more moderate islam stuff

[mcsokrates]

"And then there's Walid Phares, who insists that Zawahiri represents the views not only of the majority of jihadists, but - if I heard him correctly (I'll check the transcript when it's published) - of most Arabs and Muslims. How bizarre, hearing an America-based pundit lecturing al-Jazeera about how popular and influential bin Laden and al-

Comments

[yzerick]

Actually I suspect that as a trend, this has more to do with insider/outsider religious understanding then anything. For example, if you're not a muslim, then you have no vested interest in finding the good in Islam; you hold the entire religion under a different sort of scrutiny then a reformer who has to work to amplify and change the focus toward the positive. That isn't to say that the disbeliever misunderstands persay (though this varies severely depending on the circumstance). In fact, both the moderate and the outsider could be entirely correct. I find a similarity to Kuhn's examples of dialogues between scientific camps during a scientific revolution; that is, both are interpreting the very same evidence of the world within their own language and understanding of the universe, but because of the difference in language and worldview, both sides end up talking way past each other.

[mcsokrates]

Phares is a hybrid figure here. He is Arab, but not Muslim (he's Maronite, I think, but I know he's from a Lebanese Christian family) So he's a sort of insider, but still with no vested interest in the good in Islam.

I think this specific case holds true for your description. I'm not sure, however, if almost exact parallel ideas of an inevitable clash of civilizations in parts of the right (in fairness, this has been adopted by parts of the American left also) and the Jihadist branch of Salafism are adequately explained.

[yzerick]

I wasn't really commenting on him, but his point more.

By this interpretation, the parallels would stem from the outsiders understanding the source for the Jihadist doctrine and seeing that as the most plausible interpretation... and as the most plausible, one that will be difficult to exorcise from Islam. Whether or not that's a fair assessment of Islamic theology is really up to popular and influential Islamic theologians (not simply theologians who study Islam, but ones who subscribe to it... a point I wish I didn't have to make, but the strange world of modern religious studies forces me to).

[subwaymike]

to quote willy wonka on how i feel in more recent times about the whole thing
"I dont care"

[jadedtears]

ever feel like putting your face in a bowl?

..i just did and it's kinda comfy.