Is there such a thing as 'moderate'Islam ?

Submitted by victor tordjman (Israel), Jul 3, 2003 at 15:47

I contend that there is no such thing ! There are moderate muslims , no doubt, who wish to live in harmony with all the non-believers . Just like there are moderate atheists, moderate christians , etc... Islam started out as a rigid,,.. proselytizing , ...creed and has not changed since then , finding its sole inspiration in the Quran . To become or be a muslim means to accept this submission .
There is nothing moderate in such a framework. True! Great peaks have been reached in the course of history by Muslim Societies from Spain to Samarcand, to Persia and India. But this openess was achieved by bending orthodoxy , by accepting the other as Equal not as a despicable Dhimmy ! Not by such restricting sectarian interpretations of Islam as Saudi Wahabism . 'Moderate Islam' is a blatant oxymoron ! Therefore, Muslims who are truly moderate should make it their aim not to change the rest of us into Muslims, but to change Islam and its contents into a faith that can live with non-muslims and accept wholeheartedly a world where every person is free to worship (or not to worship)as she or he pleases.
Victor

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