Preface by Farhad Qarar on the Criminalisation of Islamic Theology, Using the Statements of Dr. Guido Steinberg as an Example

Summary of the Text

Farhad Qarar addresses in this preface the increasing problem that Islamic-theological content in the German-speaking region is no longer discussed only academically or within religion, but is in some cases being criminalised. The author makes clear that the underlying book is a theological treatise on central questions of faith in Islam and does not aim to deny people faith in a blanket manner or to legitimise violence against them.

At the centre of the preface is the criticism of an erroneous public and legal interpretation of Islamic theology. In particular, the assumption is criticised that theological engagement with the boundaries of Islamic faith or with terms such as takfir automatically means “excommunicating” other people or even legitimising their killing. Qarar describes this conclusion as factually false and theologically untenable.

A central section is directed against statements by Dr. Guido Steinberg. F. Qarar accuses Steinberg of using Islamic-theological terms imprecisely and thereby producing serious false conclusions. In particular, he criticises the equation of takfir with ecclesiastical “excommunication” and the further conclusion that a legitimisation of killing follows from it. Qarar explains here that takfir initially means considering someone, from a theological perspective, to be a non-Muslim. However, this is not automatically a socially or legally binding judgement and certainly not a call to violence.

Qarar emphasises in the preface that Islamic law recognises numerous forms of peaceful and regulated coexistence between Muslims and non-Muslims. Among other things, agreements between Muslim and non-Muslim societies, the protection of non-Muslim citizens within an Islamic society, and the duty of Muslims living in a non-Muslim society not to violate existing rights and contracts are mentioned. From this, the author concludes that the idea that every non-Muslim is automatically a legitimate target of attack from an Islamic perspective is fundamentally false.

Another point concerns the Islamic legal term munafiqin, that is, the hypocrites. The author explains that in the Islamic tradition there can be personal theological assessments of the state of faith of other persons without social, legal, or violence-related consequences automatically following from this. Qarar states here that this very distinction is often not understood by external expert witnesses.

The preface also points out that the discussion about the boundaries of religious belonging is not specifically Islamic. It notes that other religions also have boundaries of faith, confessional questions, and theological distinctions. Qarar argues that a religion without substantive definition and without recognisable boundaries can hardly be meaningfully understood. It is therefore legitimate for Muslims to discuss foundations of faith, monotheism, and religious belonging within Islam.

Qarar states here, however, that precisely this intra-Islamic debate is increasingly being placed under suspicion. He describes an interpretive pattern he criticises: whoever speaks about takfir is quickly portrayed as if he excludes others from the community, demands this view from all others, and finally legitimises violence. Farhad Qarar considers this chain to be a gross abbreviation and a factually false line of thought.

The author distances himself particularly clearly from two accusations by Guido Steinberg: first, he disputes that he wants, through theological treatises, to create an exclusive religious elite or to devalue other people in a blanket manner. Second, he rejects Steinberg’s accusation that engagement with the boundaries of Islamic faith serves the legitimisation of violence, murder, or genocide. The preface expressly makes clear that such exaggerations in the area of takfir are not to be promoted.

At the same time, the author emphasises that the Islamic confession of faith cannot be reduced to a mere lip service. The theological question of which convictions are compatible with Islamic monotheism and which are not is therefore legitimate and necessary within Islamic theology. The text, however, is not to be understood as an instruction for judging individual persons, societies, or concrete individual cases.

In summary, the preface understands itself as a defence of intra-Islamic theological discussion against a politicised and legally problematic criminalisation. It is directed particularly against the portrayal that theological terms such as takfir, monotheism, or boundaries of faith are automatically indications of extremism, willingness to use violence, or terrorist intentions. Farhad Qarar therefore calls for such content first to be treated as theological questions and not prematurely shifted into a criminal-law context through political-scientific or security-authority interpretations.

This is an English translation of the German summary.
[Read the German version]