From the Library: A Battle for the Soul of Islam, by Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser

Last updated on: March 10, 2015 at 3:16 pm by Jane the Actuary

From the Library: A Battle for the Soul of Islam, by Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser 2015-03-10T15:16:28-06:00 Jane the Actuary

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

This’ll be short, as I already had to return the book from the library and am going on memory and a few notes.

Remember when I said, “Islam needs a Jewish Enlightenment“? No? Well, I invite you go to read this post, from January (pre-Patheos) and tell me what you think.

Dr. Jasser has — well, OK, this book was published back in 2012, so clearly he hadn’t, but it felt like the core of what I was trying to say, he agreed with: that a renewed Islam able to equip its followers for the 21st century, rather than the 7th century, needs to separate out certain ideas that Jasser, at least, identifies as the core of Islam (others would disagree) — essentially the ecumenical notions of “love God and your neighbor” — and discard that which is unhelpful. And the discarding is to be done by re-understanding the Quran in the most benefit-of-the-doubt, peaceful, tolerant, equality-promoting manner, regardless of whether it’s in line with scholars from Egypt, or historical chains of belief, or the like.

He grew up in the United States, the son of very modern, middle-class democracy-loving parents who themselves left Syria when their hopes for democracy in that country were dashed, and who passed on their liberal beliefs (that is, pro-democracy and freedom, not liberal in the American political terminology) to him, in small-town Wisconsin. Upon entering college, he found that the Muslim Student Association group was too hardline and anti-Israel for his taste; aftewards he joined the Navy, as a doctor, and later founded the American Islamic Forum for Democracy, with the goal of supporting moderate, democracy-loving, patriotic Muslims.

Unfortunately, he seems to be nearly alone in his quest. His organization is not quite a one-man shop, but doesn’t seem to be particular large, and certainly doesn’t seem to have much influence in the wider community. And the fact that the media takes CAIR to be the official representatives of Muslims in America, doesn’t help matters, given that CAIR has labelled them as among the worst “promoters of Islamophobia,” on their own website (from 2013) — which certainly seems to mean that Muslims who want to pursue Dr. Jasser’s path will be obliged to strike out on their own rather than working within established communities of Muslims.

Uncategorized

Islam

Previous Post

March 10, 2015

From the library: The Smartest Kids in the World, and how they got that way, by Amanda Ripley

Next Post

March 10, 2015 From the library: Social Security Works! by Nancy J. Altman and Eric R. Kingson

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Actuarial/Retirement Issues Politics Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 December 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 August 2021 June 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Where was Jesus praying the night before He was crucified?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Tarsus The Garden of Gethsemane Antioch Galilee