Is Reform of Islam Likely or Even Possble

Submitted by Richard Roy Blake (United States), Sep 29, 2021 at 17:24

As all efforts to reform Islam have thusfar been unsuccessful, what would an Islamic reformation look like and other than ex-Muslims is anyone taking the steps that would be necessary. In correspondence to Kurdish fighters engaged in the struggle against ISIS, I suggested that perhaps the Kurdish practice of Islam could be a model to the world if it could be codified. I even gave a possible theological support for codifying Kurdish practice, that being that when the peaceful verses of the Meccan period were abrogated by the violent Medina period, Kurdish Islamic scholars could make the argument that the Medina verses were written as a temporary emergency measure that ought itself to be abrogated. The most common response I received was that the Kurds had no interest in saving Islam. I assume that some of them might have been referring to the likelihood that you cannot trust what Islamic leaders say. and to provide a new non-violent profession would only further mask their true intentions. As you may know the Arabs have a saying that "only compared to the infidel is the Kurd a Muslim."

In the US the most vocal self-proclaimed Islamic reformer is Zudhi Jasser, president of AIFD. His path to Islamic reformation would be a good deal easier as most orthodox Muslims do not have a good opinion concerning the Kurds. Jasser would just need to take the same steps that Luther took when he accidentally began the process that reformed Christianity. Even more important than nailing his thesis to mosque doors, he would need to create an entirely different Islamic narrative AND set up reform mosques. When I sent this idea to Jasser some years ago, he ignored it.

Which causes me to ask what actually is Jasser accomplishing? None of the answers I could come up with were reassuring. Other than softening the image of Islam in the public square (which would make him a clever Islamic apologist), the only other possibility I could come up with is that Jasser sees the writing on the wall and is trying to give Islam a softer place to land.

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