“I draw a distinction between traditional Islam and Islamism. Islamism emerged in its modern form in the 1920s and is driven by a belief that Muslims can be strong and rich again if they follow the Islamic law severely and in its entirety. This is a response to the trauma of modern Islam.” IfsFormLawBeliefStrongRichModernDrawsResponseIslamTraumaDrivenTraditionalIslamicDistinctionEntiretyIslamic Law Author:Daniel Pipes
“In the long term, the United States could greatly benefit Islam by uniquely freeing the religion from government constraints and permitting it to evolve in a positive, modern direction. But that's the long term.” LongStatesGovernmentTermUnitedUnited StatesModernBenefitsIslamEvolveLong TermConstraints Author:Daniel Pipes
“Abdur Rab offers a comprehensive vision of Islam using the Quran as his sole religious textual source. He intentionally avoids the hadith literature, which he believes, and argues, has done much damage to the message of the Quran. His work provides many thought-provoking insights and should be a significant contribution to the 'Quran only' movement in modern Islam.” ShouldBelieveDoneLiteratureReligiousVisionModernMovementSourceOffersMessagesIslamInsightArguingSignificantDamageContributionThought ProvokingSoleProvokingComprehensiveQuranHadith Author:Jeffrey Lang
“From the 9th to the 15th centuries, the area which is now modern Spain was home to the greatest peaceful agglomeration of cultures ever known in the post-literate worldEven more remarkable than the flowering of art itself was the confluence of cultures that produced it: under the rule of Islam, Muslims, Jews and Christians lived and worked together in relative harmony.” ArtHomeChristianTogetherCultureKnownModernCenturyAreasHarmonyIslamJewPeacefulPostsRemarkableRelativeSpainFloweringConfluence Author:Maya Beiser
“Anti-Islamist Muslims - who wish to live modern lives, unencumbered by burqas, fatwas and violent visions of jihad - are on the defensive and atomized. However eloquent, their individual voices cannot compete with the roar of militant Islam's determination, money (much of it from overseas) and violence. As a result, militant Islam, with its West-phobia and goal of world hegemony, dominates Islam in the West and appears to many to be the only kind of Islam.” WorldKindIndividualWishGoalVoiceResultsVisionViolenceModernDeterminationWestIslamViolentModern LifeEloquentMilitantJihadPhobiaHegemonyIslamistsBurqa Author:Daniel Pipes
“If Islam is to be reconciled with modernity, these voices must be encouraged until they swell into a roar.” IfsOrderSpeakVoiceAtheismModernIslamPositive AtheismSpheresModernityRestorationBe EncouragedNettles Author:Salman Rushdie
“Religion, a mediaeval form of unreason, when combined with modern weaponry becomes a real threat to our freedoms. This religious totalitarianism has caused a deadly mutation in the heart of Islam and we see the tragic consequences in Paris today. I stand with Charlie Hebdo, as we all must, to defend the art of satire, which has always been a force for liberty and against tyranny, dishonesty and stupidity. 'Respect for religion' has become a code phrase meaning 'fear of religion.' Religions, like all other ideas, deserve criticism, satire, and, yes, our fearless disrespect.” HeartArtIdeasRealTodayFormForceReligiousLibertyModernDeserveConsequenceCriticismThreatIslamStupidityTyrannyFearlessCodeParisPhrasesTragicSatireTotalitarianismDishonestyCharlieDisrespectMutationWeaponryCharlie Hebdo Author:Salman Rushdie
“Throughout its history, Islam has borrowed and adapted from other civilizations, both ancient and modern.” ModernCivilizationIslamAncientBorrowedAdapted Author:Shereen El Feki
“Pluralism and tolerance are pillars of modern society. That has to be accepted. But pluralism doesn't just mean diversity. It means that we share the same rules and values, and are still nevertheless different. Islam doesn't have this idea. And Islam also has no tradition of tolerance.” MeanStillsIdeasDifferentValuesShareModernDiversityTraditionIslamAcceptedToleranceNeverthelessPillarsModern SocietyPluralism Author:Bassam Tibi
“Where it is the majority religion, Islam does not recognize religious freedom, at least not as we understand it. Islam is a different culture. This doesn't mean that it's an inferior culture, but it is a culture that has yet to connect with the positive sides of our modern Western culture: religious freedom, human rights and equal rights for women.” HumansMeanDoeDifferentCultureSidesReligiousRightsModernEqualMajorityIslamWesternHuman RightsInferiorsEqual RightsReligious FreedomDifferent CulturesWestern Culture Author:Walter Kasper
“What is needed is a move beyond tradition, nothing less than a reform movement to bring the core concepts of Islam into the modern age, a Muslim Reformation to combat not only the jihadist ideologues but also the dusty, stifling seminaries of the traditionalists, throwing open the windows to let in much-needed fresh air.... It is high time, for starters, that Muslims were able to study the revelation of their religion as an event inside history, not supernaturally above it.... Broad-mindedness is related to tolerance; open-mindedness is the sibling of peace.” AgeAbleMovingStudyAirModernEventsMovementNeededConceptsTraditionWindowIslamCoreToleranceReformRelatedRevelationsBroadsCombatThrowingSiblingReformationOpen MindednessFresh AirStiflingStartersModern AgeIdeologuesReform Movements Author:Salman Rushdie