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Moderate Muslim?

Reader comment on item: Two Weaknesses Could Undo the Islamist Movement

Submitted by Andrea (Australia), Jun 4, 2016 at 16:37

Who is the "moderate" Muslim? Is there a definition? A defining line? Is the definition permanent? Can a moderate muslim step over the line and step back again? Is Hindu a Hindu or almost a Hindu? Muslims follow the doctrine of Islam. A follower of the doctrines of Islam is a Muslim.

Does any other religion demand such nitpicking and extenuated circumstances as Islam? Does any other religion enable falsehoods and outright lying (taqiyya) as Islam?

"If the Quran taught that a thief's hand should be cut off, then all Muslims would cut off hands."
We can all agree that very few Muslims cut off hands and that a majority (perhaps) believe it is wrong to do so. If the logic were sound, then this would be proof that the Quran does not say to cut off hands.

But the Quran does say this... quite clearly:
Cut off the hand of the thief, male or female, as a recompense for that which they committed, a punishment by way of example from Allah. 5:38
This is also the example set by Muhammad according to the Hadith (Bukhari 81:792). Yet, the vast majority of Muslims do not do this.

What this means is that the proof of what Islam teaches or what the Quran says is not in whether the majority of Muslims choose to do it or not.

Muslims who don't adhere to Islam as much as the ones who commit terrorist attacks. are "Not more liberal, just less devout."

This problem relates to the doctrinal teaching of a political ideology. It's like being at the precipice of WW2 and saying we should just let all these moderate Nazi's be because they don't represent tne S.S. - the reality ,of course is that they do, and when the chips are down you are going to hope there aren't too many of them.Read the Islamic texts.

Adherents may think or say whatever they want to about Islam, it doesn't change what Islam says about itself. As a documented ideology, Islam exists independently of anyone's opinion. It's testimony speaks for itself without needing to try and 'moderate' followers.

Submitting....

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Daniel Pipes replies:

I mean by moderate Muslim someone who is anti-Islamist.

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Reader comments (32) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1Moderate Muslim? [355 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
AndreaJun 4, 2016 16:37229823
2There are only Muslims, not Islamists. [86 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
LanceFeb 16, 2016 23:26228086
2Islam moderates v loonies [178 words]dhimmi no moreFeb 17, 2016 07:18228086
What matters to us is whether they're Islamists, not whether the Koran supports them. [52 words]Anon.Feb 17, 2016 09:02228086
Very sound response [84 words]PrashantFeb 18, 2016 23:29228086
Morphing the Islamists' Movement [355 words]M ToveyFeb 5, 2016 12:03227952
1John Kerry keeps calling the Islamic State 'apostates.' vs. Islamists [557 words]RobertFeb 3, 2016 10:05227923
4False hope [154 words]Darwin BJan 13, 2016 22:41227647
Further Reading [74 words]LanceFeb 16, 2016 23:52227647
1I wish. But yeah right. [85 words]JamesJan 13, 2016 10:43227622
this article is 100 % wrong : people are ok under Daech [128 words]aval31Jan 13, 2016 06:59227612
2Facing the Islamic terror [608 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
ada taiberJan 11, 2016 05:12227570
Gory future [36 words]MuhammadJan 8, 2016 13:48227533
Two weaknesses of Islamism. [666 words]Vishu MenonJan 8, 2016 11:44227531
Islamism cannot be weakened, while its presumed enemies are so confused and divided [505 words]Michael SJan 6, 2016 02:34227512
7Misunderstanding of religion [401 words]PhilipJan 5, 2016 05:18227497
1On the Problematic Concept of Religion [552 words]RobertMar 8, 2016 14:05227497
1The secret Islamic declaration of war. [330 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
wayneJan 5, 2016 04:38227495
1Meaning of ancient [174 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
PrashantJan 4, 2016 22:23227485
Thanks for explaining [78 words]PrashantJan 8, 2016 21:26227485
6The extreme danger of "moderate" Muslims [127 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
BillJan 4, 2016 20:44227479
Islamic Economics [198 words]SAKOVKTJan 4, 2016 16:56227473
1There. Was. No. Deal. [21 words]Abu NudnikJan 4, 2016 15:39227472
perhaps [103 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Ephraim LiorJan 4, 2016 15:14227471
Counter-Ideology A Key Weapon [232 words]DaveJan 4, 2016 15:04227470
reply [133 words]SAKOVKTJan 8, 2016 19:22227470
Daniel Pipes, Jan 04 2016 article [18 words]MainstayJan 4, 2016 14:00227465
2Ideology is the number one weakness [106 words]Michael Hanni MorcosJan 4, 2016 12:43227463
" non-violent vs. violent types, notably in Egypt" [24 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Anon.Jan 4, 2016 12:30227461
An Opportune Proxy War [71 words]Barry BlackJan 4, 2016 11:21227458
Relief [19 words]Neville HarrisJan 4, 2016 11:05227457
It's better to keep out [129 words]KephaJan 4, 2016 10:19227455

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