To Fix Islam, Start From the Inside

The title of the article is wrong. Islam is perfect, however, Muslims need fixing. Like everyone else. The article should say, To Fix Muslims.

???This is not to counsel more military invasions to rescue Muslims from each other. Exactly the opposite: Washington's fixation on counterterrorism reduces Muslims to the status of perceived anti-American conspirators, creating enemies out of those who ought to be Lady Liberty's fiercest allies.???

So America should spend more energy helping to free Islamic peoples from totalitarian governments? Like the Talaban and the Baathist? If you would look past the simplton reporting of the major media, you could see that is what America has been doing in Afganistan and Iraq. We are also defending ourselves from the same ideology driven violence that has taken so many Afgani and Iraqi lives in the past 7 years.
I do not disagree with the premis of empowering Muslim women, quite the contrary, everyone knows that women rule the world, albiet from behind male leaders. Empowering and educating anyone tends to lead towards the urge for freedom.

I just am tired of the same old throwing of rocks at the US. We are the only non-expantionist superpower in the history of man, and the most benevolent nation in existance today, no mater how we are perceved by the rest of the world.

malikrose3, yours is a message of hate and forced behavioral modification which makes your concept of faith a cult. Any religion that can't hold it's own in the light of competition is a fraud and a cult. There is no religious freedom in your belief system is "either believe like me or die" and that is coercion not faith. Real faith draws people to it through it's honesty and truth, your'se seeks to force compliance. You are a weak practitioner of your own faith and it's power to convert so you support forced compliance. I support Miss Manji.s concept over your authoritarian hateful totalitarian militaristic garbage of hate.

iatassi and all: The one Muslim that needed fixing was Mohammad BEFORE he wrote the Koran. How do you propose this might be accomplished?

Average Joe writes: ...Muslims have a bad reputation because of the actions of a few thugs and idealists that use the name of Islam and Muslim to kill, torture,..." Unfortunately, the problem is much deeper. Islam has NOT been hijacked by a "few thugs". Only a centrally controlled system can be hijacked, and Islam is NOT a centrally controlled system. Islam cannot be hijacked even in theory. The trouble with Islam is precisely that the sacred texts themselves contain all manner of contempt and violence toward non-Moslems, and these texts cannot be changed. ALL Moslems must believe that the Koran -- every word of it!-- is Allah's literal word -- perfect, complete, immutable and valid for all of eternity. Since the Koran gives total authority to Muhammad, Muhammad's words (the Hadith) are also considered to be sacrosanct and untouchable. All Moslem terrorists quote the Koran and Muhammad to justify their deeds, and so they have the theological arguments on their side. That is why there are not counter movements by Islamic religious authorities. There cannot be. No Moslem religious authority (or any other Moslem, for that matter) will ever criticize anything in the Koran or the accepted sayings of Muhammad. The Koran and the Hadith will always be a source of inspiration for Moslem terrorists (and non-terrorist Moslem supremacists). The fact that many Moslems, or even most Moslems do not follow the jihadist precepts of the Koran and Muhammad is irrelevant. They do not vote. And, the will never speak up, either, because they cannot criticize the Koran or Muhammad.

Iam convinced that the world is edging towards an apocalyptic war between muslims and western civilization. Iam constantly baffled by the inability of the 'educated moderate' muslims to stand up against the seedy elements within their religion.Instead they keep on blaming USA, Christians, Jews, Hindusand even Bamiyaan Buddha Statues for the ills of muslim countries. Koran is like opium which instigates these zombies to wage war against the civilized world. Wake up,my muslim brothren , stop blaming others for your predicament which is brought upon yourself by not adopting modern science and education. I guess the whole rage against 'kafirs' (non islam believers) is due to the fact that kafirs reformed their respective religions and started achieving progress and more clout in the world. Muslims are lucky that middle east happened to have oil reserves . Otherwise,the only contribution of modern islam to the world is heaping more misery ,starting wars across the globe,secessionist tendencies/ dreaming about islamic caliphate and whining that all the conflicts are orchestrated by CIA and Jews.In retrospect, violence has always shaped human civilization and the story may not be different this time ,but in this age of nuclear bombs , the scale of the upcoming carnage is frightening.

To Antimatter:
There is no mystery and no reason for you to be baffled by the inability of "educated moderate" Moslems to stand up to the extremist elements in their religion. The moderates CANNOT stand up to them without criticizing the Koran and Muhammad, whom the extremists quote all the time. No Moslem can criticize or even question the Koran and still retain his/her identity as a Moslem. The best that we can hope for is that moderate Moslems will go about their moderate lives in silent disobedience to the Koran and Muhammad. They will never speak out -- unless they make the fateful decision to leave Islam. Many people have made that decision and, as ex-Muslims, they have spoken out loudly and clearly and knowledgeably about Islam.

I would like to add a very important point that I should have brought up in my previous comments is that ISLAM doesn't need fixing, its as complete as any idea/philosophy can be. ISLAM has presented solution to every problem that mankind is facing or can face in coming future. The problem lies in the individuals like Irshad manji and Fareed Zakria. These individuals have some neurons in their brains those aren't functioning at optimal level and lack capacity to correctly understand the philosophy of ISLAM.
Moreover as I mentioned before its all for money and personal gains. These mentally sick individuals with their twisted idealogy know what western media is looking for and what sells well in the media "twisted and distorted explanation of ISLAM especially by HIPPOCRATE like Manji and Zakria and what these mentally sick (MONAFQEEN) are taking advantage off". Western media due to its BIAS against ISLAM is always looking for individuals like Manji, and Zakria with distorted immage of Islam and rebellion thoughts against ISLAM and use these individuals to portrate them as ISLAMIC scholars to distort/mask the real teachings of great religion like ISLAM.
Again can someone tell me qualifications of Manji that qualify her for the post she is holding. Her only qualifications are her sick and insane explanations of ISLAMIC idealogy. Why we don't see any real Muslim scholar on media, because media doesn't like the viewers to get a clear and correct message and understanding of ISLAM.
I protest the very topic of Manji's article as its offensive and hurts the feelings of millions of Muslims around the globe. I denounce all these efforts by HIPPOCRATES, like Manji and Zakria, these individuals shouldn't be called MUSLIMS as Quran says "Enter into ISLAM (accept it) totally and completely" follow and obey the teachings completely, you are either a believer or you are a non believer, you can't accept some what you like and leave what you don't like. This is the basic role of ISLAM. Moreover as for as teachings of Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) prophet said " you can't be a complete Muslim untill and unless you accept me and my words dearest to and above all of your loved ones and your interests. Some can argue that ISLAM is a totaletarrian in its role, its due to the fact that without a clear concept of punishment and rewards a model society can't be created.

In the West it is a widey held view that for a Muslim woman to have a driving license would mean some sort prestigious award, elevated status and liberty when so many of them are doctors, academics, teachers, lawyers, solicitors, engineers, nurses, social workers, policewomen, army officers and even pilots. It is a preposterous to say that Muslim women are restricted and housebound and maidservants when as a matter of fact, they are ones who are at the wheel and driving force in the running of their families and the households. They are far more empowered than the non-Muslims think and in many cases are the decision-makers, and good ones.

Muslim women are participating fully and equally in the construction of Islamic societies and contributing positively in the development of their countries. They are respected, have their dignified status and are not considered as objects of bare flesh, lust, good for TV commercials, good-time girls, strip-tease dancers and whores as in the Western countries.

Islam demands that a woman should remain a reasonable being as everyone else. It does not expect her to become either an angel or a demon. If non-Muslims wish to compare or contrast her position with other civilizations or legal systems, one should look into all facts and not merely isolated practices as wearing a burqa or not having a driving license etc. In fact, with regard to certain aspects of morality, Islam is more rigid and more puritan than other systems and non-Muslim societies. Since Islam attaches particular importance to morality, it suppresses promiscuity by every means.

Muslim women are entitled to enjoy and exercise those rights which are considered to be the privilege of men as Islam treats both men and women at par as far as their rights are concerned. In the Quran it is mentioned that if women have duties, they have equal rights also. Both sexes have distinct roles but their duties and rights regarding marriage, divorce, inheritance, property, litigation, family matters etc have been defined in clear-cut terms and transgression is forbidden. Islam does not permit a woman to be subjugated by a man/husband but she must be treated with affection, respect and dignity; and above all afforded all rights entitled to her as a wife, mother, daughter and even if she becomes a widow with children. Men and women are subjected to same restrictions or prohibitions upon themselves as far the tenets of Islam are concerned but some leniency has been allowed to women in many matters concerning biological and physiological compulsions.
(contd)

The statement that "Islamic law can be brutal", reminds one of the burning of witches in New England in our past history, and the obvious fact that it all emanated from interpretations of how to enforce Christian law. I would take a look at the three great writings, Quran, Torah, and Holy Bible, read carefully and try to figure if any of them cannot be brutal. A lot of it depends on current interpretation of what these holy works intend for followers to do in a pinch. Right now, Islam apparently thinks that it is in a pinch and is reacting violently to the situation. Don't we all??? Where will the next pinch strike? I sometimes worry about the current movement of conservative evangelism. Some of the language of the day seems mighty regressive, sometimes appearing to need a witch to burn at the stake. The name "Hussein" as used by Obama's retractors in the recent campaigns comes to mind. What do you think?