What is a ‘moderate’ Muslim?
Irshad Manji author of The Trouble with Islam
What does it mean to be a “moderate” Muslim today? As Pope Benedict treks to the secular Muslim state of Turkey, this is a good week to ask the question.
The Pope raised this question – unintentionally – in September. He delivered a speech emphasizing the need to reconcile religion with reason. Along the way, Benedict quoted an obscure Christian emperor who linked Islam to violence. As if on cue, Muslims around the world reacted angrily, some resorting to the very violence that they denied plays any role in our faith.
Days later, I delivered a television commentary about why, as a faithful Muslim, I don’t believe the Pope needed to apologize. We Muslims resent it when non-Muslims reduce the Quran to its most bloodthirsty passages. Why, I wondered, are we reducing the Pope’s speech to a mere few words?
The emails I received in response proved that Muslims know how to exercise freedom of expression as vigorously as the Pope does. Consider, for example, this message from Imran, a self-described “moderate Muslim” and American citizen who works for the US government:
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“You said that how Muslims are reacting to the Pope is like reducing the Quran to its most bloodthirsty passages. There is no such thing, Missy… You are looking for cheap publicity for your book and bashing Islam is the easiest way to get it nowadays. It used to be sleeping with the publisher, but for that you require looks. One more thing, if you are a Jew, you should not be ashamed of it.”
Sonya is another Muslim American who benefits from her country’s free speech guarantees. She told me that I should be ashamed of myself for stating my heretical views publicly. Sonya went on:
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“Do you blame the people who give you death threats? Or try to psychically harm you? I happen to agree with them. If you know how to talk to people, it will get you somewhere. If you don’t, you will have many enemies…”
I could make a big deal of Sonya’s support for death threats or Imran’s gratuitous anti-Semitism. But there’s something else in their messages that explains why moderation is a concept with which Muslims struggle, even in the 21st century.
Imran says that there’s “no such thing” as reducing the Quran to selected passages. Translation: the Quran must be accepted as the alpha and the omega of God’s will. Likewise with Sonya. When she accuses me of not knowing “how to talk to people”, she’s saying that Muslims don’t want to hear about anything negative in our revelations.
The irony is, my defence of the Pope played up the Quran’s non-violence. I pointed out that Islam’s holy book encourages Muslims to reflect far more than to retaliate. Even if someone is mocking your religion, the Quran advises, walk away. Once tempers have cooled, engage in dialogue.
Still, my simple acknowledgment that the Quran contains harsh passages, too, is enough to eclipse the gospel of dialogue.
Imran and Sonya are more representative than I wish. All Muslims are taught that because the Quran comes after the Torah and the Bible, we must regard it as the final and perfect manifesto of the Divine. It is, we’re told, free of ambiguities, contradictions and human editing; in other words, free of the corruption that contaminates Jewish and Christian scriptures.
Thus the central conundrum for us Muslims. If it’s an article of our faith that the Quran is the unfiltered declaration of God, then what makes moderate Muslims “moderate”?
Perhaps it’s that they won’t murder to assert their convictions. But is this enough, given that moderates such as Sonya tolerate the murderers? And, as Imran demonstrates, those of us who dare to imply that the Quran can be questioned are not real Muslims. We are Jews.
Fortunately, more and more Muslims are proclaiming that it’s time for a liberal Islamic reformation. Two groups that powerfully attest to this movement are the Democratic Muslims of Denmark and their off-shoot, the Critical Muslims, both of which emerged from the Danish cartoon wars.
It’s revealing that neither group calls itself the “Moderate Muslims”. Their members considered doing so. But in the end, they couldn’t agree on what “moderate” means. Maybe that’s because it means too little. Suppose more of us aimed to be reform-minded instead?
Yet another question to ask during an important week in relations between Muslims and Christians worldwide.
Irshad Manji is one of a handful of Muslims who are speaking out to stir Muslims to at least consider that Islam is in need of reformation to reflect liberalism and modernism and to become a religion of peace and tolerance as regards non-Muslims.
She cannot be praised enough for her efforts and neither can those relatively few other Muslims who wish for Islamic reformation.
Ms. Manji raises a question in her article that I have raised many times and that is, what does moderate Muslim or moderate Islam mean?
From what I can discern, the meaning of moderate Muslims or moderate Islam being referred to, is not capable of precise meaning unless the writer or speaker uses more adjectives and examples that are intended to give precise meaning to the phrase. Most rarely do.
Certainly when Western leaders speak of the vast majority of Muslims being moderate or peaceful they do so without a scintilla of evidence to suggest what they say is true and in any event they do not define exactly which Muslims come within the ambit of their praise.
Other writers and speakers use those phrases in a way that means nothing at all or could be referring to Muslims along the whole spectrum of those who are peace loving to those who support radical Islam and terrorism, but are not prepared to be terrorists themselves.
It may take a few more words when wanting to refer to Muslims exhibiting certain qualities, but it is worth it if one wants to be clear and precise in the meaning they wish to convey.
Comment by Bill Narvey
— November 30, 2006 @ 3:48 pm
The Pope had to lower his head to the floor and bow to the Muslim god in order to enter a mosque. He is a Chamberlain, a dhimmi and a potential pied piper to get others to do the same. That is not very Biblical unless you count it as lukewarm or deceptive.
A good article: Jerusalem Watchman » The myth of the moderate Muslim
Here is a man who sees there are sides. Sigh. Sorry, Jews. You Must Die. - by Emanuel A. Winston
Comment by Teshuvah
— November 30, 2006 @ 4:45 pm
I attended a lecture yesterday by Dr Salim Mansur who treaches at U of Western Ontario and is a Director of CCD. He would be considered a moderate and he gives Jews their due. He argues that Islam embraces Torah values and they will ultimately come to the fore.
He was introduced as a “radical” as he swims against the current. This is important. The “radicals haven’t highjacked the religion”. Those “radicals” are the establishment proclaiming the tenents of the religion . People like Manji and Mansour are the true radicals and they are in the minority. In fact they and others like them are considered as apostates or infidels by the establishment.
Comment by Ted Belman
— November 30, 2006 @ 4:51 pm
Ted, I liked your question to Mansour;).
Comment by eotw
— November 30, 2006 @ 6:24 pm
Dr. Salim Mansur is a brilliant, knowledgeable and insightful man who definitely is not a moderate Muslim as I have come to understand that phrase.
He is like Irshad Manji and unfortunately too few other Muslims who I would call Muslims who seek to bring the meaning of Islam for all Muslims into line with modernity. Those like Dr. Mansur, as I understand them, contend that the values, ethics, morals, justice and principles found in Judeo Christian religions can also be found in Islam. Unfortunately as Irshad Manji and Dr. Mansur believe, it is mainstream Islam or mainstream Muslim thinking that is denying those aspects of their religion and especially as regards their relationships with non-Muslims.
If one were to take what Dr. Mansur and Irshad Manji describe as mainstream Islam, that might best be described as moderate Islam.
If so, experience tells us that such mainstream Muslim thinking is not usually conducive to improving relationships between non-Muslim Westerners and Muslims. Recall that a great many of those moderate Muslims became enraged over the publication of the Mohammed cartoons, called for boycotts of Danish products,, called for and threatened violence, such as carrying placards expressing disgusting threats such as “Behead those who insult Islam” or they participated in the violence that ensued.
I doubt that mainstream or moderate Islam will be soon open to abandoning their culture of victimhood and prejudices and hatreds against the West, Jews, Christians and non-Muslims in general.
Manji, Mansur and Muslims of like mind have an uphill battle to bring Muslim society at large to be as tolerant, respectful and sensitive to the non Muslim world as so many in the Muslim world demand of non-Muslims, while refusing to reciprocate or ignoring any reason for reciprocity on their parts.
We should be posting more of Dr. Mansur’s articles for he writes with great style, knowledge and insight.
Comment by Bill Narvey
— November 30, 2006 @ 6:29 pm
Be sure to go to the link in # 2. The article must be read. Thanks Teshuva.
Comment by Ted Belman
— November 30, 2006 @ 8:33 pm
??? Makes no sense–I’m aware that there are “Jews for Allah,” but ethnically nonJewish Muslims being considered Jewish theolologically is absurd and impossible.
Frustrating that this article still has not expressed a consensus on what the concept of a moderate Muslim is, but suggests “perhaps” it is that such Muslims will not murder–well, at least for the purpose “to assert their convictions.”
Comment by soren
— December 1, 2006 @ 4:00 am
What is a moderate Muslim? That’s easy - just depends on who you ask. According to the opinion of Western politicians and liberal-left media for the last 16 years, it’s someone who writes stuff like this:
http://www.hirhome.com/yugo/ihralija1.htm
http://128.121.186.47/ISSA/reports/Balkan/Dec0803.htm
http://www.slobodan-milosevic.org/izetbegovic.htm
http://www.real-srebrenica-genocide.blogspot.com (this link will take you to photographic evidence of Izetbegovic’s “multi-ethnic tolerance” for the Serbs of Srebrenica, Kravica, Milici, Skelani, Gorazde et al. Warning: these photos are NOT for the faint-hearted.)
Izetbegovic has been dead for over 3 years now but he is STILL referred to and defended as a “moderate Muslim who fought for Western liberal values and a multi-ethnic democracy” by most Western (liberal-left)politicians, diplomats and mainstream media.
Remember that folks, when next time someone poses the question:
“What is a moderate Muslim?”
You can casually answer:
” Well according to Brussels and Washington, Alija Izetbegovic, the late president of Bosnia”.
But please, try to do so with a straight face for as long as possible.
Comment by Peter Robert North
— December 1, 2006 @ 5:23 am
Pope converts to Islam! Prays towards Mecca. Compare that to the former Pope kissing the Koran.
Pontiff prays at Turkish mosque, Historic gesture contrasts with earlier statement.*** Another link said he prayed toward Mecca “like a Muslim.” Hello, if it walks like a Muslim and prays like a Muslim, it IS a Muslim as surely as an adulteress woman is a whore like the Whore of Babylon. Mt 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.
No, it is NOT the same. Islam follows a strange god and anyone submitting to Islam is following a very strange god even if he is the Catholic Pope. Ex 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Doesn’t the Pope read the Bible? It was Jehoshaphat who said to Ahab, “We are the same,” (1Ki 22:4) and thereby offended the Most High who said Ahab was the wickedest man alive. The world is being conned by globalist communitarians to have consensus with the ungodly. It can’t be done. Every command of the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is “COME UP HERE” not “Come down here and have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.”
ISTANBUL should be Ishtar & Bull….or Baal.
1Ki 21:25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.
Comment by Teshuvah
— December 1, 2006 @ 6:10 am
Teshuvah,
you appear to know quite a lot about the Western globalist politicians’ mindset: their abominable collaboration with and support of the Islamist Nazi Jihad terrorist fanatics over several decades - in their quest for the destruction of Israel and Western civilization.
The globalists think they can control these Islamist Nazi fanatics so that they can implement their collectivist globalist policies. Just wait until the devastating Islamist terrorist blow back is specifically unleashed against them.
You simply CANNOT appeased the Islamists by supporting them against Jews or anti-fascist Christians: look at the Clinton administration’s support of Izetbegovic for 8 years.The US/NATO attempt to show “even handedness” to the Islamic world by bombing Christians.
Did this stop anti-Western terrorism by the fanatical Islamists - backed by Iran & Saudi Arabia -that Clinton supported for 8 years in Bosnia and Kosovo?
9/11, Madrid & London answered this question.
Too few people know enough about this vitally important subject.
Well done, Teshuvah!
Keep spreading the word here on Israpundit.
Comment by Peter Robert North
— December 1, 2006 @ 6:44 am
One can only be a moderate until one reads the koran, then they have to make a decision. Being a moderate moslem is an oxymoron. To reform Islam (submission), you would have to throw away the koran and it wouldn’t be islam anymore.
Jihad has been declared on the west and on Israel in accordance with the koran and hadiths and therefore those who don’t actively participate in jihad either by killing, lying, propaganda, monetary aid to terrorists and murders, etc., are themselves by definition enemies of islam. So having known families that used to be moslem and gave it up (last names Saudi-Ali, Palestinian Arab last name Jihad! etc.) everytime someone declares themselves to be a moderate moslem, it makes me wonder if it isn’t propaganda/jihad being practiced.
Muslim Iman Ibn Taymiyyah wrote about jihad:
If a rebellious group, although belonging to Islam, refuses to comply with clear and universally accepted commands, all Muslims agree that jihad must be waged against them, in order that the religion will be God’s entirely.
This wasn’t a recent sermon, this was written centuries ago by an Islam scholar who died in 1328 !
More of his writings on jihad at Jihad 101
Comment by mennyiben
— December 1, 2006 @ 9:07 am
See my detailed comment relevant to this article post in my response to RandyTexas’ posting of a brilliant article link on another thread; click here:
http://www.israpundit.com/2006/?p=3415#comment-92392
Comment by Peter Robert North
— December 2, 2006 @ 1:38 am