Principles

for Civic Engagement & Political Participation

by Dr. Hatem Bazian University of California, by Hannah L. Pepperidge
Graduate Theological Union (Berkeley, CA)
Berkeley and Zaytuna College, Berkeley, CA
All scriptures are from the New Revised Standard Version
(NRSV) of the Bible unless marked otherwise.

Islam Christianity
Justice A commitment to universal and indivisible
justice He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and
what does the Lord require of you but to do
O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, justice, and to love kindness, and to walk
as witnesses to Allah, even as against humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)
yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and
whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah Did not your father eat and drink and do
can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of justice and righteousness? Then it was well with
your hearts) lest ye swerve and if ye distort him. He judged the cause of the poor and needy;
(justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is then it was well. Is not this to know me? says
well-acquainted with all that ye do. (Quran 4: the Lord.
135) (Jeremiah 23:15b-16)

Dignity All humans are endowed with divine dignity
For it was you [God] who formed my inward
We have ennobled the children of Adam and parts; you knit me together in my mothers
carried them by land and sea; We have provided womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and
good sustenance for them and favored them wonderfully made.
specially above many of those We have (Attributed to King David, Psalm 139:13-14a)
created. (Quran 17:70)
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not
one of them will fall to the ground apart from
your Father. And even the hairs of your head
are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of
more value than many sparrows. (Attributed to
Jesus, Matthew 10:29-31)

Equality Equality of all human beings (Women and
Men) There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no
longer slave or free, there is no longer male and
"And mankind is naught but a single nation." female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
(Quran 2:213) (Attributed to St. Paul, Galatians 3:28)

People, be mindful of your Lord, who created For [Christ] is our peace; in his flesh he has
you from a single soul, and from it created its made both groups* into one and has broken
mate, and from the pair of them spread down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility
countless men and women far and wide; be between us.
mindful of God, in whose name you make (Attributed to St. Paul, Ephesians 2:14)
requests of one another. Beware of severing the
ties of kinship: God is always watching over * both groups: in this context, Jews and Greeks; by
you. (Quran 4:1) extension, other groups of differing races, religious
backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses

Life is sacred All life is sacred So God created humankind in his image, in the
image of God he created them; male and female
...if anyone kills a person unless in he created them. (Gen. 1:27)
retribution for murder or spreading corruption
in the land it is as if he kills all mankind, while Thou shalt not murder*. (from the Ten
if anyone saves a life it is as if he saves the lives Commandments, Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy
of all mankind... (Quran 5:32) 5:17) *NRSV footnote: or kill

Freedom Freedom is the Primordial human state

Whosoever will, let him believe, and For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm,
whosoever will, let him therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of
disbelieve. (Qur'an 18:29). slavery. (Attributed to St. Paul, Galatians 5:13)

And if thy Lord had willed, He verily would Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit
have made mankind one nation, yet they cease of the Lord is, there is freedom. (Attributed to
not differing; Save him on whom thy Lord hath St. Paul, 2 Corinthians 3:17)
mercy; and for that He did create them.
(Qur'an 11:118-119)

Custodianship Custodianship of the world means protecting The Lord God took the man and put him in the
the environment, reducing our carbon garden of Eden to till (abad) it and keep
footprint, treading lightly on earth and (shamar) it. (Genesis 2:15)
changing our consumptive ways.
abad: to work, serve;
And there is no creature on [or within] the Original Word:
earth or bird that flies with its wings except
[that they are] communities like you. We have shamar: to keep, watch, preserve;
not neglected in the Register a thing. Then unto Original Word:
their Lord they will be gathered. (Quran 6:38) (Hebrew: Strongs Concordance via Biblehub.com)

The seven heavens and the earth and whatever The urgent challenge to protect our common
is in them exalt Him. And there is not a thing home includes a concern to bring the whole
except that it exalts [Allah] by His praise, but human family together to seek a sustainable
you do not understand their [way of] exalting. and integral development, for we know that
Indeed, He is ever Forbearing and Forgiving. things can change. Pope Francis, Laudato Si
(Quran 17:44) (On Care for Our Common Home), 13.

Economic Economic fairness, equality and trade based on You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or
contentment not capitalism gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you
equity shall leave them for the poor and the alien
"And in their wealth there is acknowledged right [immigrant]: I am the LORD your God.
for the needy and the destitute." (Leviticus 19:10)
(Quran 51:19)
[T]here is great gain in godliness combined
...so that (the wealth) may not become a with contentment; for we brought nothing into
monopoly of the rich among you. the world, so that we can take nothing out of
(Quran 59:7) it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be
content with these. But those who want to be
rich fall into temptation and are trapped by
many senseless and harmful desires that plunge
people into ruin and destruction. For the love of
money is a root of all kinds of evil (Attributed
to St. Paul, I Timothy 6:6-10a)
Oppression is And what is wrong with you that you struggle When the Egyptians treated us harshly and
not in the cause of God, and for those weak, ill afflicted us, by imposing hard labor on us, we
not divine treated, and oppressed among men, women, cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors;
and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us
from this town, whose people are oppressors;
the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction,
our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought
and raise for us from you one who will protect; us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an
and raise for us from you one who will help! outstretched arm (Attributed to Moses,
(Quran 4:75) Deuteronomy 26:6-8a)

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek;
Upon him) is reported to have said: People, you will strengthen their heart, you will incline
beware of injustice, for injustice shall be your ear to do justice for the orphan and the
darkness on the Day of Judgment. (Hadith in oppressed, so that those from earth may strike
Sahih Muslim) terror no more. (Attributed to King David,
Psalm 10:17-18)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings
Upon him) is reported to have said: There (is I act with steadfast love, justice, and
no reason to) harm or reciprocate harm. (Hadith righteousness in the earth, for in these things I
in Sunan Ibn Maajah) delight, says the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:24b)

Structural Prisons, torture and injustice systems are the Now the earth was corrupt in Gods sight, and
antithesis to Divine purpose for human beings the earth was filled with violence. (Genesis 6:11)
oppression and must be opposed.
Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity
And cause not corruption upon the earth after (Proverbs 22:8a)
its reformation. And invoke Him in fear and
aspiration. Indeed, the mercy of Allah is near to Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the
the doers of good. (Quran 7:56) bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the
yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break
O My slaves, I have forbidden injustice for every yoke? (Isaiah 58:6)
Myself and forbade it also for you. So avoid
being unjust to one another. (Hadith Qudsi in I have given you as a covenant to the people, a
Sahih Muslim) light to the nations, to open the eyes that are
blind, to bring out the prisoners from the
The second Caliph of Islam, Omar Ibn Al Khattab dungeon, from the prison those who sit in
is reported to have said, A person would not be darkness. (Isaiah 42:6b-7)
held responsible for his confession, if you
inflicted pain upon him or scared him or Remember those who are in prison, as though
imprisoned him [to obtain the confession]. you were in prison with them; those who are
(Reported by al-the Hanafi jurist al-Qadi Abu being tortured, as though you yourselves were
Yusuf in the book Al Kharaj) being tortured. (Hebrews 13:3)
..
Opposition to all forms of tribalism, racism, There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no
sexism, Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, longer slave or free, there is no longer male and
ethnocentrism, xenophobia, & anti-immigrant female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
campaigns is the Prophetic calling (St. Paul, Galatians 3:28)

It is not righteousness that you turn your faces Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true
toward the east and the west, but righteous are judgments, show kindness and mercy to one
those who believe in Allah and the Last Day and another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan,
the angels and the Book and the Prophets, and the alien [ed. note: immigrant], or the poor; and
give away wealth, out of love for Him, to the do not devise evil in your hearts against one
kinfolk and the orphans and the needy and the another. (Zechariah 7:9-10)
wayfarer and the beggars and for (the
emancipation of) the slaves, and keep up Prayer After this I looked, and there was a great
and pay the poor rate, and the performers of multitude that no one could count, from every
their promise when they make a promise, and nation, from all tribes and peoples and
the patient in distress and affliction and in time languages, standing before the throne [of God]
of conflicts. Such are they who are true (to and before the Lamb [ed. note: symbol of Christ],
 themselves), and such are they who guard robed in white [ed. note: symbol of triumph], with
(against evil). (Quran 2:177) palm branches in their hands [ed. note: symbol of
joy]. (Attributed to St. John the Apostle,
Behold, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land, Revelation 7:9)
and divided its people into castes. One group of
them he deemed utterly low; he would slaughter I truly understand that God shows no
their sons and spare [only] their women, for partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears
behold, he was one of those who spread him and does what is right is acceptable to
malevolence [on earth]. (Quran 28:4) him. (Attributed to St. Peter, Acts 10:34-35)

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings Gods word in Genesis announces that all men
upon him) is reported to have said: Let people and women are created in Gods image; not just
stop boasting about their ancestors. One is only some races and racial types, but all bear the
a pious believer or a miserable sinner. All men imprint of the Creator and are enlivened by the
are sons of Adam, and Adam came from dust. breath of His one Spirit (U.S. Bishops Pastoral
(Hadith in Sunan Abi Dawud, al-Tirmidhi) Letter on Racism in Our Day, p. 7).

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings [T]he Spirit develops his gifts in all individuals
upon him) is reported to have said: Whoever and peoples, guiding the Church to receive
has pride in his heart equal to the weight of an them through dialogue. Every form of the
atom shall not enter Paradise. A man inquired Spirit's presence is to be welcomed with respect
about a person who likes to wear beautiful and gratitude
clothes and fine shoes, and he answered: God is Each member of the faithful and all Christian
beautiful and likes beauty. Then he explained communities are called to practice
pride means rejecting the truth because of self- [interreligious] dialogue (St. Pope John Paul
esteem and looking down on other people. II, Redemptoris Missio [1990], 29, 57).
(Hadith in Sahih Muslim)
Mercy Mercy is the foundation and the cover under Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
which all humans should operate. Perfection (Attributed to Jesus, Luke 6:36)
only belongs to God and manifesting mercy
between each other is the highest calling. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive
mercy. (Attributed to Jesus, Matthew 5:7)