December 14, 2006
"In the West, the advent of printing meant enormous progress in terms of freedom of thought. Printing made possible the gradual spread of knowledge and the questioning of the established order. Technology and freedom seem to have marched hand in hand.He goes on to say that such censorship did not happen in the early years of Islam. Perhaps we are going to see a Muslim Restoration movement rather than a Muslim Reformation? The latter is slightly more problematic, since Mohammed himself is said to have proclaimed, "If someone changes his deen [Islamic character] - strike his neck!" [Malik's Muwatta Book 36, Number 36.18.15]. And, how can you have freedom of speech when it is a capital offense to question Islam? An ahistorical and literal interpretation of the Quran, though, is problematic in another way: much of the apologetics against the more violent verses are historical & contextual."But in our [Muslim] societies, the opposite seems to have happened. The advent of printing [in the Muslim world] in the mid-19th century and the spread of written materials in the 20th century have [only served to] undermine freedom of thought.
"The numerous examples of 'censorship in the name of Islam' from 1925 to date makes one wonder. From philosophy to cinema, literature, and art - no field has been spared, and no [act of] violence has been avoided. From the [mere] banning of the work to a death sentence for [the writer] - every kind of obscurantist horror has taken place in the lands of Islam. Given that we are one of the Civilizations of the Book, [2] this is a complete paradox.
So, on the one hand, you have historical Islam which is clearly both violent and oppressive vs. an ahistorical Islam, based solely on the Quran, which is also clearly both violent and oppressive.
There is a third way, though: an Islam of historical revisionism. This is where you construct an alternative history of Islam, one that pretends that Islam was not spread by the sword, that Mohammed wasn't a child molester, that sharia was never integral, and one in which Islam has always been tolerant and liberal.
The noble lie for Muslims. This is the Islam that many Muslims actually believe. Which is fine by me. I'd rather Muslims believe the noble lie than the very ignoble truth.
Anyway, you might want to check out Robert Spencer's latest vblog as well as part II of Michelle's interview with him.
Via Jules Crittenden.
Posted by: Rusty at
10:02 AM
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than the very ignoble truth.
This is precisely why Bush always refers to islam as the "Religion of Peace." It's a noble lie he hopes they believe. Now you comprende?
Posted by: Jesuslad Carlos at December 14, 2006 12:20 PM (8e/V4)
What I came to say: Sorry, but the Westerners who go around saying "We need a Muslim Reformation" (such as in your link) don't really understand what the West's Reformation was about. The West's Reformation was very much a religiously fanatical, back-to-the-Bible movement. Islam is, in fact, now going through its Reformation. What we need them to have is an ENLIGHTENMENT period - a period where they learn to value human reason and to criticize Islam.
Posted by: Calarato at December 14, 2006 05:58 PM (CHDLy)
Posted by: wooga at December 14, 2006 09:44 PM (t9sT5)
In the Islamic Reformation article that you linked to here, I tried to make it abundantly clear that this wave of jihadist violence across the globe IS the Islamic Reformation. As with the Christian Reformation where Protestant said they were returning to the true faith that the Catholics strayed from, the jihadists are saying exactly the same thing. They are returning to the true faith of the Prophet Mohammed.
This is not problematic at all. Ask the jihadist, they've been telling us for years that they are conducting themselves in strictest accord to the Koran and to the life of the Prophet Mohammed.
While the Christian Reformation turned Christian against Christian to vie for the true faith, the Islamicist are turning outward against all that is not Muslim. Therein lies their problem and ours.
Thomas
Posted by: Thomas at December 15, 2006 12:10 AM (KA58L)
Posted by: Greyrooster at December 15, 2006 01:26 AM (vLeHe)
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