Too many Muslims sell tyranny and dishonesty not justice, strength and openness. If we are to stop fearing Islam then that, as well as our own hearts, needs to change.
Thank you for a thoughtful and thought provoking article. I don’t agree with everything you say but I have to think through my thoughts before I respond. I like that.
Is your definition of a good Muslim one who can selectively ignore the parts of Islamic teaching that seem uncomfortable with a modern liberal society?
I don't think that this is quite the point. There's a long way between modern liberal society and hang gays. If, in large part, Christianity can come to terms with liberal society I'm sure Islam can too.
But that evolution of Christian thought only happened after centuries of violence and persecution, and in the context of more theological flexibility and with the main figure being a man of peace, neither of which is true in Islam.
I was brought up reading the Mullah Nasruddhin stories translated by Idries Shah. This seems to me a wise and honourable approach to Islam. Here in Bradford there are still many, mostly older, people who follow sufiist ideas filled with poetry and stories. Islam has within its traditions everything it needs to thrive within a religiously plural society.
It must be tough being a sensible Muslim because you cannot speak your mind. If I who was raised a Christian say that the Bible is a book written and compiled by inspired blokes who could read and write at the time but it isn't the literal and perfect word of God, then I'm not going to pay a price for that. You probably would if Islam was your birth religion and said that about the Koran.
Islam must be the scariest religion in the world to be born into at the moment, and it's one which is very difficult to leave or be publicly secular about. That will change in 100 years but right now common sense Muslims reaching their teens who like their traditions but who have figured out that men created God have the hardest time in the world.
Thank you for a thoughtful and thought provoking article. I don’t agree with everything you say but I have to think through my thoughts before I respond. I like that.
Is your definition of a good Muslim one who can selectively ignore the parts of Islamic teaching that seem uncomfortable with a modern liberal society?
I don't think that this is quite the point. There's a long way between modern liberal society and hang gays. If, in large part, Christianity can come to terms with liberal society I'm sure Islam can too.
But that evolution of Christian thought only happened after centuries of violence and persecution, and in the context of more theological flexibility and with the main figure being a man of peace, neither of which is true in Islam.
I was brought up reading the Mullah Nasruddhin stories translated by Idries Shah. This seems to me a wise and honourable approach to Islam. Here in Bradford there are still many, mostly older, people who follow sufiist ideas filled with poetry and stories. Islam has within its traditions everything it needs to thrive within a religiously plural society.
It must be tough being a sensible Muslim because you cannot speak your mind. If I who was raised a Christian say that the Bible is a book written and compiled by inspired blokes who could read and write at the time but it isn't the literal and perfect word of God, then I'm not going to pay a price for that. You probably would if Islam was your birth religion and said that about the Koran.
Islam must be the scariest religion in the world to be born into at the moment, and it's one which is very difficult to leave or be publicly secular about. That will change in 100 years but right now common sense Muslims reaching their teens who like their traditions but who have figured out that men created God have the hardest time in the world.
Islam isn’t scary but far too many of its followers are.
Yes indeed, and mainly scary to other Muslims.