What will moderate Islam look like?

Submitted by Prashant (United States), Jun 18, 2015 at 14:31

Dear Dr Pipes, your reader Jaladhi stated that moderate Islam is a mythical concept and does not exist. I do not know. Jaladhi might be right. However, it might be useful to think what will moderate Islam look like if it were to exist. If we know what it would look like if it were to exist, we will be able to recognize it when we find it.

Why do we call someone a moderate? Who is a moderate Jew, Christian, Hindu, or Buddist? I think one fundamental value espoused by moderate religions (or moderate religious people) is that at some level we recognize that there is a set of values that would bring peace, prosperity, forgiveness and love among us all. And the purpose of religion(s) is to encourage and spread these values. Thus, the religions exist to serve the purpose of these values and not the other way round. And, hopefully, God will like us if we follow these values and the God's cause is not in contradiction to these values.

Life presents us with ample opportunities to practice the above policy. If we see a thief, we call him bad irrespective of his religion. If a country tormentizes another, we call the former bad. If a person or group of people refuses to forgive someone else, we ask them to move on. If a politician serves special interests, we call the politician bad. If two young people fall in love, we let love win over the beliefs or doctrines. The examples and many and small but they can go on and on and they define what being moderate is. Religious labels play no roles in these day-to-day decisions.

Every Muslim can judge himself/herself by these criteria and every one of us can judge muslims and everyone else using these criteria and we will know who is moderate and who is not.

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