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Is there a Koranic / Hadithic Foundation for Moderate Islam?

Reader comment on item: Al-Qaeda's Limits

Submitted by Dan Bartholomew (United States), Jun 4, 2003 at 13:11

In a recent paper written by my son for a graduate class in mideastern studies, I read of key original and historic Islamist "doctrines", clearly and strongly documented by abundant quotations from a particular multi-volume set of ahadith.

These doctrines included

(1) invincibility of Islamic warriors connected directly or indirectly to Muhammed and the guarantee of a glorious rewards in paradise for those who fall in the cause, especially self-sacrificing martyrs;

(2) the solidarity, support, protection, and embracing of fellow muslims. This extends even to those who an instant before were enemy, engaged in mortal combat, and killing you and yours, but who in the very instance turned to Islam by confessing Allah and his messenger, voicing the words or intent a la the Shahadith.

(3) justification of killing non-Muslims and of killing for the sake of establishing the superiority of Islam over Non-Islam. If a Muslim is killed inadvertently by another Muslim, then the killer must do pennance, i.e., release a slave.

Given this body of historic and Koranic/Hadithic doctrine--going back to Muhammed and seemingly so supportive of the jihadic, Islamist, and Wahabian tradition, I greatly wish to know of the historic / doctrinal / Koranic / Hadithic foundations and traditions for a moderate Islam. And is there such a moderate movement as such with real leaders, spokesman, scholars, traidition, doctrinal / foundation, etc.

Dan Bartholomew
Submitting....

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Reader comments (17) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Migratory birds as terrorist bioweapons [329 words]Brad ArnoldFeb 13, 2004 03:0813868
Is there a Koranic / Hadithic Foundation for Moderate Islam? [221 words]Dan BartholomewJun 4, 2003 13:119381
Re the 'State sponsorship' post- Stop with the nit picking. [130 words]CethernJun 4, 2003 08:519374
ideology challege [126 words]dave murphyMay 31, 2003 02:369306
untitled [46 words]A. K. LenceskiMay 31, 2003 01:179305
Al Qaeda's Limits [24 words]AngelMay 29, 2003 22:209292
It is War [92 words]Glenn KlotzMay 29, 2003 14:139286
Shadowy Terrorist Networks [78 words]Isaiah520May 29, 2003 09:049284
Al Qaeda [56 words]Ron IrvineMay 29, 2003 05:299281
What (and where) is the target? [192 words]Alain Jean-MairetMay 29, 2003 03:429280
Every Action Has Its Reaction [190 words]M.AfzalFeb 6, 2008 10:199280
The Al-Qaeda "Movement" [33 words]Joseph SklarMay 28, 2003 21:519278
Coincidence [55 words]Rod CoxMay 28, 2003 20:069275
What About State Sponsorship? [204 words]AvrahamMay 28, 2003 18:519272
Moslem Terrorism [9 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Jaime EisenMay 28, 2003 15:389271
Al-Qaida organization and activities [6 words]Henry MohrerMay 28, 2003 14:419269
The issue is ideology, not organization [27 words]Walter D'UllMay 28, 2003 13:459268

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