FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

The simple antidote to Islamist extremism

The simple antidote to Islamist extremism

Re: "Scholars won't explain how old doctrines apply to modern world", Opinion & Features, August 26.

I sympathise with Ebrahim Moosa’s belief that “Islamic orthodoxy is in serious need of a makeover ... A doctrinal overhaul is the best long-term antidote to the radicalism and senseless interpretations that masquerade as Islam.” But, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, let me repeat that it is not possible to reform Islam as long as Muslims cling to the belief that Allah dictated the Koran to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel. That makes every word of it sacrosanct, immutable, inviolable, graven in stone. 
If that belief could be set aside, there is an idea that could serve as a basis for Islamic reform. It is stated at the beginning of every single chapter of the Koran, and I am amazed that thinking Muslims have not seized upon it as a supreme guiding principle. That is the invocation “In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.”
If Allah is beneficent and merciful, it follows that he must want his followers to be the same. That means that any action, teaching or belief that opposes the principles of beneficence and mercy is anti-Islamic. Are mistreatment of women, rape, cruelty, slavery, beheading and killing in general beneficent and merciful? Certainly not. Therefore they are anti-Islamic, to be condemned and eschewed by all good Muslims. If every word of the Koran has been dictated by Allah, surely these words, which are proclaimed repeatedly at the beginning of every chapter, must be considered paramount, most authoritative and binding of all.    
William Page
nationthailand