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August 21, 2006

Beware Of The Bald Snake

Topics: Understanding Islam

... 'Bald' snake? Which ones have hair?

"May God destroy the Jews and their allies. May God curse the Jews and the Americans. May God widow their women just like they widowed Muslim women. May God orphan their children just like they orphaned Muslim children."

Preaching against Jews and praying that God will orphan their children isn't the only problem that The Big Pharoah has with the preachers at the mosques.

It appears that what the Egyptian government is trying to do about it amounts to a small step toward reform in Islam, at least one toward a requirement for clerics to be educated rather than as it is now with no educational requirements. But I question the likelihood of the success of government-induced reform, since change needs to come within Islam itself. This is already begining to occur via what some would call Islamic "rationalists."

Britain and the US have already seen the emergence of a number of Islamic "rationalists" who are building a case for Muslim societies to change from within, and for Muslim minorities in Western countries to change how they think of themselves in relation to wider society instead of strictly the ummah.

Islam is indeed in need of reform, however effective and lasting reform has to come from within, truly within - not from former Muslims or Muslims sitting on the outside of the community throwing rocks at those within. Rational modern-thinking Muslims need to work toward the establishment of some form of hierarchy and doctrinal controls, similar perhaps to that of the Catholic Church, which would go a long way toward reigning in the radical preachers of hate and the garbage that spews from their mouths.

Posted by Richard at August 21, 2006 10:06 AM

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