The Myths of Present-day Islam

Submitted by Anna Jordan (United States), Dec 17, 2002 at 14:50

It is difficult to comment on the game (in this case Islam as everyone wants to portray it) when the whole premise of the game is flawed (i.e. as it is currently interpreted by the majority of its followers and would-be attracters.) Every so often I read about a call for a reformation of Islam. Any attempt at reforming Islam is nothing less than an attempt at a shortened life.

Take the literal translation of the word "Islam", which means simply "submissison to God". Unfortunately, that is not the meaning of "Islam" today. The article stated it more accurately regarding the documentary, ".....Muslims speak affectingly about their personal bond to their prophet."

Islam as it is expressed today by most Muslims is simply that, a personal bond with their prophet, which must occur before any bond with God is possible. According to the Muslim faithful, the Qur'an cannot be interpreted by the faithful alone - the individual must seek understanding through the interpretation of the scholars, the mullahs, clerics, ayatollahs, etc., who claim to have cornered the market on religious understanding. Enter people like Hashem Aghajari, the college professor in Tehran who has been sentenced to death for blasphemy. Or Rashad Khalifa, who was murdered for his blasphemy in Tucson, Arizona. There's a word to interpret. One man's blasphemy is another man's truth.

No legitimate discussion of Islam can take place until a place is made at the table for people who read the Qu'ran and interpret it for themselves, without benefit of the countless hadiths and sunna that the "faithful" insist must be taken into account. If I suggest that my interpretation of Islam be taken into account, no one will listen, because I don't represent the vast majority of "Muslims". Professor Aghajari would likely have received no better audience here in the U.S. either. We would not have sentenced him to literal death - we just would not have given him air time, because we have so many Westerners who claim to be experts on "Islam". The only version of Islam they want to discuss is the one they oppose, or the version they want to whitewash. This documentary is about whitewashing a religion for the sake of appearing tolerant, or politically correct.

It is unfortunate that the PBS documentary has been funded by our tax dollars.

Still, in spite of everything you know about "Islam", I have to agree that you are correct in your understanding of the threat that militant Islam poses to the free world today. I will continue to read and reflect on your work whenever possible, and I hope that you will read and reflect on the small voices out here that would like to present another face of Islam to the world.

(I do not have the authority to allow my e-mail address to be published as it is a work address. However, your organization may contact me by e-mail if you have comments. Thank you. Anna Jordan)

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