The Influence of a Moderate Muslim Cleric

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Basicaly, it's about rights (as is everything). When such are taken away, people tend to react. The Vitenamese had seen Imperialism before, so they knew how to. Africans had not (so much prior the Industrial Age slave trade). And the Red Indians even perished.

Islam, on the other hand, not only used to be a dominant empire, the Muslims themselves are from nations that had been the very Imperialists Islam opposes once a very long time ago. For these reasons Muslims are sensative to issues of cultural Imperialism and will not rest until the Islamic values is what prevails in the end (take theoretically as many decades or centuries as it may...).

There may be compromises (on matters of individual freedoms) but not on issues of how you run economy on a global scale. So, yes, unless Western Liberalism addresses the issue of God's Will for man (as opposed to Caesar's)...

[After all, in which city is the cradle of all terrorism today - Riyadh (read 'New York') or Cairo/Gaza (read 'masses')?]

Take care

May the Divine continue to guide

furat 3:55PM May 22, 2010

i am awfully alarmed by these ststments which reveal nothing but vile and hatred. how did you know that our prophet was a thief and brigand. have you read his biograpgy from an authentic source? have you dealt that his true followers or read about the lives of his companions ? do you know that the fill the whole world with justice and freedm. they have taught the entire world the meaning of peace and love. each religion has fanatics and extremists. we also have but they don't speak for us. we are moderate muslims aganist in injustice, intolerance , prejudice aganist any creature in any part of the world regardless his race , religion or colour . this is what our proghet has tqaught us . this is our koran enjions us . please read the quran with unbaised attitude so as to know the real essence of our religion which means a way of life

salah latif of MT 11:12AM May 28, 2009

I am suprised to read your comments on Egypt. Egypt is an ancient country, it is the land of prophets Jesus, Moses, Joseph and Hajar the wife of prophet Ibrahim (the father of all prophets). It is the land of pharoahs and the old and modern civilization, look at the amazing pyramids which is one of the world's wonders. Come and visit and see how Egyptians are friendly and modest and how they welcome their visitors. Talk to your friends and colleagues who visited Egypt and would like to visit it several timesand again. I have American and Japanese friends who wanted to live in Egypt for the rest of their lives, and who already retired and decided to spend the rest of their lives on its land and among its people.

Besides, Egypt is one of the SAFEST countries in the world as per statistics, it is even safer than US as my American friends say. It is a wonderful place to visit in winter, it has one-third of the world moments.

As for Al-Azhar it is the citadel of Islam. It is a mosque and a university (one of the oldest universities in the world). Most of its graduates reflect the moderate Islam, a good example of that is Egypt's Grand Mufti: Dr. Ali Gomaa and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Dr. Mohamed Sayed Tantawi.

Try to come again to Egypt and meet the responsible people in Al-Azhar and I am sure they will welcome you.

Hoda-Egypt 4:34AM December 06, 2008

I strongly disagree with the above comments. Islam is a universal religion not for Arabs only, it is a peaceful religion, it doesn't force any person to follow it. The greetings of Islam " Assalam Alikum" which means "Peace be on you" reveals that . This islamic greeting is not restricted to Muslims it included all religions, all races without discrimination. Prophet Mohamed "Peace be upon him" is a MERCY to all the creatures: the animals, the trees, even to the believers and to your surprise to his enemies and the infidels. He is the best and purest human being whoever walked on this earth. He is since 1429 a role model to his compananions and to all the muslims (above a millard now) watch the Moslems during their pilgrimge (Hajj)tomorrow (Sunday December 7th, 2008) and imagine how one man managed to unit all these people with God will and guidance from the Holy Quran (the only miracle on earth now and the only presevered book by God since 1429 years). Please read the Quran and read about the great prophet Mohamed "Peace be upon him" and see how the Muslims respect him and they follow his sayings since 1429 years. Check the statistics and see the millions of foreigners who entered Islam after years of searching and after reading the Quran. Islam is the religion of the intellectuals and sane people. It is the religion of the instinct which God created in all of us, to help us know the right from wrong. The religion of knowledge since the first word revealed in Quran to Prophet Mohamed "peace be upon him" was "Ikra'a" which means "Read". So please "READ" and search and look in yourself and in the skies,the moon, the sun, the seas and oceans, in nature and think of the GREAT POWER managing the universe. You will then know that it is the true religion of God who revealed it through his PURE messenger "Mohamed" "Peace be upon him". In these holy days which the Muslims around the world celebrate, I pray that God guide you all to the right path and the eternal happiness which we all seek.

Amat-Allah 4:01AM December 06, 2008

Just the phrase "Moderate Muslim" is kind of like saying a Vegetarian Cannibal, Careful Rapist or Gentle Ax-Murderer.

That awful book - "The Koran" - and the vile, sick 'prophet' whose delirious ravings fill it have spawned more violence and oppression than any single evil tome to date. To follow the ravings of a hallucinating epileptic mass murderer, brigand, serial rapist and pedophile is to follow madness.

Mohamed was a singularly evil man who began as a penniless worker, eventually marrying and later murdering his wealthy employer Kaddiyah, and subsequently marrying, raping and enslaving scores of women, most disgustingly 6 year old Aisha - his favorite. He married Aisha when she was only 6 years old, and raped her when she was 9 and he was 50.

Before then, and after he was a common thief and brigand robbing, raping and pillaging his way across Arabia and convincing the gullible yokels there that he was some sort of prophet. He was an epileptic madman and imagined it all - Muslims are the only people who have not yet figured this out.

Some prophet! Some religion!

Islam is for the criminally insane, and daily their actions and interactions with followers of other faiths proves this.

Santiago Matamoros 1:23PM May 02, 2008

totaly right brother as a muslim lebanese i say have patience

ali 4:48AM March 26, 2008

Reality proves strong evident

We went as european converts to visit Hussein-Mosque in Cairo, a well known place among the lovers of the ahli-bayt,

Family of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)and his daughter Fatimah and her husband Ali, first Musim and 4th Califulrasullulah, HUSSEIN WAS ORDERED TO BE MURDERED by the 6th calif YAZID, son of Muawiya. ( His Head was carried around and is buried in Ashqelon, of today> Israel.

It is from good manners, to intodruce ourselves and shale hands and we asked the servant to introduce us. When we approached, the door was almost smashed into our face, so is the reality of this people.

After entering Islam about 25 years ago it happened to intodruce ourselves to the Imam

of Al - Azhar Mosque beside the oldfashioned place of learning for 'muslims' of "islamic world".

The Imam asked us, from where and we confirme to be from Germany, next he asked us, what time we did the morningprayer ( about 5 o'clock), we confirmed to have prayed in time.

He responded, holding his head bus saying "Quijamah", what mens 'Day of Judgement'

and in their case, many of the so caled ' Azharis'

like to pray theis morning - prayer in bed, as we noticed by travelling the country, manu Imam from that institution are payed for that job, but do NOT lead the prayers in the morning, so the effect on the egyptians, which are still uneducated in matters of religion and so they like to be DIRTY, as anybody can see in the streets

everywhere, western education is more clean.

The critic is, these people are dressed like the former Rabbis with earthlong Galabirs and Coats

and like to be greated in the market, to get some meat for free, but do have little faith proved by their actions, the mentioned clothing Manners

are forbidden ( Haram) as a sign of PRIDE.

In the Rifai-Mosque we were even begged by the Imam to give him money like Entryticket, even

clearly known to be muslims, thats Egypt.

Allah says: I give Wirness, the Arab' are " Kufr an Nifaq", Unbelievers and hipocrites.

So in Cairo half of popuation is like this, half of the other, 1 of onehundred, maybe one of Onethousand is a Believer and Alah knows best.

efendi of NY 1:06PM March 17, 2008

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Faith Matters

Faith Matters follows developments in the world of religion and spirituality, exploring their influence on politics, culture, ideas, and everyday life.

Jay Tolson is a senior writer at U. S. News & World Report covering religion, culture, and ideas. He is the author of Pilgrim in the Ruins: A Life of Walker Percy and has written for the The New Republic, The Wall Street Journal, and other publications.