Secularism and Islam are opposites that do not meet
News:
Urgent | Religious figures: Broad participation in the electoral process represents a message of awareness and responsibility!! (Iraqi News Agency (INA), Tuesday, October 7, 2025)
Comment:
Secularism, which governs the country, separates religion from the state, so what does that mean?
Separating religion from life is neutralizing religion from taking care of the internal and external affairs of the country, and this is the nature of secular thought, and there is no dispute about its reality, as they do not mind declaring it.
The roots of secularism go back to ancient Greek philosophy, to Greek philosophers such as Epicurus (311 BC - 270 BC), but it emerged with its modern concept during the European Enlightenment era starting in 1685 AD; because of the Thirty Years' War (1618 AD - 1648 AD) between Catholics and Protestants, which led to the death of 8 million people, which is approximately a quarter or a third of the population of Europe at the time, which made some thinkers look for a way to get rid of religious and sectarian conflicts and wars by the state's neutrality towards religion, and separating political power from religious institutions, and it was founded by a number of thinkers of the Enlightenment era, such as John Locke, Denis Diderot, Voltaire, Baruch Spinoza, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and Thomas Paine.
The strange thing is that some of those who are called religious scholars and belong to the religious establishment believe that the religious and national duty requires people to participate in nominating representatives in the legislative institution, which is Parliament.
So how does it agree that the doctrine on which secularism was built, which is the separation of religion from the state, uses religion to convince people to participate in what separates their religion from controlling or influencing parliamentary legislation?!
Islam and secularism are opposites that do not agree, so how does secularism seek to use those whom it rejects and rejects their faith, if it were not for its shortcomings in convincing Muslims that it is good for them?! Therefore, it is a great crime and a clear legal violation by some of those who belong to Islam, and it is a shame and blatant deception on secularism and its men and institutions to use the feelings of Muslims to urge them to participate under the name of awareness and interest!
Islam is a religion and from it the state, and it is an integrated approach to caring for people's affairs, and the fate of whoever takes something from it and leaves another is disgrace in this world and torment in the hereafter. God Almighty said: ﴿Do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? Then what is the recompense for those who do that among you except disgrace in worldly life; and on the Day of Resurrection they will be sent back to the severest of punishment. And Allah is not unaware of what you do.﴾.
Tampering with the details of the true Islam is a great crime borne by those who take the lead in issuing fatwas. God Almighty said: ﴿Indeed, those who conceal what Allah has sent down of the Book and exchange it for a small price - those consume not into their bellies except fire. And Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them. And they will have a painful punishment.﴾.
Written for the Central Media Office Radio of Hizb ut-Tahrir
Wael Al-Sultan - Wilayah of Iraq