Monday, February 06, 2006
The Koran, Cartoons and Tolerance
Irshad Manji penned an excellent piece on the Danish cartoon conflagration in this weekend's Wall Street Journal that I recommend you read ($).
Two particular enjoyable and ironic observations Manji makes include:
The second:
Manji represents a self critical, intelligent and extremely studied view of what it is to be Muslim and the meaning within the Koran. The key elements:
So the Koran can be interpreted to include tolerance of other religions it seems. The problem is there isn't a single voice with a large enough megaphone to supply that interpretation. Instead, it is the monied Saudi Wahhabi fanatics, and the Iranian Shiite fanatics, who draw their strength precisely by creating enemies and fostering intolerance, who have the pulpit and the megaphone. Perhaps Iraq and Al Sistani can provide a societal alternative within Arabia that shuns intolerant islamism. Outside of Arabia, Turkey and India certainly are more accepting models.
I recommend you subscribe to the WSJ online (if you don't already) and read the entire Manji piece.
Two particular enjoyable and ironic observations Manji makes include:
Arab elites love such controversies, for they provide convenient opportunities to channel anger away from local injustices. No wonder President Lahoud of Lebanon insisted that his country "cannot accept any insult to any religion." That is rich.
The second:
Muslims have little integrity demanding respect for our faith if we do not show it for others. When have we demonstrated against Saudi Arabia's policy to prevent Christians and Jews from stepping on the soil of Mecca? They may come for business trips, but nothing more. As long as Rome welcomes non-Christians and Jerusalem embraces non-Jews, we Muslims have more to protest than cartoons.
Manji represents a self critical, intelligent and extremely studied view of what it is to be Muslim and the meaning within the Koran. The key elements:
For one thing, the Quran itself points out that there will always be nonbelievers, and that it's for Allah, not Muslims, to deal with them. More than that, the Quran says there is "no compulsion in religion."
So the Koran can be interpreted to include tolerance of other religions it seems. The problem is there isn't a single voice with a large enough megaphone to supply that interpretation. Instead, it is the monied Saudi Wahhabi fanatics, and the Iranian Shiite fanatics, who draw their strength precisely by creating enemies and fostering intolerance, who have the pulpit and the megaphone. Perhaps Iraq and Al Sistani can provide a societal alternative within Arabia that shuns intolerant islamism. Outside of Arabia, Turkey and India certainly are more accepting models.
I recommend you subscribe to the WSJ online (if you don't already) and read the entire Manji piece.
2 Comments:
By 
Cassandra, at
Tue Feb 07, 10:51:00 AM:
Thanks for linking this - I always enjoy her essays.
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