Islam and Crime: The Moral Community of Muslims

Seyed Hossein Serajzadeh

doi:10.5617/jais.4568

Abstract

International crime statistics indicate that in Islamic countries crime rates are lower than in other countries. This feature of Islamic countries is most often explained by two factors: a) the relatively low level of development, which has a positive effect on crime rates, and b) the strictness of Islamic penal law. Providing some evidence, this article maintains that the first factor fails to explain properly the difference in the crime rates of Islamic and non-Islamic countries at a similar level of development. It also argues that the second explanation is a reductionist one. Following a Weberian approach, the article develops the argument that the content and structure of Islamic belief and practice is the dominant shared element among Islamic countries. It has given rise to a particular socio-cultural structure among Muslims, one of the impacts of which has been the low crime rate. Islamic beliefs and practice, therefore, are discussed as the main explanatory factor for the low crime rate in Islamic countries. (Keywords: religion, crime, development, Islam, Shari’a, Islamic law, Muslim attitudes.)

Highlights

Islam is seen by many scholars as a religion that consists of a set of political, economic, legal, and social doctrines that affect every facet of the social life of believers (Kurtz 1995, 106, 135; Groves et al 1987, 497; Schacht [1964] 1982; Turner 1974, 112; Robertson 1970, 86; Watt, 1961)
Following Stark et al (1982), it may be argued that Islam develops a strong sense of moral community, where religion is an influential social force generating social sanctions (Groves et al 1987, 497), and that this contributes to a low crime rate
The development in Islam of the set of religious and moral precepts collectively known as Sharīôa that cover almost all aspects of life is a result of this fact

Summary

Introduction

Islam is seen by many scholars as a religion that consists of a set of political, economic, legal, and social doctrines that affect every facet of the social life of believers (Kurtz 1995, 106, 135; Groves et al 1987, 497; Schacht [1964] 1982; Turner 1974, 112; Robertson 1970, 86; Watt, 1961). Following Stark et al (1982), it may be argued that Islam develops a strong sense of moral community, where religion is an influential social force generating social sanctions (Groves et al 1987, 497), and that this contributes to a low crime rate. It has been suggested that the severity of punishments in Islamic penal law accounts for the low crime rate in Islamic countries (Saudi Arabia, Ministry of Interior, 1980; Haroon 1993, 83; Mohammad 1991; Souryal 1990). The examination of these arguments is the concern of the present writer. Later reports suggest that almost the same pattern still exists (United Nations 1993; Fajnzylber et al 1998, 13).

There has been great concern among some scholars about the reliability of

11 Some instances of this tendency are as follows

Muslim Attitudes towards Crime

Findings

Conclusion