c. 2007 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) When the Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America convenes its annual convention later this year, the few dozen Islamic scholars will try to hammer out an answer to a question vexing the North American Muslim community:

How do Muslims reconcile the mandates of their faith with jobs that may require actions prohibited by Islamic law?

It’s a question that surfaced recently in Minneapolis, where Muslim cashiers at a Target store refused to scan pork products and taxi drivers refused to pick up airport passengers carrying alcohol. Muslim American leaders say they have been fielding a growing number of questions from congregants about such issues.

Beyond the practical concerns about handling forbidden products, the larger issue facing American Muslims is how far they can _ or should _ go toward integrating themselves into American society in ways that respect their faith but do not stymie efforts to win acceptance.

“We’re trying to respond to the needs of the community, and this is one of the most pressing issues we have,” said Dr. Main Qudah, a professor at the Islamic American University in Southfield, Mich., and a member of the Assembly’s fatwa (religious edict) committee.

The Minneapolis incidents provoked anger from critics who said Muslims are out-of-step with American values. Asked one post at LittleGreenFootballs.com, a conservative Web site, “Does anyone else just want these people to choke to death, crushed and smothered in a vat of pork?” The Target cashiers were assigned to other parts of the store where they wouldn’t have to handle pork.

The incidents also caused some Muslims to confront a holier-than-thou debate within the faith: Are stricter, more observant Muslims better Muslims, and does it hurt the larger community when the pious attract negative attention?

Hossam Aljabri, an imam at the Islamic Center of Boston, said that while he welcomed Target’s decision to reassign the cashiers as a sign of accommodation, he believes Muslims must understand they also have responsibility as a minority to accommodate.

“A Muslim who feels uncomfortable about being around alcohol has the right to feel that way. But if that’s the case, one shouldn’t accept a job that puts them in that position. You can’t work in a bar and say you don’t serve alcohol,” said Aljabri, who is also president of the Boston chapter of the Muslim American Society.

To be sure, Muslims are not the first religious group to wrestle with the demands of acceptance and accommodation:

_ In Israel, ultra-Orthodox Jews, who believe driving on the Sabbath violates prohibitions against “lighting fires” and work, have been known to throw stones at automobiles that travel through their neighborhoods on the Sabbath.

_ In 2005, several American pharmacists stirred the abortion debate when, citing their Christian beliefs, they refused to fill birth control prescriptions. In response, lawmakers on Capitol Hill have introduced bills that would require pharmacists to fill birth control prescriptions in all cases.

_ In the wake of a 2004 state law that mandates photos on drivers licences, some conservative Missouri Mennonites _ who have a prohibition on “graven images” _ left for Arkansas, which is one of a handful of states that permit drivers with religious objections to have photo-less licenses.

Muslim Americans have found theological solutions to deal with life in modern-day America, such as interest on loans, which is prohibited in Islam. In 2000, a council of Muslim scholars from North America and Europe issued a fatwa that said Muslims living in the West could buy houses with mortgages. Although the move technically contradicted Islamic teachings against charging and paying interest, the scholars argued that such permission was necessary for Muslims to meet their financial and social needs in the West.

The Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America disagrees with the decision on mortgages, Qudah said, but respects it.

“It’s in our favor to have two different opinions, one liberal the other conservative, and (let) the Muslim community choose whichever they prefer. At the same time, we strongly believe our fatwa is the most correct one,” said Qudah.

And despite the Quran’s prohibition on interest, Qudah says Muslim merchants can accept credit cards for payment.

“Dealing with a credit card is not like taking a passenger who’s holding wine. It’s different,” said Qudah. “To get your money via credit as a Muslim merchant is not prohibited.”

But some Muslims see inconsistencies in permitting credit cards on the one hand but prohibiting the handling of pork and alcohol on the other.

“Why only worry about pork rather than all the other rules?” asked Razi Rashid, a 26-year-old Muslim who lives in Chicago. “Surely there must be something in the deen (religion) about fulfilling one’s responsibilities and meeting one’s contractual obligations.”

For his part, Qudah believes the cab drivers have the right to refuse passengers with alcohol.

“They have the right to adhere to their religion” said Qudah. “Whenever it comes to any kind of contradiction between citizenship and Islamic principles, they should adhere to their religion and not violate it.”

KRE/LF END SACIRBEY

Editors: To obtain an illustration to accompany this story, go to the RNS Web site at https://religionnews.com. On the lower right, click on “photos,” then search by subject or slug.