Cultural Muslim
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Generally,a Muslim is defined by faith in the religion of Islam; however, in the modern world there are religiously unobservant, agnostic or atheist individuals who still identify with the Muslim culture due to family background or personal experiences. This group is best described as cultural Muslims, since they are identified by association with a Muslim community rather than Islamic faith or rituals. Malise Ruthven discusses the term in Islam: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2000) as follows:
There is, however, a secondary meaning to 'Muslim' which may shade into the first. A Muslim is one born to a Muslim father who takes on his or her parents' confessional identity without necessarily subscribing to the beliefs and practices associated with the faith, just as a Jew may describe him- or herself as 'Jewish' without observing the Halacha. In non-Muslim societies, such Muslims may subscribe to, and be vested with, secular identities. The Muslims of Bosnia, descendants of Slavs who converted to Islam under Ottoman rule, are not always noted for attendance at prayer, abstention from alcohol, seclusion of women and other social practices associated with believing Muslims in other parts of the world. They were officially designated as Muslims to distinguish them from (Orthodox) Slavs and (Catholic) Croats under the former Yugoslavian communist regime. The label 'Muslim' indicates their ethnicity and group allegiance, but not necessarily their religious beliefs. In this limited context (which may apply to other Muslim minorities in Europe and Asia), there may be no contradiction between being Muslim and being atheist or agnostic, just as there are Jewish atheists and Jewish agnostics... It should be noted, however, that this secular definition of Muslim (sometimes the terms 'cultural Muslim' or 'nominal Muslim' are used) is very far from being uncontested.
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[edit] Muslim culture as opposed to religion
Religious Muslims believe and practice Islam to varying degrees. Cultural Muslims are likely to retain some practices for social and cultural rather than religious reasons. Some aspects of retained Muslim culture are described below.
Names The most basic example of this is a person's name. Many Arabic, Persian and Turkish names are now commonly regarded as being "Muslim". Many people of these ethnic groups carry these names by virtue of descent, regardless of their personal beliefs.
Holidays and festivals Cultural Muslims often celebrate the Muslim festivals of Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha. However, their celebrations are likely to be more in the nature of social gatherings rather than religious ones. Religious Muslims would generally consider the morning salat or ritual prayer to be central to Eid; however, cultural Muslims may focus on the opportunity to meet and feast with friends and family later in the day. Many Turks for instance, celebrate Bayram (a Muslim festival) by drinking Raki, a strongly alcoholic drink even though consumption of alcohol is believed to be prohibited by Islam. Though the more literal and exact interpretation of the Koran might in fact might legitamize this more liberal view of Islam, ironically.
Public ceremonies Often out of family pressures, cultural Muslims often adhere to traditionally Muslim forms of marriage and funerals. For religious Muslims, the form of these is dictated by religious traditions which have to be strictly adhered to. For cultural Muslims, these formalities no longer have religious significance but may be retained out of deference to custom.
[edit] Disputes
Religious Muslims are often opposed to the use of the term cultural Muslim, as their definition of Muslim is fundamentally a religious one; thus the terms Muslim culture and cultural Muslim are equally meaningless to them.
[edit] Case in Turkey
Officially, about 99% of the population in Turkey is said to be Muslim. However the criteria used to make such a judgement is fairly different from the perception that exists in the Western world. The religion of Islam has created a culture that is shared by all people in Turkey, no matter what their personal theological beliefs are. For instance, "Selamin Aleyküm" is a common phrase used to greet people. This phrase has roots in Islam. However, Christians and Jews of Turkey would accept it, as it is engrained in the common Turkish culture. It is no surprise that people would try to share common beliefs if there is no eminent reason to reject them. A born Muslim would consider himself or herself as Muslim even he or she does not practice any actions of religion. In the end, the proportion of the population in Turkey that practice the religion as a part of their beliefs is considerably lower than the officially-stated figure. Many either do not practice at all(although they count themselves as "Muslim") or merely engage certain activities out of cultural, not religious motives.
[edit] References
Islam: A Very Short Introduction, by Malise Ruthven, Oxford University Press, 2000.
