American Islam - another reason, why simply hammering back the Oxymoron is just not good enough

Submitted by Michel (United States), Feb 14, 2007 at 12:40

To the mighty Kumbayah -

You may yet again be proven to be wise in your approach to Islam.

Remember the shades of grey I myself dared to mention?

Below article in Business Week sheds precisely some light at this pragmatic, simple viewpoint of ours

" They're Muslims, And Yankees, Too "

>>>>>>Muslims in America represent almost every variety of Islamic thought and experience. The heavily secular and prosperous Iranian community in Southern California has little in common with orthodox Yemeni laborers near Detroit. College-educated white converts whose interest in New Age concepts leads them to the spiritual Sufi branch of Islam do not resemble poor black prison inmates who embrace Muslim beliefs behind bars as a source of discipline and solace. Indeed, as Business Week Assistant Managing Editor Paul M. Barrett explains in his new book, American Islam, the U.S. can be seen as a vast experiment in how Islam can adapt to the West..>>>>.... end quote.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_03/b4017074.htm?campaign_id=rss_magzn

Recommended Reading : American Islam by Paul M Barrett

>>>>>>> One great contribution of the book is the diverse portrait it offers of Islam in America today, but as Barrett shows, such ideological and racial diversity haven't been easy: Pakistani immigrants are sometimes at odds with African-American converts and (mostly white) Sufi spiritualists; feminists draw angry fire as they strive for greater equality; and self-proclaimed progressive Muslims feel at odds as American mosques become increasingly conservative and strident. >>>> The book is remarkably evenhanded, but Barrett can also be critical at times, whether analyzing the shortcomings of the Patriot Act or pointing to the inconsistency of a self-starting New York imam who works for justice but also praises Muslim extremists. Balanced and insightful, this grassroots journalistic account mines the complexity and depth of American Islam." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)>>>>>>>

Before the man gets dismissed by our fanatics as either Muslim or uneducated, , he was for eighteen years a reporter and editor at The Wall Street Journal, where this book originated, currently directs the investigative reporting team at Business Week.

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My personal conclusion once again:

various shades and streams do exist within the Western Muslim community.

The Koran is and can in fact be interpreted in various ways by the individual Muslim trying to navigate between spirituality and life within the industrialized, capitalistic, competitive society.

Progressive tendencies including women's equality do exist with referenced examples of success.

The simplistic approach of the right wingers here is hence once more proven to be insufficient and ineffective.

The Kumbajahs once again seem to be on the mark with a segmented, moderate, relativist approach.

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Dr. Pipes - are you familiar with this book and, if yes, woulld you be kind enough to comment on its merits?

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