Salman Rushdie, controversial India-born British author, with girlfriend, Padma Lakshmi, in India.
Posted on 08/11/2005 10:54:33 AM PDT by CarrotAndStick
LONDON: Salman Rushdie, whose Satanic Verses first revealed and exemplified to a shocked world the massed rage of a globally-vocal, possibly violent, fearsomely-networked, resurgent Islamist extremism, has led the West's call for an Islamic reformation that brings the planet's youngest, fastest-growing religion into the 21st century.
Rushdie's new novel set in Kashmir details the transformation of a young Muslim boy from shy adolescent to Islamist terrorist under the tutelage of a bearded radical mullah.
He launched his appeal for a "move beyond tradition...(for) the Koran to be seen as a historical document...not supernaturally above (history)" even as his book, 'Shalimar the Clown', was shortlisted for the prestigious, intensely profitable Man Booker prize.
Rushdie's new novel, his first big-ideas exploration for years, is to be published on September 29, book trade experts told TOI on Thursday.
Rushdie, who has long been held up by leading European scholars of resurgent Islam, such as Stefano Allievil, as the first example of radical Islamist mobilization, said on Thursday that a broader interpretation of the Koran – other than its categorization as "the infallible, uncreated word of God" - would lead to better relations between Muslims and other faiths everywhere in the world.
Rushdie's appeal came as the BBC reported the results of a unique poll of British Muslims calling for imams and clerics in the UK to preach in the English language.
The Mori poll for the BBC found 65 per cent of Muslims backed such a move. It is said to represent a massive British Muslim consensus for change, in a Western language. Scholars told TOI the conclusions might, if they reach their inevitable conclusion, lead to a world-wide change that sees Muslims changing their language – and way – of worship to a local languages, rather than Arabic.
"If it happens, Muslims could be saying namaaz in Hindi or Hindustani rather than Arabic, just as Catholics were allowed to do by the Vatican in the 1960s," said one scholar.
The BBC poll found that with more than half of UK Muslims born in Britain, it was important for British Muslims to hear more English in mosques. Many of the over-1,000 people who participated in the BBC poll, said they thought English-speaking imams would help break down cultural divides between Islam and mainstream society.
Rushdie said wholesale change and an Islamist Reformation would end Muslims' alienation from legitimate discourse and debate and would also combat the jihadi ideology believed to have resulted in 7/7.
Rushdie's controversial move into the rigidly ring-fenced area dealing with Islamic renewal and change comes 16 years after he was first targeted by radicals for allegedly blaspheming in 'The Satanic Verses'.
His new novel, 'Shalimar the Clown', which won a coveted place on the 50,000-pound ManBooker longlist (LATE ON WEDNESDAY, AUG 10), has been described as a contemporary and urgent examination of the world's biggest bugbear – the spectre of the Islamist suicide bomber.
Late on Thursday, scholars said Rushdie's call for Muslims worldwide to make the leap of faith that calls for the Koran to be re-interpreted, was a dangerously brave move.
Rushdie, who now divides his time between New York and London, has been dolefully described by scholars as "an excellent demonstration of the reality of (Islamist) globalization" because he is "an Anglo-Indian writer (with) a book published in Great Britain, demonstrations (and deaths) against the same book in Pakistan and elsewhere, a fatwa in Iran, demonstrations and book-burnings in Britain and in other countries, especially where there were Muslim minorities facing non-Muslim majorities, global threats to publishers, millions of copies of the book sold all over the world."
Italian academic Allievil said Rushdie's plight while under fatwa further exemplified Islamist globalization because he was "finally a writer who cannot enter any Muslim country and is obliged to live under police protection."
On Thursday, Rushdie lamented the sad reality of the lives of hundreds of thousands of British Muslims, who he said lead separate lives from other communities. He said, such insular circles cause "young men's alienations" to "easily deepen".
He said, " What is needed is a move beyond tradition - nothing less than a reform movement to bring the core concepts of Islam into the modern age."
And he added, that Islam worldwide needed "A Muslim Reformation to combat not only the jihadi ideologues but also the dusty, stifling seminaries of the traditionalists, throwing open the windows of the closed communities to let in much-needed fresh air."
He said it was patently obvious that "(Koranic / Islamist) Laws made in the seventh century could finally give way to the needs of the 21st.
The Islamic Reformation has to begin here, with an acceptance that all ideas, even sacred ones, must adapt to altered realities."
Salman Rushdie, controversial India-born British author, with girlfriend, Padma Lakshmi, in India.
Well, there's Scientology and a lot of other newer goofy crap.
For Islam, and Allah, it's time to die. No "reform", it needs to go, like any cancer.
Good Idea!
Rather than being "reformed" Islam needs to be buried, it is a false, satanic cult..period...and it is NOT the fastest growing religion in the world, christianity is, by far!!
Actually it is the fastest growing religion, because Muslim men marry upto five women, and they breed like crazy, and almost always can't take care of even one child properly.
And most new converts to Islam are usually the ones who haven't heard of Christianity.
Too late for editing. Islam has declared that Mohammed was the last prophet, I think. Of course, maybe that part could be edited as well.
Sure. And while your at it, reform Nazism.
Ping.
It includes mention of the old Muslim controversy on whether or not to publish the Koran in English (see Pickthall's Quran). For many years (more than a 100, at least), some Muslims wanted that in order to get even more British converts of western European descent, and many others did not. Some British and Russian men with IHR (neo-Nazi) connections tried to get converts to Islam in the USA during the 1990s (if not earlier).
Islam might be the fastest growing religion, but it certainly won't be the longest lasting one!
Leni
Well, many Muslims talk about reforming Islam... but why reform something that is perverted by default? What about these Muslims converting to Christianity, Buddhism, Paganism, Atheism or any other religion or peaceful set of beliefs?
Muslims rarely convert or relinquish their fault-ridden faith. How often do you meet someone who has rejected Islam, being its follower earlier?
And why do you think Christian missionary activities in Muslim-majority lands is close to zilch?
BTTT
How about cutting everything beginning right after the title?
But Islam don't have a central gov't the way the Roman Catholics did, that Luther came against(the dogma).. The Imams can preach whatever they want..almost.. as long as jihad is mentioned.. Coming against ALLAH on the otherhand would do it.. Allah is no way like the jewish or christain god, not even close.. UNmasking Allah would be the trick.. Easy too, just take the mask off it.. Islam has a designer god..
Well, don't forget that Christian missionaries aren't outlawed in countries where Islam is dominant. Furthermore, they are even threatened by local thugs. Last but not least, former Muslims keep quiet about their conversions because they are legally prosecuted in many Islamiic countries or shunned and killed by their own acquintances or relatives. Islam is a religion for barbarians.
Islam needs to be reformed from within or destroyed from outside. It really is up to them. If they are picking a fight with the west, they will lose. The west is more than a geographic and political/economic force. It is a state of mind
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