Farzana Hassan: Islamic Reform – Daunting But Needed

Interesting interview with Farzana Hassan, by the Clarion Project (see Sheema Khan: We can end honour killings, but not with films by anti-Muslim zealots and Film wages ‘interfaith campaign’ against abuse of Muslim women for more information on Clarion):

I see little clerical support for an “Islamic Reformation.” Even educated Muslims believe that Islam is perfect and therefore needs no reformation. Reformist Muslims, on the other hand, repudiate sharia provisions and attempt to understand Islamic belief and practice mainly as metaphor. Traditionalists see them as constituting the fringes of Muslim society, even as heretics.  Few heed their call for an Islamic reformation.

From my experience in dealing with Muslims of various stripes and persuasions, I have come to the conclusion that while there is movement toward and away from Islam, the main body of Muslims has remained largely orthodox due to recognizable inertia in Islamic theology. Muslims who challenge traditional interpretations often end up repudiating Islam, at least intellectually. New converts to Islam, on the other hand, embrace the orthodox view simply because it is the entrenched view. The result is stasis within the community of Muslims across the world.

An Islamic reformation is therefore a daunting task. Mullahs and clerics would have to abandon the literalist approach to Islam in favor of its broad principles, especially when there is a blatant contradiction between the two.

I think there is more diversity within the Muslim community, particularly in North America, than Farzana, and other religions (e.g., Catholicism) have some analogous challenges, but this interview gives her more space and nuance than the limitations of a short op-ed.

Farzana Hassan: Islamic Reform — Daunting But Needed | Clarion Project.