The book review continues...
Chapter Three: The Reformers
Mr. Wallace opines that many (In the Western world) are attempting to reform Islam as a 'kinder', 'gentler' religion. (21).
He explains that this revised Allah is a fictional god of people's imagination, not in agreement with the Qur'an. Certain people do not like the judgmental Allah that is war-like. (21). Mr. Wallace reasons that Islam cannot be reformed. As example, an orthodox, Quranic Islam interpretation, should not ignore the (later) verses from the Qur'an that are more militant and cling to the earlier more peaceful passages from the Qur'an.
A reminder of the theory of open-ended verses within Islam:
October 24 2017
Religion of Peace
Quote
'Does the Quran really contain over a hundred verses promoting violence? The Quran contains at least 109 verses that call Muslims to war with nonbelievers for the sake of Islamic rule. Some are quite graphic, with commands to chop off heads and fingers and kill infidels wherever they may be hiding. Muslims who do not join the fight are called 'hypocrites' and warned that Allah will send them to Hell if they do not join the slaughter.
Unlike nearly all of the Old Testament verses of violence, most verses of violence in the Quran are open-ended, meaning that they are not necessarily restrained by historical context contained in the surrounding text (although many Muslims choose to think of them that way). They are part of the eternal, unchanging word of Allah, and just as relevant or subject to interpretation as anything else in the Quran.
The context of violent passages is more ambiguous than might be expected of a perfect book from a loving God. Most contemporary Muslims exercise a personal choice to interpret their holy book's call to arms according to their own moral preconceptions about justifiable violence.
Islam apologists cater to these preferences with tenuous arguments that gloss over historical fact and generally don't stand up to scrutiny. Still, it is important to note that the problem is not bad people, but bad ideology. Unfortunately, there are very few verses of tolerance and peace to balance out the many that call for nonbelievers to be fought and subdued until they either accept humiliation, convert to Islam, or are killed. Muhammad's own martial legacy, along with the remarkable stress on violence found in the Quran, have produced a trail of blood and tears across world history.'
End citation
'Most contemporary Muslims exercise a personal choice to interpret their holy book's call to arms according to their own moral preconceptions about justifiable violence. '
This worldview approach by liberalized, Western Muslims will often reinterpret Allah, the Qur'an and the Sunnah through a reformed view. I tend to agree with Mr. Wallace that this will not be orthodox Islam, but at the same time I do not see the growth of Western Islamic population leading to a serious threat of radical Islamic rule in any Western country. It is theoretically possible, but does not seem likely to occur.
I am open to future correction, but as noted in this review series, I see secularism as the prominent Western worldview for now and decades in the future.
Islam in the West may very well pass all forms of Christianity in population.
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