All Comments (6)

Dear Dr. El Fadl,

Considering the boon of Saudi Arabia's recent trillions in oil wealth and the vast international religous outreach it affords - including the funding of study centers in prominent U.S. universities - we are unlikely to see a lessening in Wahabbi influence or even literalist interpretations of the Koran. Nevertheless, do you believe there is a chance in the United States of achieving a redacted and kinder, gentler version of the Koran, one that escapes fundamentalist inerrancy? Each new strain of zealots variously cherry-picks the traditional Koran to justify savagery in the guise of martyrdom or else a nativistic return to seventh century tribal cultural motifs.

Dear Dr. El Fadl,

Considering the boon of Saudi Arabia's recent trillions in oil wealth and the vast international religous outreach it affords - including the funding of study centers in prominent U.S. universities - we are unlikely to see a lessening in Wahabbi influence or even literalist interpretations of the Koran. Nevertheless, do you believe there is a chance in the United States of achieving a redacted and kinder, gentler version of the Koran, one that escapes fundamentalist inerrancy? Each new strain of zealots variously cherry-picks the traditional Koran to justify savagery in the guise of martyrdom or else a nativistic return to seventh century tribal cultural motifs.

Dr. El Fadl,
great article and great observing about Islam and Human Rights today, also is great your explanation of ''Wahhabit Islam'', but this kind of Islam is not only problem for Islamic countries. ''Wahhabit Islam'' is problem also for europian countries like Bosnia and some parts of Serbia, and I think that Muslims must to talk about that and to make another picture of Islam in modern world, like peaceful religion and Muslims like peace-lover people.

Sir

Your figures and information are inaccurate about the Arms deal and the Guardian. The deal was made in early eighties worth $80 Billion and the Saudi Royal Family is alleged to have received moneys as commission/bribes from Bae, a major British Arms Manufacturer ( Not the British Government and the British Government was not bribed ! ) Britain with a $2.3 Trillion economy is not buyable with $70m !

The British Government then stopped the corruption investigation on grounds of national security and interest. It said the Saudis would have stopped cooperation on terrorism and it would have resulted in loss of a recent large multi billion contract and affected jobs in the United Kingdom. It did not stop any one publishing information.

A lot of TV and Internaional comments have already been made freely. The US government is also looking into corruption allegatuions against BAe who is a major supplier to US defence department.

Sir

Your figures and information are inaccurate about the Arms deal and the Guardian. The deal was made in early eighties worth $80 Billion and the Saudi Royal Family is alleged to have received moneys as commission/bribes from Bae, a major British Arms Manufacturer ( Not the British Government and the British Government was not bribed ! ) Britain with a $2.3 Trillion economy is not buyable with $70m !

The British Government then stopped the corruption investigation on grounds of national security and interest. It said the Saudis would have stopped cooperation on terrorism and it would have resulted in loss of a recent large multi billion contract and affected jobs in the United Kingdom. It did not stop any one publishing information.

A lot of TV and Internaional comments have already been made freely. The US government is also looking into corruption allegatuions against BAe who is a major supplier to US defence department.

I wish that people would learn a litle bit more about Wahabism before they routinely condemn it as being some evil sinistre force. It is very much like the Puritanic Christianity that had swept across England in the XVIIIth century. There were some truly wonderfully sincere and devout Puritans as John Milton, Oliver Cromwell and John Bunyan and there were some who were blind fanatics. The Arabian Peninsula in the XVIIIth century was drifting into outright paganism and Wahabis literally saved it. Wahabism has many redeeming qualities.

As for Annemarie B's question, "do you believe there is a chance in the United States of achieving a redacted and kinder, gentler version of the Koran (sic), one that escapes fundamentalist inerrancy?" can be answered with a "No". The Quran cannnot be trimmed to fit the current thought fashion. However, we can educate people, both Mulims and non Muslims to understand it better and not to misinterpret it or to misunderstand it. That is the secret rather than expurgating it to mollify or pander to the Western sensibilities of the moment.

As for the second part of her statement, "Each new strain of zealots variously cherry-picks the traditional Koran to justify savagery" begs the question: which brand of Islam is George Bush's America and Tony Blair's Britain following that has led them to savaging the lives of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and Afghanis? According to Lancet, 650,000 Iraqis have been killed so far and we are not even mentioninhg the maimed and the wounded. Is George Bush a Muslim? Is Tony Blair a Wahabi? Why do we in the West only see the violence of a suicide bomber (who happens to be Muslim), as being violence but are totally blind to that of our own compatriots? Unless of course, killing Arabs and Muslims is not a savage act--and this most probably is what most Americans and Englishmen believe deep down inside. How else can one explain this total sang froid of 360 million citizens at the massive slaughter being perpetrated by its depraved leadership and drunken soldiery?