Where are Islam's 95 theses and which door were they nailed to?

Submitted by Michael Ayling (Australia), Sep 7, 2010 at 17:03

Dear Dr Pipes,

I am a huge fan of yours. I note your refrain "Radical Islam is the problem, moderate Islam is the answer." I feel however that I come from the Robert Spencer school. Oh, if that were true; would that there were a moderate Islam. There are millions of moderate Muslims. I know some of them. But I cannot identify any moderate Islamic canon (or protestant Islamic doctrine). So while there are numerous historical examples of Muslims with a liberal tendency (liberal in its classical meaning, not the hijacked form meaning left wing), this seems to be a result f less piety rather than adherence to a form of Islam which preaches tolerance and inclusion.

You are right that the nascent movement should not target Muslims. But I feel that we have to make demands of them that they change their religion itself. We must demand that they recharacterise Islam as in interpretive religion, not a literal one. We must demand that that formulate new doctrine which separates mosque from state. We must demand that they repudiate all suras, hadiths and sira exegeses to the extent that they exhort Muslims to regard non-Muslims with prejudice and to visit violence upon them. They must be made to accept the notion of permanent treaties (with non-believers), not mere ten year hudnas that they may break at will. All Sunni schools and Shia preach violent Jihad and 5th column activity. So where will this new moderate Islam come from?

Of course, you have said that it has to come from them. But my fear is that there will only be a new period of less rigid adherence to the old Islam, not a new protestant Islam. I'm afraid that until I see 95 theses nailed to the door of the Grand Mosque in Mecca I don't see anything but conflict in the near future.

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