Vain Hope of Improvement in Islam

Submitted by Richard Jordan (United States), Nov 15, 2021 at 23:00

This is in response to Mr. Pipe's Nov 15 article "Will Islam Survive Islamism". As has been his approach for more than a decade, Mr Pipes is hopeful about a future moderation or "reformation" of Islam and this article continues in that vain hope. Of his 4 examples in this article, he has no data or quotations to support his contentions about an Egyptian Islamic moderation. For Saudi Arabia, he cites a mere 5% of Saudis being atheist which is really nothing to get excited about. He seems to have more sources for his assertions about Iran's Christian trends. However, the Iranian Muslim leadership have a very successful history of expelling or exterminating non-Muslims of all kinds (Bahai's, Jews, Zoroastrians, Sufis, etc.). What would prevent that again with any Iranians who now claim to be Christian? His best sources and evidence are from Turkey. So it seems like a pretty weak global "trend" and more like an on-going Quixotic quest for signs of hope in a future Islam's "reformation". Meanwhile Islamic extremists just took over Afghanistan which Mr Pipes sees as fostering anti-Islamist opinions rather than the other way around.

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