Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Rawbone, and I'd like to welcome you to today's RE lesson on Muslim attitudes towards crime.

I'm really pleased to be working with you today.

In today's lesson, you will be able to describe types and causes of crime, explain the role of intention, and explain Muslim teachings about crime and its causes.

Three keywords we'll be using today are cause, crime, and intention.

A cause is something that makes something else happen or explains why it happens.

A crime is an illegal act which can be punished, and intention is a plan or aim in a person's mind about what they want to do.

Today's lesson will take two parts.

We'll be looking at crime and at responses to crime.

So let's get started looking at crime.

A crime is an action which breaks the law.

There are three main types of crime according to how the law categorises who or what is harmed.

We have crimes against the person, property, and the state.

Crimes against the person are offences that cause physical, emotional, or psychological harm, or threats of harm.

Crimes against property are crimes that involve interference with another person's possessions or financial interests.

Crimes against the state are crimes that threaten national security, government authority, or public peace and order.

Examples of crimes against the person would be murder, manslaughter, assault, attempted bodily harm, grievous bodily harm, harassment, stalking, domestic abuse.

Crimes against property include theft, burglary, robbery, fraud, vandalism, and arson.

And against the state include things like terrorism, treason, perjury, riot, violent disorder, or incitement to violence.

This chart shows the percentages of key types of crime committed in the year 2023 to '24 and published by the Office for National Statistics.

So you can see there that we have crimes ranging from fraud right through to homicide.

So I'd like you to have a good look at that chart and to work out which type of crime is most common.

So pause if you need to take a moment and then come back when you're ready to check your answer.

So you should have spotted that it is actually fraud that is the most common type of crime.

Neil, who is a defence barrister, has been asked about how much intention matters when crimes are judged in court.

Neil says, "Intent is a key part of how crimes are judged.

Stealing is theft only if someone takes property with the intention of keeping it permanently.

If someone kills, intending to cause death or serious harm, it is murder.

If not, it may be manslaughter.

Hate crimes are based on prejudice against someone's identity and often lead to tougher sentences.

That's why, even though overall hate crime fell by 5% in 2023 to 2024, the 25% rise in religious hate crime is taken very seriously." Let's check your understanding.

What is a crime? Pause the video, write down your answer, and then come back when you're ready to see what you could have written.

You could have said, "A crime is an action which breaks the law.

It can be against the person, against property, or against the state." So well done if you manage to include those key points that it breaks the law, and that there are different types of crime depending on who or what it is against.

Crime has many causes.

Poverty, upbringing, mental illness, addiction, greed, and hate.

In 2016, Barack Obama noted that young men growing up in poverty are more likely to end up in prison or become victims of crime.

For example, Kenneth Lay was caught stealing food and essentials from supermarkets in 2012 to feed his family after losing his job and facing homelessness.

Baroness Louise Casey stated in 2012 that poor parenting, family breakdown, and lack of discipline are key causes of youth crime.

An example of this was Reggie and Ronnie Kray who grew up in a poor East London area where crime and lack of role models led them into organised crime in the 1950s and '60s.

Professor Tony Maden, a forensic psychiatrist, says untreated mental illness can lead to reoffending and calls for care and prevention rather than blame.

An example of this was John Hinckley Jr.

who tried to assassinate President Reagan in 1981.

He was diagnosed with schizophrenia and found not guilty by insanity.

Professor Carl Hart has shown that addiction is not just about bad choices, it is a medical and psychological condition which alters the brain.

Keith Hunter Jesperson struggled with substance abuse in the 1990s, which contributed to him committing multiple murders.

The utilitarian philosopher Peter Singer has argued, when success is defined by money, it promotes selfish behaviour and can lead to crime.

Bernie Madoff operated from the 1990s until 2008, running the largest Ponzi scheme in history and defrauding investors of billions.

Psychologist Gordon Allport explains that prejudice can escalate to discrimination and violence, with hate crime as a possible outcome.

Stephen Lawrence was murdered in 1993 in a racially-motivated attack in southeast London.

His case exposed racial hatred and police failings.

Some people might view a person as more or less responsible for their actions depending on their reason for committing a crime.

So they might think people are less to blame or fully to blame.

Laura says, "If someone is living in poverty and can't afford to eat, it is natural that they would steal food." Where would you place Laura's view on the scale? How does it compare with your own? Pause the video, and if you're able to turn and talk to someone nearby, please do, then come back when you are ready to move on.

Laura continues.

"No matter how someone was brought up, everyone understands the difference between right and wrong." So have a think again about where you would place Laura's view on the scale and how it compares with your own.

If you can turn and talk to someone nearby, please do, or you can pause and talk to me, and then come back when you are ready to move on.

Laura continues.

"People with serious mental illnesses are not always in control of their actions." So have a think again.

Where would you place her view on the scale and how does it compare with your own? Pause the video, turn and talk to someone nearby, or you can talk to me, and then come back when you are ready to move on.

Laura continues.

"Someone with an addiction who commits a crime made a choice to become addicted." So have a careful think about what she said and about your own view.

Think about where you would place them on the scale.

Pause the video, come back when you're ready to move on.

Laura then says, "Greed leads people to choose to put their own interests ahead of others." Again, think about her view.

Where would you place it on the scale? How does that compare with yours? Pause the video, come back when you're ready to move on.

And finally, Laura says, "Hatred is learned from others, but we can all resist and challenge prejudice." So how far does Laura think people are to blame for hate crimes? Think about where you place her on the scale in relation to your own view.

Pause again, turn and talk to someone nearby, or you can talk to me, and then come back when you're ready to move on.

There are different arguments about whether people who break the law to oppose injustice should be held responsible for their actions.

You might say they're responsible because they deliberately chose to break the law and they could have expressed their views in other ways.

On the other hand, you might say they're not responsible.

Their conscience compelled them to act.

History shows that positive change can come from civil disobedience.

So which way do you think the balance tips? Pause if you need to, turn and talk to someone nearby, and then come back when you're ready to move on.

Let's check your understanding.

Which of the following is an example of personal conviction overriding the need to follow the law? Is it A, choosing to buy ethically sourced products, B, paying a parking fine on time, C, refusing to be conscripted into the army due to religious beliefs, or D, wearing a seatbelt while driving? So pause again if you need to, and then come back when you're ready to check.

So well done if you chose C.

Refusing to be conscripted into the army due to religious beliefs is an example of a personal conviction overriding that need to follow the law.

For our task, Aisha started writing an introduction to an essay on crime.

Aisha says, "A crime is any action that breaks the law.

Crimes can range from minor offences to serious acts such as murder.

People commit crimes for many reasons and how responsible they are is often judged by their intention and the harm caused." Continue by including three causes of crime, a definition and example of theft, hate crime, and murder, and one sentence describing how intention helps decide what type of crime has been committed.

So think carefully about what we've learned so far today.

Pause, take your time, come back when you're ready to see what you could have written.

You could have said, "Some people commit crimes because of poverty, such as stealing food when they can't afford to eat.

Others might commit crimes due to addiction, especially if they're dependent on substances that affect their judgement.

Mental illness is another reason, where someone may not fully understand what they're doing or why.

Theft is when someone takes property with the intention of keeping it, for example, taking someone's phone and planning to sell it.

A hate crime is committed because of prejudice, such as shouting racist abuse at someone.

Murder is when someone unlawfully kills another person and means to kill or seriously harm them.

Intention is important because it helps decide whether an action is theft or not, or whether a killing counts as murder or manslaughter." So well done if you managed to give some of those examples and also if you showed the importance of intention when assessing the seriousness of a crime.

For the second part of our lesson, we're going to be looking at responses to crime.

Someone's view on crime could be influenced by a number of factors.

Religious beliefs, a moral worldview, personal experience, human rights principles, ethical theories, societal and cultural values, and there are many more things that would influence them in addition to these.

Warren is an atheist.

He's explaining how utilitarianism informs his view on issues surrounding crime.

Warren says, "From a utilitarian perspective, crime should be understood and tackled in ways that reduce overall harm.

Different causes of crime, like poverty or protest against injustice, need different responses.

Petty crime, violent crime, and organised crime affect people differently, so the response should depend on which approach most reduces suffering and prevents future harm." We can see here that Warren's using a utilitarian perspective.

He's thinking about the results of crime and reducing the harm caused by overall.

Zoe is an atheist and she works as a psychologist.

She's explaining how her knowledge of psychology informs her views on issues surrounding crime.

"Having studied some criminal psychology, I believe we need to look at the root causes of crime, like poverty, mental health, and childhood experience.

Crime doesn't happen in a vacuum.

It often reflects deeper issues in society.

If we want to reduce crime, we need to understand why it happens, not just focus on punishing it." So, Zoe mentions having studied criminal psychology, and it's this that encourages her to think about the causes of crime and trying to eliminate the causes, rather than just punishing the results of those causes.

I'd like you to name one factor that might influence someone's views on people who have committed crimes.

Take a moment, pause the video if you need to, come back when you're ready to see what you could have written.

You could have said any one of the following.

Human rights, psychology, ethical theories such as utilitarianism, personal experience, or religious beliefs.

So well done if you managed to get one of those examples.

Muslim attitudes to crime are informed by different sources of authority, including the Qur'an, which is the direct word of Allah, the Hadith, which are the recorded words of the Prophet Muhammad, the Sunnah, the prophet's example based on the Hadith, Shariah law, Islamic law based on the Qur'an and Sunnah, Islamic scholars who would interpret and apply the sources in real-life situations, personal conscience and reason guided by Islamic teachings.

Now they may interpret these sources differently or emphasise one more than another, but they all agree the Qur'an is the supreme authority.

The Qur'an as a source of wisdom and authority.

Surah 2:188 says, "Do not consume one another's wealth unjustly." Surah 17:33, "Do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden, except by rights." And Surah 5:8, "Do not let hatred of a people prevent you from being just." So we have the Qur'an forbidding directly theft, murder, and crimes caused by prejudice or hate against a group of people, in other words, hate crimes.

Surah 16:90-92 teaches that Muslims will be judged on their actions.

A key quotation from this is Allah commands justice and good conduct.

Let's have a look at the passage in a little more detail.

The 16th Surah of the Qur'an includes an explanation of Islamic teachings on justice and personal accountability.

These verses teach that Allah wants people to act justly, do good and treat others fairly, especially their families.

Muslims must keep their promises and not use their words or agreements to trick others because Allah will judge all actions in the end.

Let's have a look at the words from Surah 16:90-92.

Indeed, Allah commands justice and good conduct, and giving to relatives, and forbids immorality and bad conduct and depression.

He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded and fulfil the covenant of Allah when you have taken it, and do not break oaths after their confirmation while you have made Allah a witness over you.

Indeed, Allah knows what you do.

And do not be like she who untwisted her spun thread after it was strung by taking your oath as means of deceit between you because one community is more plentiful than another.

Allah only tests you thereby, and he will surely make clear to you on the day of resurrection that over which you used to differ.

So we have quite a vivid analogy here.

Someone has spun her thread, so it's strong and tight, but what she's doing, she's untwisting it, weakening it.

And this is similar to somebody who lies or deceives for personal gain.

In Surah 16:92, what image is used to describe someone who breaks their agreements? Is it A, a broken sword, B, a fading shadow, C, a woman unravelling her thread, or D, a crumbling wall? So take a moment, think carefully if you need to, pause the video, come back when you're ready to check your answer.

Excellent work if you remembered it was C, a woman unravelling her thread so that it's weaker.

This is like someone who lies or breaks an agreement or promise.

Jun is asking Tareeq, who is a Sunni imam, about Islamic teachings on crime.

Jun says, "When do Muslims believe someone is completely to blame for a crime?" Tareeq replies, "Some causes of crime never excuse wrongdoing.

Anyone who acts out of greed or hatred is fully responsible.

A difficult upbringing may influence someone, but once they become an adult, they are responsible for their actions.

Poverty is a real hardship, and Muslims must support others through zakah and sadaqah, but this does not excuse crime." We can see here that Islamic teaching is really clear, that there are definitely some causes of crime for which somemone is fully responsible.

It is taken into account that a difficult upbringing or poverty might influence someone, but it does not excuse them from being responsible for the crime.

Jun continues, "Are there times when someone might not be fully responsible for committing a crime?" Tareeq replies, "Sometimes responsibility for crime is reduced.

Addiction usually does not excuse it, as using harmful substances is a choice and a sin.

But a mental illness is not a choice, and if someone cannot understand their actions when they commit a crime, they may not be fully responsible." We can see here that addiction is not usually considered something that diminishes responsibility for crime.

Although in Islamic teaching, if someone is addicted and it completely takes over their ability to think rationally, there may be some allowance there.

But at the end of the day, addiction was a choice initially.

And addiction is wrong because alcohol and drugs are wrong.

In Islam, they are haram.

Mental illness, on the other hand, is not someone anyone has control over.

Islamic teaching encourages obedience to just laws and respect for authority, but it also emphasises the duty to oppose injustice.

So in favour of following the law, we have Surah 4:59, "O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you." But in favour of personal conviction, we have 4:135, "Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even if it is against yourselves." So there seems to be a balance that Muslims need to take into account between following the law and acting justly.

Those two should be in balance with each other.

However, there are times when the law is unjust.

An example would be in Pakistan under Taliban rule, girls were banned from going to school.

Compare this with the personal conviction of Malala Yousafzai, who continued going to school and spoke out publicly, believing education is a right in Islam.

So in her example, personal conviction outweighed the need to follow the law and she continued to go to school.

So for Muslims, obeying the law is important, that we can see here in example of how standing up for justice would take priority when the law conflicts with Allah's guidance.

Meryem is talking about how Malala's example has informed her views on justice and the law.

Meryem says, "Malala inspires me because she showed that standing up to injustice is part of Islam.

We're taught to respect the law, but if a law goes against basic rights like education, it's right to speak out.

Her example helps me see when it's mecessary to challenge unfair rules." Nadia is a Sunni Muslim.

She's explaining how she responds to crimes caused by poverty.

She says, "I believe poverty is one factor that can push people into crime, and this is why I volunteer at a food bank.

We provide essential supplies and support for families who are struggling.

Islam teaches us to relieve hardship wherever we can.

By helping to ease poverty, I hope we can stop some of the problems that lead people into crime." So what does the food bank do to help people break the cycle of crime? It provides essential supplies and support for families.

Iqbal is a Sunni Muslim.

He's explaining his response to hate crime.

Iqbal says, "Islam teaches us to stand against injustice, which is why I support MEND, Muslim Engagement and Development.

The organisation tackles hate through education and campaigns for stronger legal protections.

I regularly speak about Islamophobia at events on behalf of MEND.

Their work supports wider efforts to challenge racism, online abuse, and other hate crimes, reflecting Muslim beliefs in justice." Islamic teaching against hate crime is very, very clear, and Iqbal here is putting it into practise by supporting MEND, an organisation that's campaigning for stronger legal protections.

Let's check your understanding.

Part of this question has been completed for you.

Outline three Muslim beliefs about the causes of crime.

Those who commit crimes due to greed or hatred are fully responsible.

Crime may be caused by addiction, though the person is still responsible for choosing to use harmful substances.

So what I'd like you to do is to complete the third point.

So pause the video, take some time to think about what a third Muslim belief about the causes of crime might be.

Come back when you're ready to see what you could have written.

You could have said, if mental illness causes crime, Muslims may see the person as less responsible if they cannot understand their actions.

So well done if you manage to use that example and to show how it impacts the idea of responsibility as well.

Muslim teaching could be used to argue for or against the statement, "Hate crimes are worse than murder." Lets look at the arguments for.

Islam teaches that justice must consider both action and intention, as the Qur'an states, "He will reward them for what they did, and will increase them out of His grace." And also, "Each person is rewarded according to their intention." So it's clearly telling us that intention here really matters when it comes to judgement.

And so that might suggest that hate crimes are very serious because hate crimes are all about the intention and being aimed at a particular group of people.

Hate crimes spread hostility and division, which goes against Islam's emphasis on peace, unity, and justice.

They go against the Qur'an's teaching.

"Do not let hatred of people prevent you from being just," Surah 5:8.

On the other hand, looking at arguments against the statement.

Taking a life without just cause is one of the gravest sins in Islam, because life is sacred and a gift from Allah.

The Qur'an commands, "Do not take life, which Allah has made sacred, except by rights." Murder is especially serious because it harms not just the victim but society as a whole.

The Qur'an warns, "If anyone kills a person, it is as if he has killed all mankind." There are non-religious arguments for and against the statement, "Hate crimes are worse than murder." For.

Hate crimes target individuals for traits like race, religion, or gender identity, but they harm whole communities.

This undermines Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms without distinction of any kind." A Kantian might argue that targeting someone based on their identity fails to treat them as an autonomous individual worthy of respect, and instead uses them as a means to express prejudice or hatred.

On the other hand, from a human rights perspective, murder violates Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person." And of course, murder permanently ends a life, and a utilitarian could argue that it causes significant harm by bringing suffering to the victim's loved ones and removing any future contribution the person might have made to society.

So which of the following is an argument used to support the claim that hate crimes are worse than murder? Is it A, taking someone's life prevents them from making any further contribution to society, B, crimes that target people based on their identity harm entire communities, C, the Qur'an says, "If anyone kills a person, it is as if he has killed all mankind," or D, ending a life causes great suffering to victims' families? So take a moment, jot down your answer, pause if you need to, come back when you're ready to move on.

Excellent work if you've put B.

Crimes that target people based on their identity harm more people than just them because, of course, there are other people who acknowledge that identity too.

For task B, I'd like you to decide whether each point can be used to argue for or against the statement, "Hate crimes are worse than murder," and then develop it with an explanation.

The first argument, hate crimes involve targeting someone based on their identity.

Secondly, murder permanently ends a life.

Thirdly, the Qur'an says, "Do not let hatred of a people prevent you from being just," in Surah 5:8.

And finally, the Qur'an says, "If anyone kills a person, it is as if he has killed all mankind," Surah 5:32.

So pause the video, take your time.

Think about whether those points could be used for or against, and think about how develop that answer.

Come back when you're ready to see what you could have written.

So you could have said for the first point that it's an argument for.

Hate crimes involve targeting someone based on their identity is an argument for hate crimes being worse.

And to develop it, hate crimes are worse because they're not just attacks on individuals, but on entire groups.

They can create fear across a whole community, damaging social trust and harmony.

For the second, murder permanently ends a life, this is against.

It's arguing that murder is worse, as it causes the most severe and irreversible harm.

It ends a human life completely, removing the person's future and causing lasting pain to their loved ones.

For the third point, the Qur'an says do not let hatred of a people prevent you from being just, this is an argument for.

It's saying hate crimes are particularly wrong because they involve acting out of prejudice and injustice.

Islam teaches that justice must apply even towards those one dislikes.

So hate-motivated actions directly oppose this principle.

And finally, the Qur'an says if anyone kills a person, it is as if he has killed all mankind.

This is against because it's really emphasising the seriousness of murder in Islam.

It shows that taking a life without just cause has a wider moral impact and it really reflects the value and sacredness of every human life.

So excellent work if you managed to work out whether those were points for or against, and if you developed why.

In today's lesson, we have learned that crimes include theft, murder, and hate crimes, with causes like poverty, addiction, mental illness, greed, and hatred.

That Muslim views are based on the Qur'an, Hadith, Shariah law, and conscience, and they focus on justice unintentionally.

That responsibility depends on cause and understanding, greed and hatred do not excuse crime, but mental illness may reduce blame.

Islam teaches obedience to the law, but also the duty to challenge injustice when necessary.

And arguments for and against hate crimes being worse than murder focus on intention, harm, and wider impact.

Well done for all of the hard work you've put into this lesson.

Thank you for working with me today.