The Search for Moderate Islam

Well it was the Crusades (and the Reconquista). Then the Ottomans. The Ottoman Empire wasn't 'at war with itself', just a few conflicts with Persia and the like. But they collapsed around WWI and their former territory was divided up by France and Britain (Sykes—Picot Agreement) and some of it promised to the Jews (Balfour Declaration). Some Arabs tried to assert independence but Europe's superior position gave them the power. Jews were given the all clear to start moving into the region of Palestine.Then came the revolutions and struggles for independence, some worked out (eg., Syria, Egypt) others didn't (eg., Iraq, 1941 (courtesy of the British (Saddam was about 4 years old at the time))).As WWII built up and took place, the rest of the nations declared independence. Afterwards the British left the area completely leaving behind the new State of Israel in a social context of Arab Nationalism vs Zionism resulting immediately in the 1948 war. Mini-Hitlers were being spawned all over the place as people started to promise to destroy the now hated Israel and well.... the rest is modern history.What makes you think the West don't have responsibility?Did you get chance to look at the Moderate Islam I pointed you towards yet?

So which of those ancient conflicts do you think is most responsible for the modern day instability of the region? Whose work have you studied so far?

Ah! You want me to do a thematic analysis of the collected works of Reform Islam and present the common themes that run throughout? No. No thanks. You want to find moderate Islam, by which you mean Progressive Islam? There it is. Enjoy learning about it. Let me know what you think. I don't see any rhetorical requirement that I find 'common threads', as I am here only to assert existence.Now, in the meantime, rather than trying to do a wide study of a large body of work to find the commonalities, which is obviously a burdensome demand in this context, let's discuss just one of them.Nasr Abu Zayd:

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From the beginning of his academic career, he developed a renewed hermeneutic view of the Qur'an and further Islamic holy texts, arguing that they should be interpreted in the historical and cultural context of their time. The mistake of many Muslim scholars was to see the Qur'an only as a text, which led conservatives as well as liberals to a battle of quotations, each group seeing clear verses (when on their side) and ambiguous ones (when in contradiction with their vision). But this type of controversy led both conservatives and liberals to produce authoritative hermeneutics.

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This vision of the Qur'an as a text was the vision of the elites of Muslim societies, whereas, at the same time, the Qur'an as an oral discourse played the most important part in the understanding of the masses. Nasr Abu Zayd called for another reading of the holy book through a humanistic hermeneutics, an interpretation which sees the Qur'an as a living phenomenon, a discourse. Hence, the Qur'an can be "the outcome of dialogue, debate, despite argument, acceptance and rejection". This liberal interpretation of Islam should open space for new perspectives on the religion and should account for social change in Muslim societies.

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That is why Abu Zayd's analysis can find in the Qur'an several insistent calls for social justice. For instance, when Muhammad was busy preaching to the rich people of Quraysh, and did not pay attention to a poor blind fellow named Ibn Umm Maktūm who came asking the Prophet for advice, the Qur'an strongly blames Muhammad's attitude (chapter 80:1—10).

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As well, he found a tendency to improve women's rights, arguing that the Qur'anic discourse was built in a patriarchal society, and therefore the addressees were naturally males, who received permission to marry, divorce, and marry off their female relatives, hence, it is possible to imagine that Muslim women receive the same rights. The classical position of the modern ‘ulamā’ about that issue is understandable as "they still believe in superiority of the male in the family".

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Here is something he wrote:

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Now, the urgent question is how we can spread this knowledge to the wider public. This problem is the same for Muslims living in Muslim countries as for Muslims living in the West. We must consider how we should transmit this information to children and adults. The majority of Muslims are not aware of the historical background and the temptation is to quote texts and explain them literally, thus, understand them out of their historical context and interpret them as being universal rulings of God for believers in every time. That is a simplistic way of reading the Qur’an, but not a historically correct one. It comes from ignoring the fact that the Qur’an is a message and a revelation.

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An English language interview:
Does that sound like the makings of a moderate Islam?

And I've shown you moderate (and even more liberal) Islam. All it takes now is for you to acknowledge its existence rather continuously finding ways to move the goalposts around. Yes, reasonable and educated people had noticed this before you pointed it out, funnily enough. But this is not a thread about the problems of Islam, it is a thread about the existence of liberal Islam. So at first, I gave you too many names now we're quibbling by how many backers they have. Why don't you do some research and give me some numbers about how many people support Al-Qemany or Abu Zayd? Why do you keep asking me to do more and more work? Why haven't you done any for yourself? Do you care about finding what you are looking for - or did you just want to gloat about how civilized you are compared with the ignorant primitive extremist Muslims? Are you still going to deny liberal Islam exists? That things like this are actually happening and they can only even be attempted if there is a community that agrees. That books on liberal Islam are selling, and it isn't just the critics making the purchases?If your OP was 'liberal Islam seems to be in the minority', I wouldn't be arguing with you. But moderate Islam - Islam that does not believe in flying planes into buildings or murdering people on the streets, that's everywhere. Yes, they have different moral standards than you do (community standards being more important than individual liberties, punishments may vary, the normal right-wing conservative obsession with 'clean-living' and modesty, different ideas of social roles and how to bank etc., etc.). Liberal Islam takes courage to promote, as liberal Christianity used to. It's an Abrahamic religion. It'll need reforming until it doesn't exist. There are reformers in Christianity trying to get homosexuality more accepted, for instance. When you are looking for moderate Islam, you are going to find reformers. What the hell else were you expecting? That's what a moderate version of a religion requires. So what is the Islam that they have created to be called? What should we call the people that follow this religion? Yes it does - it's right THERE!I'm sorry that in order for a religion to exist it needs to be publicly spoken about by a certain number of people in English before you'll acknowledge it. Trust me, there are plenty of Muslims that feel this way about their religion. Rather than denying their existence, how about you amplify their voices so we're not just hearing about the extremists? It exists right now. I've lead you to the water. I've dipped your nose to the water. I've pulled your tongue into the water. The rest is up to you. Which is what the rest of the educated world has been saying for a long time. I'm glad you finally caught up with this - but you aren't going to help it emerge by denying its existence and reinforcing that Islam is all about the 8th Century morality and social views.For someone who didn't seem to know about the existence of the Five Pillars, the Six Articles, the Hadith of Gabriel - it seems a little rich for you to pontificate on this subject don't you think? Perhaps its time for me to give up and just let you believe that you have something new and true to say on the subject despite literally not knowing the first thing about it a few weeks ago . Deny the existence of something that exists if you like, it just kind of makes you look like a dick.Edited by Modulous, : No reason given.Edited by Modulous, : No reason given.

No, you seem incapable of understanding the relationship between moderate Muslims and moderate Islam, and you have neglected to comment on it when I've described it. You are a complete moron. The people I am referring to do not oppress women. Try again, with less stupid this time. Yes, that would be something liberal Islam, therefore, concerns itself with.Moderate Islam is more conservative/traditionalist than liberal Islam though it is obviously a lot more liberal than extreme Islamism.You realize this paragraphs was about the distinction between the two, which has caused not a little confusion in this thread already? Yes, that's because they are a predominantly conservative group. I was using a cultural example that we're both familiar with. Showing that reform is a long and painful process that our own culture has not yet completed. If you aren't part of the solution, then why don't you try shutting the fuck up, instead? I'm not asking you to defend anything. If you want extremism to flourish and liberalism to be crushed then that's your concern. Personally, that world doesn't look good to me. I am more surprised that you claim to be looking for moderate Islam but you clearly aren't. I've shown it to you. You barely looked before the denial started being uttered. Yes it is.Fortunately if you actually read what I wrote, I was implying that you were educated. So suck it.Also - the implication came because you accepted the same argument as I do, not because you didn't accept it. So suck it twice. When you are ready to discuss the matter in good faith, maybe you'll find me a more pleasant discussion partner. But when I'm pointing you at what you are looking for and you won't acknowledge it is right there in front of you and instead keep pointing elsewhere and saying 'it's not there', it's a little irritating. So people following Moderate/Liberal Islam, people writing about moderate/liberal Islam, people speaking from the position of moderate Islam, all apparently can't convince you of its existence. Even though that is what a moderate religion IS.You just want me to write a essay that summarizes the work of Islamic scholars which is mostly in a foreign language (or relies on foreign language sources) into a post that you can be bothered to read that contains all the things you are looking for but not specifying for some reason which is obviously overly burdensome. What are you looking for, exactly???. Great, get working on helping out. Get politicians into office that'll pull the military out of the region so they can sort this out for themselves. Promote and fund liberals with books and cameras and TV slots, not opposing groups of Islamists with guns and bombs. Talk to Muslims, try planting some seeds of liberalism in terms they understand from al-Qemany or whatever. You're just some random dude, I know, but the more people we can get on board with this the better, methinks. You're options are:1) Several large scale genocides, and countless local pogroms/lynchings
2) Liberalise, dilute, and vanish.2) Will be a lot of hard work and I doubt I'll live to see its fruition even if it is to succeed. 1) is obscene.

Once again revealing your true motivations are to highlight the extremes of Islam^*, not discover the moderate or liberal ones. It's quite easy to find the moderate views on this. Since it's short, I'll compile it into a single narrative for you:Death to apostates comes from a single quote in an al-Bukhaari Hadith. We dispute the authenticity of this quote as it is uncharacteristically vague/general/terse for Muhammed given the importance of what he is saying {or some other reason for disputing it}. Even if genuine the statement is not backed up by the Qur'an, which being complete, would have mentioned such an important fact. Muhammed was a man talking to people at the time. In his time the Muslims were at war. There was worry the spies might convert to get information and leave as convenient, or that apostates might share military intelligence or other sensitive details for profit (no pun intended). So Muhammed thought apostasy should be treated like treason, which was culturally considered to be 'death'. This is why Muhammed told people not to write his words down, to avoid temporal statements being confused with more universal ones.

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^*Muhammad Al-Munajjid is a Salifist that you may know as Wahhabist, there may be some moderate thinkers in there, but there are the most extreme extremists in there too. This particular guy issued the death sentence on Mickey Mouse for enlisting in Satan's Army and issued a fatwa to allow hacking 'jewish websites'. He's a raving nutter, basically.Edited by Modulous, : No reason given.Edited by Modulous, : No reason given.

They are following moderate Islam and they are writing about it.Or do you think these people don't believe the interpretations they claim to be using and are still secretly believing in stoning adulterers, flying planes into buildings, beheading infidels until such time as their work reaches some arbitrary point which Jon will call 'complete' and then they'll start practicing moderate Islam? There are cookies ready. The cooks are working on the next batch, we hope there'll be some improvements. The goal now is to spread the cookies around. Yes, my view exactly.I'm talking about the opposite of fighting. That's why I said 'no guns/bombs' and 'books' instead. But that's exactly how we're going to further the cause of moderate religious belief, by stopping the constant interference, just trying to make sure people are giving informed consent for their rule by sharing information. Correct. I'm all for getting fewer people blown up, how about you? Mine too. There are practicing Muslims with liberal interpretations. They exist and so do their interpretations. This is moderate Islam. It might not meet your peculiar standards, but it's there. Spread it around.

That thing that they believe that you believe they believe? That's moderate Islam. Who'd have thought to look at the beliefs of moderate Muslims to find moderate Islam, eh? I'm not sure what point this is related to, but OK. Re-examining the interpretations of Islam is something that has been going on since its inception. Sometimes it moves towards the liberal, sometimes in the more conservative direction. Many of the principles used find roots in things like Sufism and Mu'tazilism. The ideas start to look like more modern moderate Islamic ideas around the 19th Century with the likes of Rashid Rida and Muhammad Abduh. There is no "completed product." when reforming a religion any more than there is a "completed product" on a given language. There is an entire religion you can believe in that is both liberal and Islamic. Still more conservative than you are, but probably on par with Christian conservatives. In that sense it is a completed product. But there'll be another product up soon that extends it or criticises it. Because: religion. No it's complete. You are confusing my incomplete knowledge of Islamic thought with the incompleteness of a religious view. The former should be apparent, the latter not. You can't read a few summaries and conclude it isn't a complete religion and I know you haven't read the books they wrote. So what on earth makes you think you have enough information in order to make this judgement?It's not perfect, but it's just as complete as Mormonism is, if not more so. It does lend itself to spreading, but only among the educated, and not perfectly there. It's hard to spread 'western values' in the current climate, but that's kind of a bit our fault. That's how Islam has always been built. Without a Pope or an Archbishop or a King or what have you, it's all about who can get what taught where and to whom. It's a culture war, and the ultra-conservatives are currently in power all over the place and control the education. That's why there is difficulty.It's easy to teach kids moderate forms of religion. It's difficult to persuade adults to change their mind. The conservatives have the children. I'm pretty sure that's the only way a religion can exist. So what are you looking for, an airborne variety? You realize that religion operates as a social thing, right? That it spreads and changes as believers contest and dispute meanings with one another, constructing new meanings and new interpretations of religious traditions. It's in the shisha bars, the markets, and spreading quite nicely on social media. How else is moderate Islam going to spread if people aren't believing it? These 'handful' of moderates with 'lofty' ideas have many followers and supporters, which is how they are able to speak and gain positions of influence. Remember Mohamed ElBaradei? The Wafd Party? Free Egyptians Party? El-Ghad Party? Democratic Front Party? The New Wafd Party? Egyptian Social Democratic Party? The people that supported and voted for them?It's an Abrahamic religion, the other two major ones and all the minor ones are disagreeing about the correct way to be a modern moderate and I don't see why we should feel different about Islam. Well the practical value is that they are numerous and organizing and making changes as they can. Say hello to Egypt.. Say hello to Iran. It's out there, it has value, it is not just in definition only. It has a modern tradition extending back to Darwin's day, and this itself was based on earlier ideas. There are enough liberals to create political parties that have some measure of influence in some Islamic countries. Some people predict a possible Velvet Revolution in Iran.Edited by Modulous, : No reason given.

This doesn't seem to run counter to my belief. My point is that its the beliefs themselves that constitutes a religion. So when we see people holding moderate Islamic beliefs, we've got ourselves a moderate Islam.And let's be clear: The religion is Islam. It's been complete for over a thousand years. Liberal Islam is just a way of approaching Islam, interpreting it differently. You realize its the same religion, though, right? So you think that we should ignore our contributions to the problem and we should just blame the Muhammadans for their barbaric religion, while we try and eradicate their primitive religion? Is this the 11th Century or something? Feel better now?So anyway, as I was saying, the Middle Eastern countries are suspicious of the west's influence because of the negative impact it has had in the region and so trying to spread values which feel 'western' (ie., liberal and secular) is met with hostility, which contributes to the difficulty of getting these ideas spread around. This theory is presented in contrast to your 'moderate Islam is not complete' theory. I don't follow your argument. You said it can't be spread around easily because there isn't universal agreement. But a lack of universal agreement has never on its own hindered the spread of a religion with any other religion, so why do you think Islam, a religion without a centralised and universal understanding, should be different?'Because people are getting killed' is a reason we want liberalism to spread, not the reason why we should expect Islam to operate differently in contrast to the empirical evidence that this is exactly how Islamic ideas spread through the Islamic community: Different voices giving slightly different takes leading to a similar conclusion. Edited by Modulous, : No reason given.

The other parts of the paragraph are just reinforcing the notion that you think it is Islam alone that is the problem. Or are you not saying this? If you are trying to sound uninformed then you are doing a decent job.Please, Oh Wise One, explain to me how politics is irrelevant to Arab culture. Show me your wisdom and your sources on how Political Islam is ambivalent on the topic of politics and economics. I wonder what OBL was saying in the 1990s?Hm, seems to be talking politics, about America's and Israel's policies and classifications and their targeting of Muslims. What about later though?Anyone else?

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Britain, which helped to topple the Ottoman State, handed Palestine to the Jews and participated in the killings of Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq and whose crimes continue to be seen in every corner of the Islamic world.

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Salafist jihadism not interested in politics?? Islamism, disinterested in politics? LOL!! Their motivation is political, their rationalization for their tactics is religious. Cultures don't make decisions, and people don't have access to the same information and experiences you do so you can't expect them to conclude the same things. That's part of it, yes. Their religion is a big part of their culture, and they don't want to westernize their religion because they don't see the west as being something to aspire to, but instead as something to fear.But you are looking at a cause-effect problem here. Why is the Salafi movement being successful? Muslims haven't always been this way, it has been rising since the 80s I believe courtesy of Saudi Arabia, but really got its legs in the mid 90s and is currently having another surge. Why is that?I say it is fuelled by anger and a sense of powerlessness and oppression. A sense of an outside group trying to impose their will and views on the group they belong to, unifying them even as they have disagreements against a perceived common enemy. What do you say? I did not ask you a general question about Islam, but a question in a specific context. You seem to have misunderstood this. We're talking about how moderate Islam might not spread well, and you think one of the reasons there is difficulty is that there is 'plenty of disagreement'. My counter to this is that this is true of other comparable moderate religions and that didn't seem to be a huge problem and if it was, it worked out in the end. So, unless you have some particular reason to think Islam is exceptional in this regard, I expect the fact that religious people disagree about their made up stories is not a big barrier to the moderates getting their message accepted. If it does inhibit it, there's nothing we can do about it because that's what religion does, and we should be looking to other reasons we might be able to influence.Edited by Modulous, : No reason given.Edited by Modulous, : No reason given.

We don't. But this is irrelevant to the point being discussed and it looks like you are just trying to complain about Islam again.We were talking about the spread of moderate Islam. Your argument was that it can't spread because it is not complete. I dispute this. The 'influence of religion' on the area is not really relevant here because we're talking about religion. I was pointing out that liberal Islam is seen by many as a western corruption of Islam and they see the west as a bad thing and this is partly our fault. Yes, I was proposing that the cultures and experiences are different in that they don't understand the concept of not throwing stones. That's totally my argument. You completely destroyed that argument. Whatever am I to do? That's nice, but again I wasn't just asking you a general question about what you think. I was asking what you thought the reasons for the spread of Salaifist jihadism were. It's like asking about the spread of rampant anti-Semitism in Germany. There might be actual reasons we can point to. What do you think they are?I don't know why you keep {breaking} my paragraph apart and {taking} pieces of it out of their context, but could you stop? Yes, I think they call that process of laborious critical analysis, 'education'. If you start it when they're young it becomes considerably easier. I look forward to you showing me how this is absent from moderate Islam.Let's see"Islam is a religion of peace."
"As you would have people do to you, do to them and what you dislike to be done to you, don't do to them."
"There is no compulsion in religion"Three that I can think of right from the top of my head with no research required. And yet this is exactly what the Christians did to moderate their religion. They're still doing it. Most Christians don't read all that stuff, they were just told it by their pastors and parents etc. There has to be a theology (drawn out argument), but that's for the educated folks. I can't give you what the less educated liberal Muslims are saying because I imagine most of them can't speak English. That is already happening, but until we know what is causing the rise of jihadist Salifism we're not going to see as much progress as we'd like. Turkey seems to be doing pretty well, there is good organisation in Egypt and hope for it in Iran.If you have an informed critique about the level or organisation of liberal and moderate Islam, though, I'm willing to hear it.I mean seriously, how are you reaching the conclusion that liberal and moderate Islam is not meaningful?

Off topic and illogical. You're doing a stellar job Coyote.Indonesia has been Muslim majority for centuries so cannot possibly support the off-topic conclusion you are reaching for.

I believe you.

It's not about blame, its about cause and effect. If something we've been doing is making the situation worse, it would be wise if we considered that in our plans. Let's not blame the victims though, eh? In the current climate working any harder could get their heads cut off. It's difficult to pacify an angry community if you don't know why they're angry. So knowing what we've done in the past, should help inform how we act in the future. You think jihadist Salifism is spreading so much because they are largely religious? I'm not sure that makes any sense. Or they don't see themselves destroying their own societies. But the question is - why that religious belief, why that darkest aspect of their religion? I'm not proposing it is to avoid being 'western'. That's my proposal for the suspicion of and reluctance to adopt, liberal and secular Islam.I expect that, in part, they have chosen to adopt a religious perspective that justifies total war because they feel they are at war. They feel that because of the historical and present day facts on the ground previously described earlier. They are angry and scared and so they turn to a hard line nationalistic/Islamist 'We're soldiers together' type religion. I'd say it is not entirely dissimilar to the wave of nationalistic fascism that exploded as traditional empires started to crumble and collide at the start of the 20th century in Europe as the Germans felt like Europe had humiliated them and they united as Ein Volk and took it out on the weak and unpopular.There was a terrible crime committed in my community recently. Arson at a dog's home, lots of dogs died. Community in outcry. There are thousands of people around me talking about how we should get the bastard that did and burn him. And they're being serious, even if they wouldn't do it themselves. His photo has been leaked to social media as has his full name. But he hasn't been charged with a crime. I'm following the people that are sharing this photo and they're literally performing a witch hunt, with the same traditional conclusion. I believe there was a young black man that was shot, caused sections of the community to act aggressively? I can see why the Ummah is turning the way it is, given the way these things are talked about. So now I'm expected to identify individual everyday liberal Muslims for you now? What kind of madness is this comment?I've already given you evidence these people exist. Do I need to repeat myself? Why would we expect you to, not being a Muslim, and all?

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Islam also affirms that the way of calling [others] to God is founded upon kindness and gentleness: Call to the path of your Lord with wisdom and a beautiful exhortation, and debate with them in that which is most beautiful (ahsan). (16:125) Furthermore, it shuns cruelty and violence in how one faces and addresses others:

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It is by some Mercy of God that you were gentle to them. Were you severecruel-heartedthey would have broken away from you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult with them in the conduct of affairs. And when you are resolved, put your trust in God; truly God loves those who trust in Him. (3:i59)

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Islam has made clear that the goal of its message is realizing mercy and good for all people.

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Islam calls for treating others as one desires to be treated. It urges the tolerance and forgiveness that express the nobility of the human being: The recompense for an evil is an evil equal thereto, but who forgives and reconciles, his recompense is from God. (42:40) Good and evil are not equal. Repel with what is most virtuous. Then he between whom and you there is enmity will be as if he were an intimate friend. (41:34)

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Islam recognizes the noble station of human life, so there is to be no fighting against non-combatants, and no assault upon civilians and their properties, children at their mothers' bosom, students in their schools, nor upon elderly men and women. Assault upon the life of a human being, be it murder, injury or threat, is an assault upon the right to life among all human beings. It is among the gravest of sins; for human life is the basis for the prosperity of humanity: Whoever kills a soul for other than slaying a soul or corruption upon the earth it is as if he has killed the whole of humanity, and whoever saves a life, it is as if has revived the whole of humanity. (5:32)
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No day has passed but that this religion has been at war against extremism, radicalism and fanaticism, for they veil the intellect from foreseeing negative consequences of one's actions. Such blind impetuousness falls outside the human regulations pertaining to religion, reason and character. They are not from the true character of the tolerant, accepting Muslim.

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Islam rejects extremism, radicalism and fanaticismjust as all noble, heavenly religions reject themconsidering them as recalcitrant ways and forms of injustice. Furthermore, it is not a trait that characterizes a particular nation; it is an aberration that has been experienced by all nations, races, and religions. They are not particular to one people; truly they are a phenomenon that every people, every race and every religion has known.

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We denounce and condemn extremism, radicalism and fanaticism today, just as our forefathers tirelessly denounced and opposed them throughout Islamic history. They are the ones who affirmed, as do we, the firm and unshakeable understanding that Islam is a religion of noble character traits in both its ends and means; a religion that strives for the good of the people, their happiness in this life and the next; and a religion that can only be defended in ways that are ethical; and the ends do not justify the means in this religion.

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The source of relations between Muslims and others is peace; for there is no fighting permitted when there is no aggression. Even then, it must be done with benevolence,

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...we decry the campaign of brazen distortion that portrays Islam as a religion that encourages violence and institutionalizes terrorism. We call upon the international community to work earnestly to implement inter-national laws and honor the international mandates and resolutions issued by the United Nations, ensuring that all parties accept them and that they be enacted without double standards, to guarantee the return of rights to their rightful holders and the end of oppression. Achieving this will be a significant contribution to uprooting the causes of violence, fanaticism and extremism.

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The primary components of these policies comprise developing methods for preparing preachers, with the goal of ensuring that they realize the spirit of Islam and its methodology for structuring human life, as well as providing them with knowledge of contemporary culture, so that they are able to interact with their communities on the basis of awareness and insight: Say, 'This is my way. I, and those who follow me, call for God with insight.' (12:108); taking advantage of the communication revolution to refute the doubts that the enemies of Islam are arousing, in a sound, intellectual manner, without weakness or agitation, and with a style that attracts the reader, the listener and the viewer; consolidating the educational structure for individual Muslims, who are confident in their knowledge and abilities,

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Amman Message – The Official Site

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This is Not the Path to Paradise

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Response to ISIS

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When he is empowered, he sets out to do violence in the land, destroying crops and livestock. But God does not love violence (Qur’an, 2:205).

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Beware (or Woe unto you)! Listen! Do not revert back to disbelief after I have gone that is by some of you killing others. - A statement from the Prophet, God’s peace and blessings upon him, from his last sermon given on the Farewell Pilgrimage

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Whoever pledges allegiance to someone not appointed by the consultative process of the believers, neither he nor the one to whom he pledged allegiance are to be followed, out of fear of foolishly exposing themselves to being killed with them. - Umar ibn al-Khattab

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Do not shed your own blood nor the blood of other Muslims along with you. Consider the eventual effects of your actions. - Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal

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Some of the recommendations that came out of the Forum for Promoting Peace included the urgent and dire need to reorder the house of the Muslims and to restore its constituents on the individual, societal, and institutional levels. It also reinforced the pressing need to strengthen the immune system of the Muslim world against the extremism and violence that exists within it, regardless of where the violence is directed or how it began. The time is now for Muslim societiesindividuals and political entities to work together towards what is right and good and to place the higher interests of humanity and the world above personal interests. They must adopt dialogue and cooperation as the sole strategy to address their concerns.

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In recent weeks and months, the incidences of violence have only accelerated and become more indiscriminate and destructive in nature, leaving no segment of society or religious community unaffected. These trends were predicted and forewarned about at the Forum, and we must quickly work to implement the suggestions and recommendations found in the papers and presentations of the participants.

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Thus, for all who are troubled about the state of the Muslim world and long for its reformation, the Forum for Promoting Peace would like to remind you of and alert you to the following:

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1. The responsibility of the scholars and religious authorities at this time in particular is to protect life. No sane person can remain indifferent to the loss of life and suffering in the Muslim world. What then of those who have pledged to God that they will do their part to set the world right? The reality is that much of what is happening today relies on religious justification as a pretext. The perpetrators use excommunication, allegations of treason, or claim to implement Islamic law in wartime. It appears as though these people have not heard of the tradition of Bishr bin Artah and other well-known traditions on this subject. They also accuse monotheists of polytheism, and they claim they are responding to injustices. Although the allegation of injustices is true, nevertheless their response is wrong, as it is being used for falsehoodfor dressing up error in the clothing of truth. Because some of these leaders claim to be religious figures, they are causing even greater confusion. At the same time, the media spares no effort to further muddy the waters, and so people’s judgment is skewed, and they falter. For these reasons, there is no excuse for the scholars and leaders to not fulfill their obligation to clarify matters and advise the Muslim world in order to extinguish the fires of conflict and to stop the bloodshed by uniting in truth and cooperating in what is right and good: Help one another to do what is right and good; do not help one another towards sin and hostility. Be mindful of God, for His punishment is severe (Qur’an, 5:2).

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That is why all believers are ordered to enter into peace: O you who believe, enter wholeheartedly into peace, and do not follow in Satan’s footsteps, for he is your sworn enemy (Qur’an, 2:208).

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Believers are also ordered to accept any attempts at peace: But if they incline towards peace, you [Prophet] must also incline towards it, and put your trust in God (Qur’an, 8:61). It is also very well known that the Prophet, God’s peace and blessings upon him, compromised greatly at the Armistice of Hudaybiyyah for the sake of making peace.

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6. All forms of oppression and aggression against religious minorities are in direct contradiction to the values of our religion. In fact, Islam calls us to do well by religious minorities, to place them under our protection, and threatens those who harm them with punishment in the afterlife. This is evidenced by the track record of the Muslim world, which has no peer in history when it pertains to people living harmoniously with religious minorities, beyond what basic humanity demands of equal rights and responsibilities. Hence, any aggression of any kind or coercion to convert is unacceptable. Coerced conversion is invalid in Islamic law. Islam has nothing to do with this, as the Qur’an states, There is no compulsion in religion (Qur’an, 2:256).

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This is Not the Path to ParadiseNot strictly liberal, but certainly moderate.