moderate muslims

Submitted by alex (Cyprus), Aug 6, 2008 at 07:09

Moderate, modern, liberal Muslims do exist. I've met and worked with them. They were a group of students - boys and girls - from Kazakhstan. What they were NOT was Islamists. They didn't give a damn about taking over the world. All they were interested in was in getting a good education and helping their country to develop as a modern, educated nation. Their teachers were women, the girls were every bit as determined to learn as the boys (and, truth be told, better than them at it) and they all ate, swam and worked together as equals.

They were proud of their country and saw themselves as Kazakhstanis first and Muslims second. Thus putting religion in its proper place - a belief, not an identity. Maybe it would help to direct Western diplomatic efforts at cementing relations with such examples of nations in which the people show what Muslims can and should be. Ignore the demands of the backward-looking, who want piggy banks banned in the UK and insist on covering their faces. Aid and support the forward-looking who want to join the rest of the world.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".