Excellent presentation!

Submitted by J.S. (Canada), Feb 1, 2007 at 12:44

I would like to say that I agree with nearly everything you stated in your presentation. I have just one small caveat.

What I'm wondering is this -- Is Islam a universalistic religion? Or is Islam particularistic? Does Islam rise to embrace a universalistic ethic? Doesn't Islam favor Muslims in virtually all matters? Even the quote: "In the Koran, 'you are the best community ever raised among mankind...'" suggests this favored status for Muslims, and Muslims only. And this privileged status (unlike in Judaism) is not one based on ethics or ethical behavior, but simply by proclaiming: "I'm a Muslim."

Other radical dualisms (male/female, for example) are running throughout the religion, and doesn't this undermine universality? Unfortunately, these features of Islam have nothing to do with Islamism per se. So I tend to see that the problems may be inherent in the religion itself. (I'd also just add that the "tiny, tiny minority" are not the terrorists, but the reformist-minded moderates).

Any reform, I guess, will be a long and arduous one!

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