法保障穆斯林享有实践其宗教信仰所需的和平与安全。

All this has left an indelible impression on Muslim minds that secular democracies in the West are incapable of guaranteeing Muslims the peace and security to practice their religion.

穆斯林生活在西方支持的世俗独裁政权之下，处境要糟糕得多。在乌兹别克斯坦等国，蓄须或去清真寺过于频繁的穆斯林男性时常被逮捕。在土耳其，选择接受大学教育的穆斯林女性被迫放弃头巾。

The plight of Muslims living under secular dictatorships supported by the West is much worse. In countries like Uzbekistan, Muslim males are routinely arrested for having a beard or visiting the Mosques too often. In Turkey, Muslim women who opt for university education are forced to abandon their hijab.

但最严厉的惩罚却留给那些试图批评这些专制政权的人；监禁、酷刑和法外处决在这类国家屡见不鲜。因此，我们也会发现，生活在穆斯林世界的穆斯林深信世俗主义存在缺陷，不适合统治他们。

But the fiercest punishment is reserved for those who seek to criticize these tyrannical regimes; imprisonment, torture and extra-judicial killings can routinely be found in such countries. So we also find Muslims living in the Muslim world convinced that secularism is flawed and unfit to govern them.

即使是生活在世俗主义之下的非穆斯林，也会觉得自己的宗教处于脆弱之中。许多西方基督徒把同性恋主教、女性神父、非婚生子女以及圣诞节的商业化，视为世俗原教旨主义者的恶意企图，意在颠覆基督教价值观，并以世俗价值取而代之。

Even non-Muslims living under secularism feel that their religion is vulnerable. Many Christians in the West view gay bishops, women priests, illegitimate children, and the commercialization of Christmas as malicious attempts by secular fundamentalist to subvert Christian values, replacing them with secular ones.

同样，世俗主义也未能保护北爱尔兰的基督教各教派，也未能保障生活在巴勒斯坦的犹太人、基督徒和穆斯林的生命安全。印度是世界上最大的世俗国家，却屡屡发生宗教暴力事件，印度教徒、基督徒、穆斯林和锡克教徒都成为世俗主义之下的受害者。因此，正如穆斯林一样，非穆斯林也在寻求一种能够让他们和平地践行自身宗教的替代制度。

Likewise, secularism has failed to protect the Christian sects in Northern Ireland and safeguard the lives of Jewish, Christian and Muslim people living in Palestine. India, the largest secular state in the world, is prone to religious violence where Hindus, Christians, Muslims and Sikhs are all victims of secularism. So, just like Muslims, non-Muslims are also looking for an alternative system that can provide them with an opportunity to practice their religion in peace.

伊斯兰是世界上唯一一种能让不同信仰的人们进行崇拜、履行宗教义务，而不会遭受报复或感到不安全的意识形态。在实践中，这是由哈里发国家来保障的。过去，哈里发保护非穆斯林和穆斯林的权利，对两者一视同仁。以巴勒斯坦为例：在哈里发统治之下，穆斯林、犹太人和基督徒和睦相处，这在人类历史上是无与伦比的成就。

Islam is the sole ideology in the world where people of different faiths can worship and perform their religious duties without experiencing reprisals or insecurity. In practice this is secured by the Caliphate state. In the past the Caliph safeguarded the rights of non-Muslims and Muslims alike, without discriminating between them. Take the case of Palestine: under the rule of the Caliphate, Muslims, Jews and Christians lived in harmony, a feat unrivalled in the history of mankind.

通过推进对穆斯林、基督徒和犹太人的强制世俗化，西方政府有疏远他们的风险。西方应当重新审视其强制同化的政策，并批判性地探讨我们这个时代的更广泛问题：世俗主义是否真的能够保障不同信仰之人的权利。

By pressing ahead with the forced secularization of Muslims, Christian and Jews, western governments run the risk of alienating them. Instead, the West should re-evaluate its policy of coercive assimilation and critically address the broader question of our time - as to whether secularism can really guarantee the rights of people belonging to different faiths.

2006年10月7日

October 7, 2006