Does Moderate Islam Really Exist?

Submitted by M. Tovey (United States), Apr 2, 2014 at 19:27

Dr. Pipes: I have a great deal of respect for your scholarship on this most complex and hard-to-grasp subject, even though there have been times I would-and have-come to a disagreement. This is not to say that my version of such things is better; our lenses are different.

The observation of Andrew, like so many of the opinions that cast Islam in a harsh light, is easily made when observing the reality that is being presented by the fundamentalist Islamists' dialogue and extremists' actions. Media presentations of the factious expressions of hatred cannot be ameliorated by attempts of isolation from one expression versus another. Islam is practiced 'by the book,' or it is not practiced in its fundamental form.

Islam, like human nature, is operating like the second law of thermodynamics. It requires an outside influence to reverse its course. 'Moderate' expressions of its practice are not recognized by the fundamentalist practitioners and from that perspective; they would say moderates are apostates and cannot claim to be true Muslims. They will not tolerate its diminishment.

To the point: if Islam is no longer practiced as it is defined by the ancient written expression, does it not cease to be true to its form and altered beyond a recognition of its purpose?

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