Islam Rediscovered
21. Islam in History
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the day all over the world. To the political rulers of
that epoch, dissent of any kind, particularly
religious free thinking, was anathema, because they
saw it as a threat to their power. Therefore, to
achieve political consolidation, the monarchs of
those days adopted the principle of ideological
coercion. Religious persecution thus became a
weapon in the hands of the despots, so that no new
ideology could be allowed to develop. Strong
exception was taken to the growth of any other
religion save that approved by the state. The
independent thinking so essential for intellectual
progress, was thus cruelly suppressed, and that was
why, during the long periods of monarchical rule,
neither could the sciences flourish, nor could
individuals opt for the religion of their choice.
Anyone who had the audacity to make an issue of
this was likely to face summary execution.
The Qur’an refers thus to the religious oppression
of ancient times:
Cursed be the people of the trench, who
lighted the consuming fire and who sat
around it watching the believers whom they
