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Interesting analysis by Rami G. Khouri
… When I hear people speak about “what’s wrong with Islam” or “Islam and the West”, my immediate response is to remind them that there is no such thing as a single “Islam” that can be diagnosed, analyzed or engaged as a monolithic whole. The variety and dynamism of changes in Islamic societies, and in the hearts and minds of individual Muslims, is staggering these days. This is understandable, given the intensity of the degradation that many Muslim-majority societies have suffered in the past half-century of foreign manipulation, domestic mismanagement, and abuse of political power, and local deterioration of social, environmental and economic conditions.
…. It is noteworthy that the overwhelming majority of Muslims and Islamist groups has rejected the violent strategy of the small Salafist militants such as Al-Qaeda. But it is also worrying that the core grievances of both the militants and the non-violent majority are virtually identical. Salafist militants decide to bomb foreigners and Muslims alike, but most disgruntled Muslims deal with their predicament of imprecise citizenship rights in slightly incoherent and often corrupt countries by trying to lead more pious lives, while challenging the status quo and the power elite as they can.
If we disaggregate Islamic societies or Muslim-majority countries into our six categories of individuals, community, political, transnational and nationalist groups, core religious values, and a handful of extremists, we would appreciate that most Muslims and Islamist groups have responded to their individual and national predicaments with patience, rationality and non-violence….
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March 28, 2009 at 1:48 pm
I can replace ever time you mention “Islam” with any of the following alternatives:
faith,
religion,
culture,
individual,
needs,
preferences,
attitudes,
mentality…I could go on forever…
.
Ulil Abrar has mentioned this once in his book. In fact, if we all think like him about this topic, a lot of us would not have social problems, and most of use would be labeled “normal” all our lives.
.
Pity that we obsess about conformity a little too much…
#your way of thinking is not new. it’s a little bit like Bahaism which wants to acknowlege every religion in one roof. but finally they, the bahais ‘culture, become religion in itself. if you insist to follow what ulil absar said, you’ll end up to be come ulil absarism. human psyche is not that simple
IMHO, the most important thing, i think, is to accept differences in everything not only in religion. that differences does exist.
It seems to me when you said “pity that we obsess…” indicates that you feel hard to accept those differences.
nothing wiser than to accept the differences as they are so far as they dont incite violence and distract ‘law and order’
March 29, 2009 at 7:53 am
Honestly, that I’ve ever been told that I have difficulties accepting difference. It’s ironic, because I actually supported your opinion in my silly little comment.
And just to clear things up, I’m Saudi-Indonesian; was raised in Wahhabi and NU environment. I’ve never studied Bahai, actually. But you seem so much more intelligent and wiser than me about everything, you might teach me.
Thanks for the love.
#actually, you’ve got very good blog content. contemplative and critical. if you can make your identity (true name, at least) shown in your blog, it’d be a lot better.
March 30, 2009 at 11:37 pm
untuk mampu memahami secara mendalam suatu ajaran agama tentu memerlukan hadirnya cinta, bukan kebencian dan stigma…….
begitupun Islam, akan sangat garang dan menakutkan apabila pihak luar memahaminya tanpa rasa cinta. Dengarkan dan dekati Islam dengan nurani……….
April 1, 2009 at 2:58 am
we must know that islam is the best solution…. no terorism…maknya pelajari islam secara kaffah…
July 28, 2009 at 2:50 am
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September 19, 2009 at 6:31 am
andaikan semua makhluk di dunia beragama islam, dunia pasti jauh lebih baik dari sekarang.
December 19, 2009 at 4:26 am
Pahamilah dan jalani sesuai dengan Yang tersurat dalam Al Qur’n, Sunnah Rasullallah…Karena kelak kita semua diminta pertanggung jawaban sendiri-sendiri.Karena kebaikan tidak akan pernah bercampur dengan kemudharatan.