Why there may never be a vibrant moderate Islam

In a recent New York Times interview, 22-year-old Somali Muslim, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, was interviewed about her much anticipated book Infidel, which is being released in English today.  The exerpt below explains why "moderate Islam" is an oxymoron.

And every time there is a debate between a real jihadi and, say, what we have decided to call moderate Muslims, the jihadis win. Because they come with the Koran and quotes from the Koran. The come with quotes from the Hadith and the Sunnah, and the traditions of the prophet. And every assertion they make, whether it is that women should be veiled, or Jews should be killed, or Americans are our enemies, or any of that, they win. Because what they have to say is so consistent with what is written in the Koran and the Hadith.

Translation?  Islam is, by it's own definition, a religion of oppression, terror, judgment, and hatred.  It is, quite honestly, evil, to be assigned to the manure pile of bankrupt ideologies like Nazism, Stalinism, and Social Darwinism.  And it stinks even worse than those. 

Ali holds out that it can be reformed, but as I discussed in Three Types of Reformation, it can only really be liberalized, which changes it into something wholly other than what it is - just another ethical system with nice metaphors and legends for tepid inspiration.  But I guess that's better than a murderous revealed faith.  You can hear the audio of the interview also at the NYT.

Comments

[Cineaste]

Seeker, a correction to your post. I believe Ayaan Hirsi Ali is 36 years old. She requested asylum in the Netherlands at age 22 while trying to flee from an arranged marriage. Also, you haven't mentioned that she is a very strong and outspoken atheist. Here are is another good interview with her where she makes her position clear. In part two, note what she says about right wing conservatives, Christians, Muslims and the "The Life of Brian."

Ayaan Hirsi Ali Part One (of Two)
Ayaan Hirsi Ali Part Two (of Two)

She is a female Muslim version of Sam Harris; wielding reason like a scalpel against religion, only she focuses on Islam and women's rights. Knowing this, conservatives still embrace her, a radical liberal atheist :)

[seeker]

I didn't realize that she is an atheist. I know that in the NYT interview, she is generous towards those trying to create a moderate Islam. I guess she'll join the ranks of anti-religionists like Ibn Warraq (his book Why I am Not a Muslim is a classic).

Conservatives embrace her disdain for Islam, but if she disdains all religion (which I haven't seen yet), of course, many religious conservatives would not embrace that. Perhaps we are practicing "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

[Cineaste]

I didn't realize that she is an atheist.

Yup. I'll post this radio interview for the third time hoping people will take time to learn more about her. When you hear her story directly from her, it should become clear why she is anti-Islam, anti-religious fundamentalism.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali