I agree with the sentiments of this scholar, and would certainly welcome the adoption of his suggestions throughout the Arab and Muslim world. Unfortunately, the consensus of Islamic jurists would label him as a heretic/apostate because of his views. Just recently Dr Muhammad Shakil Auj, Dean of the faculty of Islamic Studies at the University of Karachi (Pakistan) was shot dead by two gunmen on a motorbike. He had been threatened by colleagues and sent messages accusing him of blasphemy after giving a talk in the U.S. in 2012. There have been others who have offered alternative views and have been either threatened, injured or killed, i.e. Suliman Bashear, Tarek Fatah, Farooq Khan, Javed Ahmad Ghamidi. Seeking reform in Islam is a praiseworthy endeavor, but it cannot be adequately addressed unless one first honestly acknowledges the historic and traditional basis for the unsavory elements within the Islamic world today. The beliefs of al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, al-Shabaab, IS, and others are founded on classical understandings of Islamic law(shariah), whereby the concensus(ijma) of jurists from all schools of Islamic jurisprudence have ruled. They are not recent formulations of what politically correct pundits have termed, fringe radical extremists. These views have been around for over a millenia, and have been codified in Islamic law, both Sunni and Shiite. Claims of excess and license within such groups would have to be addressed in accordance with Islamic, not western conventions. Until the worldwide Muslim community, represented by the various Muslim dominated countries, led by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation(OIC), decides to unilaterally address issues like this and condemn the methodology and tactics of such groups from a rigorous appraisal of Islamic law, I am not much concerned about what certain individuals have to say, especially if they come at it from a western orientation. I am not holding my breath given the fact this entity continues to seek the imposition of Islamic blasphemy laws on the rest of the world. It also seeks the destruction of the Jewish state. I thank God that most Muslims are peaceful. However, it would be very presumptuous to believe this was due because they devoted themselves to reading and understanding the Quran and living in accordance with the Sunna, instead of imbibing western notions of freedom and human rights. The fact some Muslims wish to selectively appeal only to the Quran, flies in the face of the historic understanding of Islam, which would punish those who deny the Sunna (the way or path of Muhammad, as derived from the Sira(biography) and collections of ahadith(his traditions, sayings, and deeds)). If there is to be any real interfaith dialogue, then it should be on terms like that of al-Musawi. Dialogue with the likes of the the International Institute of Islamic Thought(IIIT) and the Council on American Islamic Relations(CAIR) should be rejected out of hand, due to the fact they have been designated as Muslim Brotherhood entities and unindicted co-conspirators in the largest terror funding case in U.S. history. The stated goal of the Muslim Brotherhood in North America is to destroy western civilization from within, and that is not just a peripheral or side issue. They also accept the classic Sunni understanding of Islamic law, as can be seen by the IIITs endorsement of the Reliance of the Traveller, a classic manual of Islamic sacred law. Caution and discernment should be at the forefront of this issue.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Sep 2014 21:27:20 +0000