.... Opening her discussion of Islamic religion and rights, Cesari warned correctly that "political Islam is not going to die." Muslims worldwide view the separation of religion and politics "as something that doesn't fit . . . their national identity or culture." She added that, "Islam is . . . appealing as a form of political mobilization" as opposed to other "alternative ideologies" such as that of "socialists."
Cesari noted how the "politicization of Islam" extended to "so-called secular states" within Muslim-majority societies. She described a "certain brand of Islam" as having a "hegemonic status" in the "state institution" and a "central element of the new national identity," such that "being a citizen is also being a good Muslim." Even post-Ottoman Turkey, having "removed Islam from the public space," sought to "nationalize Islam" by controlling religious institutions, a "breakdown with the Islamic tradition" that established Muslim scholars' independence from rulers.
.... Cesari's combination of facts and wildly incorrect theories were redolent of cognitive dissonance. She perceived state-sponsored intolerant Islam, supposedly the result of theological misunderstanding, everywhere except in her mythical vision of the Ottoman Empire. Facts, however stubborn, cannot always overcome politically-correct, multicultural delusions.
Thankfully, various audience members retained a more critical view of Islam. One individual caustically described France, with its poorly assimilated Muslim immigrant population, as having been "invaded by a marauding force." Cesari's audience gives hope that such academics will not have the last word on Islam. [Campus Watch] Read more
