Quote Originally Posted by Monty92 View Post
I know that. I just wondered if you think it necessary for Islam to secularise to make the progress you acknowledge needs to be made. You seem to think we are already on a path towards a better Islam (i.e. a less devoutly practised Islam) though you beat around the bush of saying it by refusing to directly acknowledge the role of religion in the problems we see.

But that's fine, that's your perogative and I'm sure your motives are good, since you're not normally motivated by political correctness.

My question is whether your course of action is likely to work. I simply don't see how it can in a globalised world in which everyone who is in a position to do something about the problem, or is simply invested in solving this problem, is in one way of another stymied from doing so.

Am I right in saying that you believe Muslims must be on the frontline of reform? If so, are you aware quite how hard it is for Muslims to do this, and that the barriers to them doing so are erected by everyone, from other muslims, to politicians, to progressives?
Yes, of course it does. and it has more work to do than most, and it has to come from them.

However....the fact that plenty of muslims deplore this stuff (and the terrorism by the way) shows that there are large parts of our muslim communities (the overwhelming majority I would say) that have made this progress already. If you want their broader attitudes to women and gays to be consistent with ours then that will take longer.

I am not saying the religion plays no role in it. My point is that demonising the entire religion demonises all those within it. It is ok for someone like you to think like this. When notions like this are given the terminally hard of thinking we have a problem on our hands.