The Anti-Manichaeist

Rebecca Haines of the Institute for Global Engagement has a well done article on the need to hold to a more nuanced view of religious violence and Islam than is typically presented to us in the MSM. One of the services she provides is a list of moderate muslim voices.

In the United States, moderate Muslim academics are producing strong scholarship that points out the illegitimacy of terrorism and violence justified on Islamic principles. Intellectuals such as Ahmed al-Rahim, formerly of Harvard, and Bassam Tibi of Berkeley exegete the Qur’an holistically and explain its compatibility with democracy and international human rights standards. In addition, prominent activists such as Ahmed Subhy Mansour of the Free Muslim Coalition and Azar Nafisi, author of the recent memoir collection, READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN, advocate social justice, women’s rights, and liberal, uncensored educational opportunity in the Islamic world. In addition, organizations like the American Islamic Forum for Democracy and the Free Muslim Coalition against Terrorism organize demonstrations to protest Islamic radicalism and publicly denounce religiously motivated violence.

In the Muslim world, there are also many moderate academics, journalists, and activists. In his recent book, SHUKRAN, BIN LADEN, Egyptian Sayyid Mahmoud al-Qimny discusses ways in which Muslims can be engaged as legitimate participants in civil processes that offer them an alternative channel of political _expression. Likewise, journalist Osama El-Ghazali Harb writes from Cairo in support of Muslims taking responsibility for Islamic violence. He writes for Al-Ahram Weekly, is editor-in-chief of Al-Siyasa Al Dawliya, and has been published in Egypt Today along with a variety of other publications. However, despite some moderate voices, most Islamic clerics or religious bodies in the Muslim world still refrain from publicly and resolutely denouncing Islamic radicalism. While Western media plays a role in overlooking Muslim moderates, Muslims of influence abroad are often reticent to definitively denounce religiously motivated violence. In order to deny violent extremism its desired spotlight, both a stronger moderate Muslim voice and a more balanced media portrayal of Islam are necessary.

I imagine that it would also help moderate muslims if the economic domination of oil autarchs in the middle-east was weakened and human rights were promoted there. What a shame our leaders seemed preoccupied with increasing the short-term supply and price of oil and gasoline when the long-run concerns are of a far more serious nature.
dlw