Fools on both sides
by Scoop Shachtman, 25 November 2007
While some might take issue with some of Jemina Khan’s article, this appears spot on (and follows on from another debate):
And although Muslims increasingly feel like a demonised minority, even by liberals, it is also true that Islam is an ideology. As such it must expect to be challenged in an open society, no matter how uncomfortable or personal that debate becomes. Not only must Islam - with its social and political mandate - expect to be challenged by modern secular society but, more importantly, it must also expect to be challenged from within the Islamic tradition. Its evolution depends on such a challenge.
But it would help greatly if critics of Islam would give as much attention to the moderate Muslims engaged in that vital internal debate as they do to the hook-handed, effigy-burning few.
Sunday 25 November 2007 at 22:44
Yes, Jemima is right here. The trouble is that the moderate Muslims might not welcome the attention. It might reveal that a lot of them are mired in a sense of false solidarity with some others who aren’t so moderate. We don’t see much denunciation of dodgy mosques - I mean with names and addresses - from moderate Muslims, do we? And we’re told that Muslims have a sense of international soldarity with the ummah, but a lot of Muslims in the ummah - probably a majority - aren’t moderate at all, and favour a tyrannical version of Islam.
Monday 26 November 2007 at 0:39
Gobbledegook crap from Timmy — best ignored really. Yet another comment, in a blog comment box, that does nothing more than expose these ‘people’ as being merely the fragile egos they really are — projecting as they do, their own inner conflicts and neurological synapses onto the world, manufacturing external threats to be exterminated, bowing down to the nearest ’strong-man’ who promises to protect them. Oh to be a liberal. It must be very comforting.