“The Jews and Christians Will Not Be Pleased with You” Is Not a Call to Hostility
Source note: This page summarizes an explanatory audiovisual piece. References to books provide nearby context and are not verbatim evidence; for precise citation, consult the episode and the original book.
Formulation of the claim
Shahrur rejects understanding the verse as a command for permanent hostility toward Jews and Christians. He sees the approval mentioned in the verse as a specific psychological/religious stance tied to following a creed, with no relation to civil or legal relations.
Explanation
He emphasizes that the verse does not justify a hostile stance toward a different other. He says that dealings in civil society are based on law and the fulfillment of rights, not on mutual religious approval. He also distinguishes between their religious stance toward you and your civil relationship with them.
Its place in the episode’s argument
This claim atom is a direct response to extremist readings of the verse. It serves the episode’s aim of protecting pluralism within civil society.
Scope of the claim
It does not deny the existence of a real religious difference, but it denies that this difference should become a social hostility.
Brief quotation
“This verse is not a justification for me to take a stance … of hostility.” “Your reckoning is under the law.”
Related links
- Shahrur - Civil State
- Shahrur - Freedom
- Book: The State and Society