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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsReza Aslan explains why it’s fine to blame ISIS on Islam— and why Islamophobes still have it wrong
Last week, Reza Aslan delivered the University of Toledos Imam Khattab Lecture in Islamic Studies, and in it announced that he thinks its fine if people blame Islam for ISIS but only if they also credit Muslims for fighting ISIS.
Aslan began by noting that when Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people in Norway in the name of his identity as a Christian warrior, the immediate response you heard [from Christians] across the gamut was that this guy has nothing to do with us or Christianity, his actions are so beyond the pale of anything you could describe as mainstream Christian ideals that he is just not a Christian, regardless of how he defines himself.
I get that, Aslan said. I hear the same thing from Muslims all the time, when they see these grotesque actions of militants like ISIS and al Qaeda. The murderous ideology they are implanting in large parts of the Middle East. Its perfectly natural for Muslims to look at that and say, That has nothing to do with us. Thats so far removed from anything that can be ascribed to mainstream Islamic thoughts or beliefs that they are not Muslim.
But thats not very helpful, he added, and its also not true. A Muslim is whoever says hes a Muslim. A Christian is whoever says hes a Christian. A Jew is anyone who says hes a Jew. If you are saying that this is your identity, and you are acting according to your identity, then we should probably take your word for it. Because its not helpful to say no, that has nothing to do with religion, because like it or not, these actions are being done in the name of a specific religion.
How do we confront that? Aslan asked. The knee-jerk response is just to blame religion. If ISIS is killing in the name of Islam, then its Islams fault. But thats just a very simple and unsophisticated way of thinking.
Listen, he continued. I am totally fine with you blaming Islam for ISIS. If you want to place the responsibility for ISIS on Islam, thats fine with me as long as you also credit Islam for the people who are fighting ISIS. For while it is true that ISIS are Muslims, its also true that so are the tens of thousands who are battling them, and the tens of thousands of victims of ISIS. Theyre all Muslim too.
-more-
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/04/reza-aslan-explains-why-its-fine-to-blame-isis-on-islam-and-why-islamophobes-still-have-it-wrong/
stevenleser
(32,886 posts)I know, it's sad because what he said is not sophisticated at all. But it requires more than one short phrase to spell out. That's too much for the Islamophobia crowd.
closeupready
(29,503 posts)riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)and Muslims are responsible for fighting them.
It would be most helpful if an organization formed to resist the Saudi version of Wahhabi Islam and embrace moderation and tolerance.
I find it deeply hypocritical that the Sunni countries are throwing the force of their combined arsenal against the Shia uprising in Yemen while sending only token resistance to battle ISIS. That says a lot.
Orsino
(37,428 posts)Killing in the name of Islam isn't Islam's fault, nor does a religion get credit for fighting ISIL.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)read his spewing any longer. Stopped months ago. Who cares what such people think about anything? Not me, that's for sure.