Dear Jayb.,

You may well be right - it can take a long time
for any reformation to occur, especiaally a
religious one. In this case, hopefully
it won't take one thousand years.

The "revealed word" of God would be a better way of putting it for Christianity. In Islam, the text in the Qur'an is considered to be the actual speech of God. This is an additional hurdle for Islam.

It is for this reason that Maajid Nawaz says, in his dialogue with Sam Harris (http://www.amazon.com/Islam-Future-Tolerance-Sam-Harris/dp/0674088700), that he doesn't believe that altering Islamic scripture is an option. What he advocates for, instead, is to show that there are many ways to interpreting the Qur'an, and to explain why a literal interpretation is too simplistic and naive.

Harris immediately quizzes Nawaz on this point by raising the fact that what he is essentially saying is that there is no discernible correct way to interpret the Qur’an. Nawaz responds by agreeing with Harris, and follows up by pointing out that, when there is no discernible correct way to interpret Scripture, the only way forward is pluralism.

In the follow-up conversation which Harris and Nawaz have (responding to questions from readers) in the audio book, Nawaz (a former Islamist himself) mentions that highlighting pluralism as the only way forward, for the above-mentioned reason, is one of the many ways in which the organisation which he founded (Quilliam) goes about de-radicalisting Islamists and Jihadists.

It suits the bearded ones to have the discourse on the 'intellectual' level - how to walk very carefully around words so they maintain their power over people and especially over women.

I recommend the simple, EFFECTIVE, practical and time-honoured, incrementalist way of individuals doing different. Stuff the turgid, manipulative delaying tactics of men (and some women too!) who have a vested interest in the status quo.

In Australia, UK, France, wherever, it is up to Muslim women to do different, if not for themselves (although they should be modelling better) then for their girls.

If, Quran 4:11 says that two women inherit the same as one male heir, so what, that is YOUR choice and Australian law supports you. Why sign up to Sharia? Don't contemplate a relationship with any smuck who believes that stuff. It is your life (in the West) so live it. Or are Muslim women afraid of freedom? Because so many people are.

Can't believe that feminists support this motor-mouth, or that feminists allow the ABC get away with nominating her as one of its celebrity WOMEN Muslim presenter and even after ANZAC Day, is vowing to continue to give her a podium and oxygen,
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/feminist-activist-yassmin-abdelmagied-sought-advice-from-hizb-uttahrir/news-story/8fb7d208cfac65646173cc3a4180c1a2

For goodness sakes, if forty years ago a couple of UofQ academics could grandstand in a public bar in Brisbane for the right to stand on beer-sodden tiles and get their pots for 1c cheaper, the modern, superbly-entitled Emilys-Lister Sisterhood might rise to the occasion to pull Yassmin and 'Her ABC' into line, "What are you thinking of, Islam is the most feminist religion?".

Dear AJ,

Thank You for the link and the information concerning
the book by Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz.

I've checked and it turns out that our library does have
a copy, which I have now reserved. According to the summary
in our library catalogue we're told that this book has been
published with the explicit goal of inspiring a wider public
discussion by way of example in a world driven by
misunderstanding and violence. The book demonstrates how two
people with very different views can find common ground.

That should give us all some hope.

Foxy: I've checked and it turns out that our library does have
a copy, which I have now reserved.

How come you can read all these books on the Subject of Islam yet you won't read the actual koran or the hadiths? They are not all that big really. I would have thought this would have been prior study before you read the others. Strange that.

No stranger than the faux left(ists) being quite incapable of comprehending what the real Left stood for,

http://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/maajid-nawaz/maajid-the-left-is-no-longer-liberal/