The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam From the Extremists (2 page)

as ugliness—intolerance, persecution, oppression, and vio- lence. Whether one believes this view of Islam and Muslims is justified or not, it has become an undeniable fact that in many parts of the world, the very word
Islam
arouses negative senti- ments that range from suspicious indifference to fear or in- tense dislike.

For a Muslim who cares about his or her faith, this reality arouses intense feelings of hurt and anguish. More than a bil- lion people find in Islam their emotional and spiritual suste- nance and fulfillment. For those Muslims, Islam is their source of serenity and spiritual peace, and Islam offers moral and eth- ical guidance that, instead of ugliness, fills their lives with beauty. How does a Muslim reconcile between the faith he or she lives and experiences and the prevalent public perceptions in the non-Muslim world?

I believe that it has become imperative for Muslims to take a self-critical and introspective look at their own tradition and system of beliefs. The reason for such an introspective and self- critical look is to ask: Does the tradition of Islam, with its in- herited system of beliefs and convictions, contribute to the commission of these acts of ugliness? Are the Muslims who commit acts of terrorism or who persecute women and religious minorities inspired by the doctrines and dogma of the Islamic religion? Stated in a more stark and blatant fashion: Did some- thing go wrong with contemporary Islam, and if so, what?

As Muslims, we can no longer afford to refuse to critically engage our tradition. We have reached a critical stage in the history of our faith and we must have the will-power and courage to reclaim and reestablish Islam as a humanistic moral force in the world today.

The point of this book is not to set out a systematic pro- gram for reform but to identify and delineate the reality of Muslim thought as it currently exists. Before we can speak

about the need for reform it is imperative that we first get a firm handle on the current Muslim condition and seek to un- derstand the world of ideas that chart the divides within the Muslim mind.

The objective of this book is to argue that there is an already- existing schism in Islam between Muslim moderates and what I will call the Muslim puritans. Both moderates and puritans claim to represent the true and authentic Islam. Both believe that they represent the Divine message as God intended it to be, and both believe that their convictions are thoroughly rooted in the Holy Book, the Qur’an, and in authentic tradi- tions of the Prophet Muhammad, who was God’s final prophet and messenger to humanity. Puritans, however, accuse the moderates of having changed and reformed Islam to the point of diluting and corrupting it. And moderates accuse the pu- ritans of miscomprehending and misapplying Islam to the point of undermining and even defiling the religion.

Observers of the current Islamic condition, such as the av- erage journalist, politician, or layperson who are not special- ized in Islamic studies, often find the situation confusing and even chaotic. These observers hear many competing and con- tradictory versions of what Islam is or should be, and it is never clear who among Muslims believes in what, and why. In addition, it is rarely clear whether all the competing claims about Islamic tenets are legitimately anchored in Islamic theol- ogy and law. Perhaps the most common inquiry and source of confusion is: To what extent do Islamic theology and law en- courage and promote terrorism?

In my view, the equally compelling question is: Is there in fact an existing, reformed vision of Islam competing with a more conservative and strict version of the religion?

In this book, I will argue that indeed Islam is at the current time passing through a transformative moment no less dramatic

than the Reformation movements that swept through Europe at one time, and led to long and bloody religious wars. Al- though this transformative moment is no less dramatic than the European reformations, in the Islamic context at the pres- ent time it is not as developed or acute.

Nevertheless, there is a significant rift between the belief system of the reformed moderates and the more conservative and strict puritans. We understand the difference between Islam as it is understood by puritans like the Taliban and Bin Laden, and Islam as it is understood by what I will argue are the majority of less visible Muslims. Moderates constitute the silent majority of Muslims in the world, but puritans have an impact upon the religion that is wildly disproportionate to their numbers. Regardless of the present constitution of the Is- lamic world, the transformative moment of which I speak is embodied by the fact that there are two paradigmatically op- posed worldviews that are competing to define the truth of the Islamic faith.
1
By “truth of the Islamic faith,” I mean what be- comes the accepted precepts and axioms about the place of Is- lamic history in the Muslim psyche, the foundational message of the Qur’an, the quintessential lessons taught by the Prophet Muhammad, the moral priorities of the individual believer, and the ethical parameters that guide Muslims in interacting with others. Puritans and moderates not only disagree on all these issues, but they also each struggle to make their paradigms and worldviews the overwhelmingly dominant and long-lasting truth of Islam. In their most pure and unadulter- ated forms the views of the two groups are irreconcilable, and therefore, although some form of coexistence might be possi- ble, the two views tend to clash and compete. It might be pos- sible for each view to exist as a school of thought within Islam and to tolerate and perhaps respect the other, but this is be- coming increasingly difficult. The acts of terrorism and vio-

lence committed by the puritans are increasing the pressure for confrontation and for a decisive transformation in Islamic his- tory. The recent violent showdowns in Saudi Arabia between some of the most prominent puritan thinkers and the Saudi government are an example of this process. For better or worse, when all is said and done and the transformation is complete, as one of these orientations earns the consensus and near-total commitment of Muslims, it will clearly possess the formidable power of definition—the power to define Islam for what might turn out to be a considerably long time.

part one

THE

BATTLEG ROUND FOR

FAITH

one

ISLAM TORN BETWEEN EXTREMISM AND

MODER ATION

N

ot too long ago, at the end of an invited lecture, I was asked to name the most emphatic moral values taught

by Islam. The answer was easy enough—it would have to be mercy, compassion, and peace. After all, these are the values that each practicing Muslim affirms in prayer at least five times a day. Imagine my surprise and chagrin when some members in the audience chuckled as if to say: “Come on, get real!” In a similar experience, after President Bush appointed me to serve on the U.S. Commission on International Reli- gious Freedom, mingled with the messages of congratulations from well-wishers were messages from people I did not know asking: What could a Muslim possibly have to contribute to the cause of religious freedom and tolerance in the world?

These personal experiences are not anomalies: every Mus- lim will have her or his own stories to tell about how Islam is poorly perceived. Confronted with such negative perceptions of their religion, Muslims have a choice. They could complain and cry about it and grow old in silent bitterness. Alterna- tively, they could decide to teach others about their faith, but this assumes they are sufficiently educated and well-informed about their own religion. The problem, however, is that many Muslims are woefully ignorant about their own religion. This

forces Muslims to consider a third relevant option, and that is to engage in study and thought not just to better understand the Islamic religion but also to try to understand how and why so many non-Muslims have come to have such a negative im- pression of Islam. Before trying to educate others about Islam we must first reflect upon the sources and reasons for the per- vasive misunderstandings and misinformation.

For a believing Muslim, asking what if anything went wrong with the Islamic faith is an uncomfortable question. A Muslim cannot help but feel that he or she is somehow play- ing into the hands of Islam’s enemies. All religions at one time or another have played a role in inspiring intolerance and vio- lence, so why should Islam be singled out for special scrutiny? It is tempting for the faithful to absolve the Islamic faith of any possible fault and instead blame Muslims. In fact, many Muslims argue that Islam, as a set of beliefs and ideals, should not be blamed for the malfeasance of its followers. The fact that certain people who call themselves Muslims commit acts of ugliness is due, this argument says, to economic, political, and sociocultural factors that breed violence and intolerance, not to Islam. From this perspective, it is a mistake to attempt to critically examine Islamic doctrines, beliefs, or history when evaluating the contemporary problems that plague Muslims. Instead, one ought to ask what, if anything, went wrong with Muslims.

Although this argument does have some merit, as a general approach it is not a satisfying way of addressing the challenges that confront Muslims in the modern age. There are several reasons why this approach is both dishonest and dangerous. It is understandable that out of love and care for their religion some Muslims would be eager to defend their faith by point- ing the finger away from Islam. A call for critical introspec- tion, in the view of these Muslims, is tantamount to accusing

Islam of being deficient or flawed, and understandably they take great offense at such an insinuation. Muslims who believe that Islam is perfect and immutable regard a call for introspec- tion with considerable suspicion and perhaps even hostility. Furthermore, in light of the historical conflicts between Islam and the West, calls for introspection are often seen as nothing more than poorly veiled attempts at appeasing the West by maligning Islam. A considerable number of Muslims believe wholeheartedly that fellow Muslims who attempt to adopt a critical stance toward the Islamic tradition are nothing more than self-promoters seeking to placate the West at Islam’s ex- pense.

These objections have merit, and I sympathize with those who believe that Islam is maligned enough as it is. The modern Muslim is exposed to a barrage of bad news and negative media coverage on a daily basis. It is undeniable that there is no short supply of Islam-haters, in the Western and non-Western worlds alike, who seem eager to malign the Islamic faith at every op- portunity. In fact, I believe that the anti-Muslim sentiment in the modern age has reached a level of prejudice every bit as sinister and endemic as racism and anti-Semitism. As a conse- quence, the temptation is enormous for Muslims to adopt a defensive posture by insisting that Islam is perfect and that the inherited doctrines and dogmas of the Islamic tradition do not in any way contribute to the plight of Muslims in the modern age. Understandable though this defensive posture might be, it is a position that has its costs, and I believe that these costs have become oppressively prohibitive. In fact, the only way that Muslims can remain true to the moral message of their re- ligion and at the same time discharge their covenant with God is through introspective self-criticism and reform.

Although the schism between moderate and puritan Mus- lims has become distinct, pronounced, and real, this division is

not explicitly recognized in the Muslim world. The dichotomy between the two groups is a lived and felt reality, but there has been no attempt to recognize the systematic differences be- tween the two contending parties. In fact, many Muslims have been reluctant to speak openly of two primary orientations juxtaposed against each other within modern Islam. The fail- ure to acknowledge the existence of such a division has con- tributed to the confusion about who in Islam believes in what, and it may also be responsible for the widespread misconcep- tions about the teachings and doctrines of the religion.

The reluctance of many Muslims to recognize the existence of a schism within the faith is in many ways due to the power- ful influence of the dogma of unity in modern Islamic thought. For reasons discussed later, contemporary Islamic thinkers and activists heavily emphasize the compelling need for unity among Muslims, demanding that all Muslims should regard themselves as a single person. The tenets of the Islamic faith emphasize that there is a straight path leading to God, and that Muslims should unite in pursuit of the Lord’s path and not divide. Therefore, many Muslims feel uncomfortable ad- mitting that there is a split that divides the religion. But at the same time, Islam teaches that it is the solemn duty of each and every Muslim to bear witness and testify to the truth, even if such testimony be against one’s kin or coreligionists. Simulta- neous to the strong emphasis on Muslim unity and the impor- tance of truth is a long-established tradition in Islamic theology and law of tolerating differences of thought and opinion.

All of these teachings put this book in a rather odd posi- tion. By recognizing that there is a fundamental schism within contemporary Islam, I am discharging what I believe to be my religious obligation, but I am also offending many who believe that it is better not to dwell upon potentially seditious and di-

visive issues. To be divisive and to contribute to breaking the unity and harmony of Muslims is to cause
fitna
(sedition and divisiveness), and this word,
fitna,
fills the hearts of the pious with woe and dread. As sinful as
fitna
might be, I believe that what is at risk in the ongoing conflict between the moderates and puritans is nothing less than the very soul of Islam. There- fore, it is a greater act of sin for Muslims to indulge in a state of apathetic indifference.

In order to differentiate between the militant and fanatic minority and the silent majority of Islam, I am forced to com- pare and contrast two main groups: the moderates and the pu- ritans. However, it is important to keep in mind that the modern world of Islam cannot be summed up in just those two categories. The reality of Islam today is far more com- plex, and to speak in terms of two juxtaposed groups is an in- adequate oversimplification. For example, there are some orientations, such as the Sufis and the self-described secular- ists, that this book does not deal with. Nevertheless, I speak in terms of two competing groups to emphasize the fundamental difference between the two ends of the spectrum that are most likely to play a critical role in defining Islam’s future. Few Muslims are going to be thoroughly moderate or thoroughly puritan. Most will fall somewhere between the two extremes, with the majority leaning toward moderation. The model ar- ticulated here will, I hope, give non-Muslims an understanding of the range of beliefs and convictions adopted by Muslims, and help Muslims evaluate their own relationship to Islam as they consider their place on this spectrum of ideas and convic- tions.