justice, but also many differences. To begin with,
thepremisesof justice in the two faiths are different, and thus
the practical implicationsare often dramatically different.
The Islamic view of justice is based on Islamic
theology, which regulates all aspects of life and codifies
some laws that are unjust according to Catholic view of
justice. For example, the testimony of a nonMuslim is not
valued as highly as that of a Muslim, and a woman’s
testimony is devalued and inadmissible in certain cases.
Draconian penalties, including stoning for adultery and
amputation for theft, very much abound in Islam.
The Catholic view of justice, on the other hand, is
rooted in the natural law. It is an expression of the God
given rights inherent in all human beings, regardless of
nationality, religion, race, or gender. For a Catholic, justice
means simply ‘‘to give another his due,’’ that is, to
recognize that the other person is endowed with the same
natural rights and treat him or her accordingly (see CCC
1928). As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states,
‘‘Respect for the human person entails respect for the rights
that flow from his dignity as a creature’’ (CCC 1930).
The core of these differences is the fact that Islam has
never been eager to grant unbelievers, the ‘‘vilest of
creatures’’ (Sura 98:6) — status equal to that of Muslims.
Islam’s radically different view of justice and human rights
may also explain why many Muslim countries are
noticeably under developed in comparison with the
West.[45] There are some exceptions to this (most notably,