It really comes down to one thing – to one primary question – What is Islam, and what do we mean by Islam? Because if we are going to decide this we must know what we are talking about. So, what is it? You may hear from the other side of this debate this evening that Islam is whatever Muslims make it.
That it is essentially subjective. But by very definition this can’t be true. People look to religion for guidance, for advice on how to live, therefore there must be an objective source for people to turn to for that guidance. In the case of religions, the objective source is usually a core written scripture or the philosophy of its founder or both. In short, Islam and Muslims are not the same thing. The follower and the guidance they follow cannot by definition be the same thing.
Muslims are human beings with all the complexities of human beings. They are the readers of the book not the book itself. And many will interpret that book differently – but the book remains the same. It is objective. So, if Islam is not Muslims then what is it? And you may also hear from the other side of this debate that the Islam that I describe, is not the true Islam. And that the truer Islam is compatible with Western Society. So, what is true Islam? [New English Review] Read more
