Lessons from Mr Tovey's response

Submitted by Prashant (United States), May 5, 2021 at 17:59

Dear Dr Pipes, approaching religious texts with kindness and compassion is important but should not necessarily be a subject matter to be discussed on this forum. But it becomes so because it indicates the biggest flaw of Islam: Muslims neither treat their religious texts with kindness and compassion nor those of others.

The other day, I happened to read Chapter 66 of the Quran. As a Hindu originally from India, I barely know much about Christian theology or history but I have seen Mary's statues and have heard the story about immaculate conception. I can easily understand the intended meaning of this description. I thought that the description of Mary in Quran Chapter 66 completely misses the whole point. I hardly ever thought that my kind and simple description of the episode on you site deserved any praise or thanks. But I got both from M Tovey and I feel so humbled.

This is the mistake that Islam committed way back when it was invented. If only Islam had treated the Christian and Jewish religions with kindness and understanding. If only Muhammad had not seen everything as a war to be won and every place as a land to be grabbed for Islam.
Then, some grace could have come to Islam (as M Tovey alludes to in one of his more recent letters).

Everything can change. Islam lives in Muslims. Even Islam can change. That is why I write.

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