I admire Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who suffered female circumcision and escaped an arranged marriage to a much older Muslim man in Somalia. Ali fled first to the Netherlands and then to the United States. Given what she endured at the hands of her Muslim family and community, I can't blame her for becoming an atheist.
But now this atheist seems to be trying to lead an Islamic reformation. Speaking at the Sydney Writers Festival, she called on Muslims to "review the example of the prophet Muhammad. Muslims are not used to criticizing Islam, they are not used to criticizing the prophet Muhammad." Well, Buddhists are not used to criticizing the Buddha either. Jews aren't known for their denunciations of Moses. Nor do believing Christians typically criticize the founder of their religion, Christ. Attacks on the founders of religions usually come from other religions, or from the enemies of religion.
I'm not suggesting that Muhammad or Islam are beyond criticism. I'm not suggesting that Ali's call for change is wrong. I am suggesting that it will never happen in response to the agitation of people like her. An atheist's call to Muslims to change the theology and practice of the Muslim religion is unlikely to fall on receptive ears in the Muslim world. Of course it will rally critics of Islam in the West, which is really Ali's constituency.
Imagine if Luther were not a devout Christian but rather an atheist. Could he have led the Reformation? The very idea is absurd. It took an Augustinian monk in some ways more devout than the Pope to bring about the transformation of Christendom. So it is with Islam. Change, if it comes, will be wrought by devout Muslims who combat the Islamic radicals by showing fellow Muslims a better way to practice their faith.
Reader Comments ( Page 3 of 4)
31. "if you reform religion, then it's not in the original context anymore. now it's trash or reality t.v. religion for entertainment as you wish it to be."
Lay, everything changes and evolves. Religion should be no exception. When a religion remains static for a milennium or two, it starts to lose its relevance. You forget that religions are man-made institutions and therefore imperfect. They can always be improved upon in some way.
K at 1:58PM on Jul 20th 2007
32. To lead an Islamic Reformation you need some knowledge of Muslim history of Sunni and Shia Islamic tradition. Shia would be more of a Revival on Prophet Husayn martrydom and Sunni following other Prophet's descendents and theology of Muslim Islam for "umma" community order by social practice of principles in Quran.
Alan Klaus at 2:10PM on Jul 20th 2007
33. Islamic reformation is a social religious cause issue. Origins of Islam from the Prophet Muhammad vary from Christians in what happened after the Prophet Abraham. God's chosen people of Israel the Jews never accepted Moses' prophecy of the Messiah.
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
The words of God from the Holy Spirit sent to us by His Son Jesus Christ. The truth of God, not by man, but of God revealed to Prophets all through written history.
Alan Klaus at 2:43PM on Jul 20th 2007
34. When will you people get this right. Religion is not Christian, Baptist,Catholic, Islam, Lutheran or any other thing. Religion is a word. If you believe that there once upon a time a man who was born of a virgin and his name was Jesus and you believe that he was the son of God and now reigns in heaven and you will someday get to stand in front of him and explain what you did with your life, being good or being it bad then that is what is important and true. I do not believe in anyone being a atheist. You have to believe in some higher power whatever it is. Why, is it so hard for you younger Americans to get behind your American men and women in Iraq and support them. Remember, these men and women went willing to protect your right to sit in judgement of what we should or should not be doing. So if you have any better ideas, run right on over there and by the way stay and help them straighten out their problems(if you live through it)
Rita
Rita at 3:04PM on Jul 20th 2007
35. Hmm, do I detect a softer, gentler Dinesh these days? I think I like it. However, what Ali is trying to do is be a catalyst to help push Muslims themselves to re-examine their faith, not be the leader herself. She understands very well the position of women as leaders in Islam. "Not gonna happen!" I have a devout Muslim friend who actually appreciates her efforts and agrees with most of what she is saying. He also undestands the pain of her past. He is but one man among many who want very much for us all "just to get along". It is imperative to understand that not all Muslims are bad, in fact the percentage is very few. Unfortunately the "bad guys" are LOUD and are gripped by the passion of youth. And they have weapons...big bad weapons. Just like those crazy christian fundys aflicting our politicians and who appear to be trying to trigger the "end of the world" in order to usher in Jesus' second coming. I feel sure that Jesus and Mohammed are both quite ashamed of their "followers" in these vicious, hateful times.
web jones at 3:49PM on Jul 20th 2007
36. After Hirsi Ali was caught by the Immigration authorities of the Netherland she herself admitted to falsifying her asylum applications. The authorities tried to cancel her citizenship but by then she had managed to become a darling of Muslim haters in that country. There are many people who make up false stories of brutality back home just to get an asylum in a prosperous Western country. Only God knows how many of those stories are actually true.
masmanz at 1:19PM on Jul 21st 2007
37. the problem of whatever ill there is in the world, begins with black people
i have learned this dishes dzousa. iraq ? black people? illegal immigration, damn it black people !!!
britney spears? black people. inflation black people, in dinesh world if all else fails , blame black people
gotta love this usa
ghetto ghandi at 6:29PM on Jul 20th 2007
38. If we would judge Mohammed by today's standards, he would be a pedophile, a rapist, a thug, a whole bunch of bad stuff. OK, so the times he lived in were different.
So. If we are not to judge Mohammed by today's standards, could we request that Muslims not try to impose the standards of Mohammed's time on us?
Fair enough?
Also, Islam has had 14 centuries in the Middle East, so how can you write off the failure of societies there as due to 'culture?' How much more time does Islam need to work its magic on the 'culture' so that it is productive, self-sufficient, and not just a total embarrassment, and a failure of epic proportions? After 14 centuries, how can Islam wash its hands of any toxicity in the 'cultures' that it has ruled? Get real.
Damn Wren at 1:48AM on Jul 21st 2007
39.
Hirsi Ali is not trying to reform Islam. But there are many Muslims who are now leaving Islam, many of them in silence out of fear of the religion of peace. The impact of Muslims who left Islam will be indirect. It will tell Muslims they must shape up and live with themselves and the rest of the world in peace or else, apostates will be too many to kill!! The religion of peace must start acting peaceful and must start respecting women and minorities or else more and more will leave Islam. Yes Hirsi Ali and others who left that cruel religion will make a difference! Major change to Islam will not follow the example of Christianity like Mr. D'sousa is suggesting. Not all religions are equal..Islam needs a wake up call and a shake from the core and it is happening right now..the change will happen as a result of couragious former Muslims saying enough is enough.
A former Muslim
Nahid Hyde at 2:47AM on Jul 21st 2007
40. Everyone here who is trying to say that Islam is to blame for everything is really shaming every American. How are we to blame every problem of the world on Islam? Can we not get real and take credit for anything we do anymore? It takes two to tango, lets not forget that. If you justify the war in Iraq then you are justifying 9/11. No more no less.
Sarah at 10:33AM on Jul 21st 2007
41. Has anyone here ever had a Muslim friend? Talked to a Muslim? I have seen nothing but good manners and respect towards my religion from them. Lets try to give them that same respect please.
Jbmans at 10:38AM on Jul 21st 2007
42. Dinesh makes a valuable point. Can I add to that the fact that Hirsi Ali has little or no understanding of the Muslim communities she allegedly wants to reform. I interviewed her at the Writers Fstival and she came across to me as someone who knew little about the extraordinary variety of Muslim cultures.
She claimed that bin-Ladin's Islam is the dominant Islam across Muslim communities. She also claimed that imams were not rising up to oppose bin-Ladin. yet when I named some 5 mainstream American imams doing this, she looked puzzled and told me she had never heard of them.
She may have suffered at the hands of conservative Somali Muslim communities, but she claim her representatives are reflective of the experiences of all Muslims from Cape Town to Tokyo and from Sydney to Fez. FGM is a practice unheard of in many parts of the Muslim world.
I think she won't last very long in American conservative circles. She said in her interview with me that she believes those who teach Creationism should be jailed. She also supports abortion.
Here's more of what I think of her.
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=6037
http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=5243
Irfan at 11:00AM on Jul 21st 2007
43. It's a little hard for someone outside the religion to reform it, let alone lead the reformation. Hirsi Ali is an atheist, and cannot reform Islam, in which the belief in God is the paramount tenet. From her position as an atheist, she can only attack Islam.
Shumoon at 10:31PM on Aug 16th 2007
44. "Can Hirsi Ali lead an Islamic Reformation?"
Certainly not literally, but her brave voice is very interesting and seems open and honest to me.
Let's just listen and appreciate hearing her perspective. It will provide another believable view of the Muslim experience. What more could we ask of her. And incidently - if she is any indication of the quality of intellect available hidden in Somali villages, we should go there just to free more of same immediately.
DDwain at 12:57AM on Jul 22nd 2007
45. Can she lead a reformation?
No. For many reasons. She first off isnt even that crediable. Shes a fraud if you ask me. Secondly, Muslims don't care about her. As a whole, Muslims are too strong willed and dedicated to their religion to let some phony women change their whole Religion. Islamic reformation by the definiation of the western world? Never. An Islamic Reformation in relevance to Muslims will happen once the true Muslims decide to wash out the violence that is happening in their name. Other than that. It's not happening.
JamesE at 5:26PM on Jul 22nd 2007