Ishad Manji: Islam’s Martin Luther?

I make no apologies for calling ‘terrorists’ Islamofascists (or Islamic Fascists as President Bush refers to them), regardless of the wishes of CAIR and the political correct talking heads in the MSM. CAIR and its ilk act as if those of us who use this term are making a statement about all Muslims. I would like to take this opportunity to remind my readers what the term ‘fascist’ means.

Dictionary.com defines fascism as follows:

1. A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator,
   stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror
   and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.
   
2. A political philosophy or movement based on or advocating such a system of
   government.
   
3. Oppressive, dictatorial control.

What is the true goal of the Islamofascist? The first definition above seems to define his goal perfectly, therefore; the term Islamofascism is a much more accurate term than terrorism (terrorism is a means to an end of the Islamofascist).

So where are the peace-loving Muslims who want to take their faith back from these Islamofascists? Ishad Manji is one such Muslim.

I first became aware of Ishad Manji last Friday as I drove to work listening to The Laura Ingram Show. Ingram invited Manji on her show because of a very well-written article she had published in The New York Times on Wednesday of that week. When I heard this very intelligent woman lament the state of her religion, I knew I would have to read her article (registration required) and share my thoughts here.

Manji writes:

[V]iolent jihadists have rarely needed foreign policy grievances to justify their hot heads. There was no equivalent to the Iraq debacle in 1993, when Islamists first tried to blow up the World Trade Center, or in 2000, when they attacked the American destroyer Cole. Indeed, that assault took place after United States-led military intervention saved thousands of Muslims in Bosnia and Kosovo.

If Islamists cared about changing Iraq policy, they would not have bothered to abduct two journalists from France — probably the most antiwar, anti-Bush nation in the West. Even overt solidarity with Iraqi suffering did not prevent Margaret Hassan, who ran a world-renowned relief agency in Baghdad, from being executed by insurgents.

Meanwhile, at least as many Muslims are dying at the hands of other Muslims as under the boots of any foreign imperial power. In Sudan, black Muslims are starved, raped, enslaved and slaughtered by Arab militias, with the consent of an Islamic government. Where is the “official” Muslim fury against that genocide? Do Muslim lives count only when snuffed out by non-Muslims? If not, then here is an idea for Muslim representatives in the West: Go ahead and lecture the politicians that their foreign policies give succor to radicals. At the same time, however, challenge the educated and angry young Muslims to hold their own accountable, too.

In Manji’s interview on The Laura Ingram Show, she encouraged non-Muslims to continue to hold Islamofascists accountable and to not fear political correctness. One caller challenged Manji about the actual verses of the Koran which encourage Muslims to kill the non-believers (as Sam Harris writes at length in his book: The End of Faith). Manji responded saying that believers of all faiths read their holy books selectively, herself included. She chooses to follow the verses which are more tolerant of the beliefs of others.

Reforming Islam is not going to come from us non-believers. True reform can only come about when more Muslims decide to reform in a similar fashion as Martin Luther did with Christianity (which was further reformed from there to what we have today). Wouldn’t it be wonderful, in a religion which is traditionally so hostile to women, if such reform began with a woman such as Ishad Manji?

We can only hope this reform begins sooner rather than later. If not, much more bloodshed will be necessary.

Ishad Manji is the author of the book: The Trouble With Islam Today and maintains her own website advocating the reformation of Islam.

Related Posts:
Peace on the Enemy’s Terms
Serious Times
The End of Faith (Book Review)
Can Mysticism Co-Exist with Reason and Liberty?