VIEWPOINT

E Pluribis Islam?

The fragile promise of Muslim diversity.

By Irshad Manji | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Apr 30, 2009

« Return to Article

Discuss

Member Comments

  • Posted By: Nath @ 08/17/2009 6:52:57 AM

    There is a global awareness now on the need to fix the world & how to fix Islam - but darkness prevails on the best method - a solution that is simple and sure will evolve from here. Sounds far fetched & too optimistic ? Consider the peculiar case of 1 million deaths in the Iran Iraq war- this was technically not a Jihad with Kafir and hence all those dead went to HELL for no fault of theirs except that they had Saddam as "boss" - bad leadership brought ruin to followers!

    Every one agrees that nuclear attack on entire middle east from either US or Israel canoot be ruled out at all - but not many know that it appears to be very central to planners of Islamic life. As all muslims prey 5 times a day for death in jihad and seat in heaven to bump 72 goats - this is the most practical way for a benevoilent & merciful kafir like our Mr Bush to deliver a heavenly martyrdom in jihad to all muslims on equal footing.... so that at the Allah's brothel - stock of 72 goats/ martyr can be enjoyed equally by each muslim not just a few selected Talibans & Wahabbis..a case of good leadership solving every problem on earth and in heaven!!

  • Posted By: Nath @ 08/17/2009 5:48:32 AM

    There is a global awareness now on the need to fix the world & how to fix Islam - but darkness prevails on the best method - a solution that is simple and sure will evolve from here. Sounds far fetched & too optimistic ? Consider the peculiar case of 1 million deaths in the Iran Iraq war- this was technically not a Jihad with Kafir and hence all those dead went to HELL for no fault of theirs except that they had Saddam as "boss" - bad leadership brought ruin to followers!

    Every one agrees that nuclear attack on entire middle east from either US or Israel canoot be ruled out at all - but not many know that it appears to be very central to planners of Islamic life. As all muslims prey 5 times a day for death in jihad and seat in heaven to bump 72 goats - this is the most practical way for a benevoilent & merciful kafir like our Mr Bush to deliver a heavenly martyrdom in jihad to all muslims on equal footing.... so that at the Allah's brothel - stock of 72 goats/ martyr can be enjoyed equally by each muslim not just a few selected Talibans & Wahabbis..a case of good leadership solving every problem on earth and in heaven!!

  • Posted By: ionnoyer @ 05/22/2009 3:32:43 AM

    Yes you are right ! Its sheer affrontary of these religions.

  • Posted By: ionnoyer @ 05/22/2009 3:28:27 AM

    you are right. Its sheer affrontary !!

  • Posted By: bholenath @ 05/22/2009 3:22:33 AM

    I don't understand the stupidity of Christianity or Islam, the both term everyone else who doesn't believe in their religion, Heathen of Kafir. Who the hell gives them right to say that? Hindus or Buddhist never call people of other faith any name.

  • Posted By: IndianDP @ 05/10/2009 9:23:46 AM

    Gardener
    Agree with your observations.

    Thus, elected governments with the majority mandate in favor, do not automatically acquire endorsement of policies adopted by them as internationally acceptable. Even Hitler was annointed thru some acceptable mandate in Germany, so is the present govt in Palestine, Palastine and some other rogue filled nations with hate agenda.

    In 2009, since the globe has shrunk dangerously small in size, we as international community should start a dialogue process at least, certainly not a bombing campaign. Lets reminisce that it is the international community with US leading the pack that restored peace in erstwhile yugoslovia, and the genocide was eliminated completely. All the mayhem was hate filled religious pragmatism that led the european country into chaos and killings. This successful experience should provide an isnpiration to world community and the erring countries, even with democracy in place, should be reprimanded. Muslim countries in general are the repeat offenders.

    • Posted By: IndianDP @ 05/10/2009 11:15:38 AM

      so are the other countries like Myanmaar, N.Korea and african nations.

  • Posted By: IndianDP @ 05/05/2009 5:55:07 PM

    In other words, inadvertantly, US and other donors are encouraging religious hatred, thru school text books, by providing bagful of $$ every year. On one hand we want terrorism to disappear and on the other hand we ignore the real elephant in the room. What an irony

    It is the religious hatred stupid.

    • Posted By: TheGardener @ 05/08/2009 10:33:51 AM

      In other words, inadvertantly, US..........encouraging religious hatred, thru school text books, by providing bagful of $$ every year.

      You got that quite wrong.
      If the US of A would command what goes in Islamic text books for the school curriculum, Religion would be left out. It is the islamic donors who demand that religion, their religion , be promoted in the schools they donate money to. One such example are our universities. Islam is trying to dictate in our country what ought to go into the school text books. What goes in the school text books of Pakistan, just as Saudi Arabia, is decided by the great minds of that country. Do not blame the USA for their retarded state of mind.

      On second thought maybe we ought to demand what goes in the text books, than religion would be left out.

      • Posted By: IndianDP @ 05/09/2009 8:37:08 PM

        Gardener,

        You did nt read the weblink.
        Civics text books were studied and critiqued by Pak Scholars, not religious texts.
        Its onething highlighting virtues of ones own religion and its altogether a different downsizing the others faith. Its later tenet in Pak School curricula I was alluding to. Pointing out Hinduism as a demon religion to the young, innocent minds of Pakistani children is deleterious to the future of the countryand world. Its that much easy to recruit terrorists by any outfit. While donating money, US should be mindful of blatant contraventions of international amity by the recipients. A country, now, is reduced to a fiefdom and bombing its own citizens lost credibility to sustain as a respectable member of international community. How can we tolerate severe contamination of school curricula, with US dollars flowing into these schools, indirectly US is encouraging anti-hindu propaganda in Pakistan. Just read what Pak Scholars have found out , I posted the website link for your ready reference, in my previous post.
        If Saudis are blatantly demonizing another religion, or any other country in the school curricula of their public / private school, it needs to be addressed. Sowing seeds of hatred is a soft variant of state sponsored terrorism.
        President Obama, thanks for his efforts, will fail in his attempts to get anything out of these 2 countries, if the US dissects out and elects to weed out only a couple of terror organization. All terror other militant outfits should be eliminated across the board. If one is serious about remedying terror.

        • Posted By: TheGardener @ 05/09/2009 11:42:14 PM

          IndianDP

          If we observe correctly, the world has tried,very hard, to welcome the islamic culture for the past 40 years. Massive amounts of money of taxpayers were donated to islamic groups and nations for Nation Building.
          It is quite evident that after 40 years no Nation Building is remotely in sight.

          Yes, we have been taken for a ride by the Islamic cultures and I would not be surprised that the honeymoon of deceit is finally over. What you discover regarding Hinduism is not new.

          You will recall that Pakistan was, not so long ago, Indian Territory. Islam conquered it and created a separate state. In all honesty, it has gone from bad to worst, while the entire world community, upon orders from the UN, stood by and let it happen.

          If the World Community doesn't get together to expose the godly islamic ideology and lifestyle for what it is really is: an extremely destructive mindset, I fear whatever discrepencies, you or I point out is dust in the wind while more people will suffer and overpopulation will continue. Under the islamic lifestyle, a human is deprived from being human and insanity reigns.

          The Taliban is a mindset that looks at woman as covered vaginas and men totally out of control. The brain damage is so intense that no rational reasoning is possible. The West has lost its bet that it could sit on the table with islam and be civil. Islam has proven that this is an illusion of an over civilized society, which they call decadent,. and must be subjected to allah.

          There is really no rational reasoning with these people and that's where our mistake lies. India,allowed Pakistan to take shape and form, just as Israel allowed the Fatah, Hamas etc to take shape and form...all based upon humanitarian principles. Islam does not operate on humanitarian principles.

    • Posted By: TheGardener @ 05/08/2009 10:13:43 AM

  • Posted By: farhansk @ 05/09/2009 1:29:36 PM

    I have not read your book Manji neither i know your views completely but mere reading of your appearance with Ayan Hirsi Ali rings alarm bells. However i must say that rather than using the word progressive Islam vs orthodox Islam which tells ordinary uneducated muslims that their religion is under attack, we should use the word "Real Islam" vs "Violent Islam". Islam in reality is progressive with a very few codes of life. The whole edifice of Sharia is deduced by logic & intution by the scholars of the earlier era and should be liable to reconsideration. The only absolute in Islam is Quran & nothing else

  • Posted By: IndianDP @ 05/05/2009 5:51:27 PM

    Irshad Manji

    why Pakistanis hate Hindus? Read what the Pak Scholars found in their resarch- Hate Propaganda.
    http://www.sdpi.org/whats_new/reporton/State%20of%20Curr&TextBooks.pdf

    -The Subtle Subversion: The state of Curricula and Textbooks in Pakistan.

    quote- In May 2002, a group of academics were gathered by SDPI to examine the curricula and textbooks that are presently being used in public schools.The gathered academics shared the view that the curriculum encourages ideas that are incompatible with the ideals of Pakistan as a forward looking modern state committed to equal rights and equitable treatment for its citizens. Moreover, the textbooks are factually inaccurate,poorly written, pedagogically unsound and contain material harmful to young impressionable minds.-end quote.

    Shocking revelation indeed, which was never discussed on these forums by many.Thus, in my opinion, the problem lies in regular municipal schools and not just in Madrassas

  • Posted By: syzito @ 05/01/2009 7:08:05 AM

    Islam is still a back-water 9th century religion based on control and fear.It is and always has been a religion of hate for anyone with different beliefs.How many terrorist the past 40 yrs have been anything but Muslims?Answer.....0.How many other religions have cut off heads for no more reason than the fact that the person didn't agree with Islamic belief?

    Believe in this type of god and cultural is a crime and should be treated as such.

    • Posted By: human360 @ 05/02/2009 11:58:37 AM

      I am not sure what is important about the last 40 years. Are you afraid of what you might find if you look back a little farther in the past? All religions including Christianity, Islam and Buddhism have committed very violent acts. Millions of Jews executed in World War two by the Nazis. Dropping two nuclear weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki which instantly killed over 250,000 people. Millions of soldiers (actually slaves) from India and other African countries killed fighting for the Allies who were occupying their countries in WW II. The brutal and violent methods used by the Japanese on the Chinese and other Asians during WW II. All religions and their followers have blood on their hands.

      • Posted By: TheGardener @ 05/05/2009 5:25:46 PM

        The difference with Religion is that you justify your atrocities behind a god you cannot prove. In other words, your religion is a fiction of your mind, a god that is your imaginary friend, which you use to justify your irresponsible delusional behaviour.

        Without religion, people wouldn't fight as much as we see. Without religion there would be no war in Israel, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia...when you think that religion is a fiction of the human mind, of a god they cannot prove, you can easily see the level of insanity that governs this planet.

    • Posted By: snjv @ 05/01/2009 1:28:07 PM

      "It is and always has been a religion of hate for anyone with different beliefs."
      It may be that this is how many Muslims behave today, but it is not the only possible interpretation of Islam. Sure there are passages in the Quran that laud violence, but there are also passages that stress that religion can't be forced upon people - no hatred for non-Muslims there. And if you look at the Old Testament, you may be surprised how many descriptions of violence you find, including the call to murder all who do not believe in God. My point is: It is the believers' choice in each religion to choose how they interpret their holy books, Islam is no more necessarily a religion of hatred that other world religions.

      "How many terrorist the past 40 yrs have been anything but Muslims?"
      I mention just the first example that comes to my mind: the Basque organization ETA, which, with a Marxist-Leninist point of view, does not need any religion at all to commit terrorist attacks.

      "How many other religions have cut off heads for no more reason than the fact that the person didn't agree with Islamic belief?"
      It is not religion but people who kill. And I doubt that reiligion is ever the ONLY reason for murder, no matter whether we are speaking of wars, terrorism, whatever. Now which people killed people who disagreed with Islamic belief? Only Muslims, I guess. But what are the most common religions in Sri Lanka? Buddhism and Hinduism, not Islam. And still, religion plays an important role in the Sri Lankan civil war - in killing people, that is. Who kills each other in Northern Ireland? Christians of different denominations. Shall I continue? Again, I argue that religion is rarely the root of conflicts, it gets involved later on. We can see that at all times in history. Just think of the wars between Catholic and Protestant states in early modern times in Europe. It can easily be misused, but that does not mean that any religion aims at killing people who hold different beliefs.

      Please be careful in judging religions. Those who you should judge are people who use religion to justify whatever kind of crimes. And those who you should also have in mind are those many people who share the same religion but do not harm anyone and do not support violence in the name of their religion.

      As for Islam, I wish more people made the effort to give their point of view a voice, as Irshad Manji does.

      • Posted By: MassOpiate @ 05/01/2009 5:26:26 PM

        Find me one thing Jesus says (red letters) that would condone violence or hatred and discrimination against women. The Old Testament is the old covenant which is Judaism. Muhammed condones violence and discrimination against women throughout the entire Koran.

        • Posted By: snjv @ 05/01/2009 8:35:06 PM

          Thanks for explaining me what the Old Testament is. I knew it before. Please notice that I did not name any religion when I mentioned the Old Testament. It is important in Judaism, it is important in Christianity. Now does every Jew or Christian interpret it as a call for violence today? Certainly not. So why should we assume Islamic faith equals violence or support for violence? My point is that every religion can be, and has been, misused to justify crimes. Regardless of what Muhammad or Jesus said. But it need not. This is why it is wrong to condemn Islamic faith as a whole.

        • Posted By: snjv @ 05/01/2009 8:34:13 PM

          Please notice that I did not name any religion when I mentioned the Old Testament. It is important in Judaism, it is important in Christianity. Now does every Jew or Christian interpret it as a call for violence today? Certainly not. So why should we assume Islamic faith equals violence or support for violence? My point is that every religion can be, and has been, misused to justify crimes. Regardless of what Muhammad or Jesus said. But it need not. This is why it is wrong to condemn Islamic faith as a whole.

        • Posted By: pmj001 @ 05/01/2009 5:45:08 PM

          Mass opiate, you miss the point as well as most of what Jesus said or did not say, just like he never spoke greek or latin, go to church on Sunday and never celebrated Christmas or Easter or go to church on Sunday. What we all have to find out is the real truth and true religion is about love and good and doing and wishing unto others as to oneself.

          All good people in the world are united in doing good deeds or no harm irregardless of creed and equally all evil people. That should be simple enough. Musa-Moses-Moise-Moshe

    • Posted By: Vigilance @ 05/01/2009 2:06:32 PM

      Screw you.

  • Posted By: Ganpat @ 05/05/2009 10:13:00 AM

    Be serious, Irshad.

    There is no more hope of Muslim pluralism than there is of boiling ice.

    Contradticion in terms.

  • Posted By: Ganpat @ 05/05/2009 8:55:34 AM

    Ciome on, Irshad Manji, be fair.

    Musdlims are simply serious followers of monotheism, which comes from the Old Testament. The doctrine, so proudly set out in the Old testament, that "MY God is the ONLY God, and YOUR God is a PAGAN LIE".

    Muslims fight pagan polytheism and idolatry, as the Old testament advises.

    Why blame them?

  • Posted By: Oldenoughto @ 05/01/2009 10:08:23 PM

    Can somebody please tell me where I can get an English translation of the Koran? I'm tired of hearing everybody else's interpretations.

    • Posted By: Mehdi Rifai @ 05/02/2009 1:52:03 PM

      Actually, Irshad Manji has a reformist translation on her website for free download if you're interested: www.irshadmanji.com. Otherwise, the faith and religion section of most Borders or Barnes and Nobles usually have one.

  • Posted By: jbz7879 @ 05/02/2009 11:37:28 AM

    well islam is an ideology open to dignified debate and it does not belong to muslims but to all of humanity as an idea -it has been the most rapidly spreading idea in the globe and it shows no signs of stopping to either evolve or spread its wings and fly further -
    it is unlike other dogmas as IT is culturally and literaLLY DIVERSE -and it has 83 sects to show that diversification -it reaLLY NEEDS NO PATRONS -
    MUSLIM OR NONMUSLIM -
    AND can anyone define what is muslim as the faith is a matter of belief and not name calling -and only allah knows what is in your heart -
    as for zardari and karzai -they are festering flesh infested with fleas of feudal ideology -nothing to do with ISLAM

  • Posted By: jbz7879 @ 05/02/2009 11:14:25 AM

    islam really does not belong to anyone -not even muslims who might be so in name only as all other ideology it is open to both diversification ,debate and dialogue as in any dignifired dogma and thiat has been the csae for 1400 years since its revelation -
    it has evolveed and reached much further than its roots and is the most rapidly spreading ideology globally -
    i really think involving freaks like karzai and zardari in this noble dogma is a hilarious omission of sensibility

  • Posted By: jbz7879 @ 05/02/2009 10:42:43 AM

    i cannot believe OBAMA IS SERIOUS ABOUT TALKING TO THESE 2 CARTOONS who represent nothing but corruption and anarchy -
    ZARDARI AND KARZAI NEED TO BE SENT TO GITMO BAY ALONG WITH BUSH AND MUSH

  • Posted By: boscobear @ 05/02/2009 10:25:37 AM

    Islam is suppose to be a religion of peace, etc. Well, it seems to have been hijacked somewhere along the way. It will not return to what it is supposed to be until those who've hijacked it are removed from power. How is this done--one way it seems is for the women to say "enough is enough". Once they have become full citizens of their countries, then all this violence will begin to end.

    Also, for the Muslims who leave their countries and settle elsewhere, they must allow the women in their faimiles to live free lives-free from honor killings, genitial mutlitation, etc. Bluntly speaking,"If you want your women family members to live just like they did in your home countries, why did did you leave? Muslim women must have the courage to throw off the yoke of male domination and regain your true role in your religion

  • Posted By: mdshams00 @ 05/02/2009 8:11:10 AM

    Stop worrying about Islam or Muslim !! The west will always create a phobia to perpetuate it's political goal!! This is called Imperialism.

  • Posted By: Montedoro1316 @ 05/01/2009 4:59:11 PM

    Irshad Manji has to be given credit for trying. However, there is a semantic confusion here that needs to be cleared up before intelligent discussion can proceed. The word "Islam" is often used to mean the worldwide community of Muslims instead of the doctrines of Islam, the belief system. Error creeps in when we observe the diversity in the "Muslim world" and conclude, falsely, that Islam is diverse. Actually, only the practice of Islam, that is, the behavior of Muslims, is diverse. Islam, the belief system based on the Koran and the sayings of Muhammad,has been pretty well fixed for more than a thousand years and is not diverse, especially as concerns relations between Muslims and non-Muslims. The "dictates of the dogma" are what they are. Moderate Muslims may diverge from them in their behavior, but the dogma remains unchanged. This is important because the dogma will always produce religious Muslims who look to the dogma as a guide to their behavior. The more religious they are, the more closely they will adhere to the dogma in practice. Moderate Muslims can be moderate only in so far as they deviate from the dogma. There are "moderate Muslims", but there is no such thing as "moderate Islam". The "extremists" have the dogma on their side.

    • Posted By: bobothewiseman @ 05/01/2009 7:37:07 PM

      wow, I was just going to say that

      • Posted By: IndianDP @ 05/01/2009 8:25:39 PM

        secularism is the only way for all nations for a secure peaceful future
        Acceptance and tolerance of all faiths shd be made a UN law uniformly for all member nations.

    • Posted By: Vigilance @ 05/01/2009 7:54:02 PM

      It's like that with most religions.

  • Posted By: Dolmance @ 04/30/2009 10:32:50 PM

    The Muslim World has a choice - either they police their own and actively try to get a handle on the fascists and murderers in their midst, or the rest of the planet is surely going tol do it for them. All it takes to light the conflagration is a few more attacks on the scale of 9/11 or Beslan.

    • Posted By: Mehdi Rifai @ 05/01/2009 3:50:04 PM

      This comment is kind of scary, because it essentially fails to recognize that all meaningful and lasting change comes from within. The idea that you could force someone to change is exactly what's wrong with Salafi and Wahabi Islam, and therefore is not so comforting when it comes from those who are supposed to pose as an example to be followed.

      • Posted By: OpiateOfTheMasses @ 05/01/2009 4:46:43 PM

        The U.S. has the power to police the Muslim world if they cannot do it themselves. We are merely protecting ourselves by bringing the frontline of the war to their back yard. Yes, the U.S. military is spread thin momentarily, but if there was another terrorist attack the draft would be reinstated and the problem of a dearth of manpower would be overcome overnight.

      • Posted By: OpiateOfTheMasses @ 05/01/2009 4:45:30 PM

        The U.S. has the power to police the Muslim world if they cannot do it themselves. We are merely protecting ourselves by bringing the frontline of the war to their back yard. Yes, the U.S. military is spread thin momentarily, but if there was another terrorist attack the draft would be reinstated and the problem of a dearth of manpower would be overcome overnight.

    • Posted By: Zeronomo @ 05/01/2009 11:59:59 AM

      Ban Islam worldwide and any of the other cults posing as religion that oppress their followers or use force in any way to promote their garbage!

      • Posted By: Osama Bin Login @ 05/01/2009 12:43:14 PM

        Does anyone else see the irony in that statement?

    • Posted By: Zeronomo @ 05/01/2009 11:31:19 AM

      Ban Islam worldwide and any of the other cults posing as religion that oppress their followers or use force in any way to promote their garbage!

    • Posted By: Zeronomo @ 05/01/2009 11:27:42 AM

      Ban Islam worldwide and any of the other cults posing as religion that oppress their followers or use force in any way to promote their garbage!

Reply

Report Abuse

Enter comments if any for reporting abuse