Moderate Muslims Are the Key to the Future of Islam and American-Muslim Relations

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

I found that in Ariel Cohen’s responses, the devil is, so to speak, in the details.I definitely agree with his understanding of what characteristics constitute amoderate Muslim – eschewing violence, and advocating tolerance and pluralism.But when he begins to identify moderate Muslims specifically byname, I find that he mentions individuals who do not exactly represent themainstream Muslim communities, wherever they are. Does that mean thatmoderation lies only on the margins of Muslim societies? Surely, this is contraryto the more widely held view that a small minority in the margins advocatesextremism in the Muslim world while the vast majority is moderate.This is empirically true everywhere, even in Iraq, where terrorism and insurgencyis practiced by a small minority of the smallest minority (Sunnis).Cohen claims that there is a “near-consensus” that Tariq Ramadan is asupporter of the Ikhwan (the Muslim Brotherhood). I am afraid that mostIkhwanis would disagree with this, as would most Islamic modernists whovalue Ramadan’s views. Many prominent scholars of Islam and the MiddleEast, people who have actually read his books and followed his career, havehailed him as a progressive and moderate voice.In defense of the American government, Cohen makes two claims. First,he asserts that the American government officials are averse to mixing religionand politics. I find this comment surprising, given the extent to whichthe current administration is allied with the Christian Right and its embraceof faith-based initiatives. Second, I agree with his claim that these same officialsare ignorant and incapable of distinguishing between a radical and amoderate. While Bin Laden and al-Zawahiri go free, American governmentofficials are busy harassing prominent moderates like Tariq Ramadan, internationalpeace award-winners like Yusuf Islam, and law-abiding Muslim citizenswho go to Canada for a conference.I agree with Cohen that Islamists must be accommodated under therubric of a democratic constitution that allows as much room to those whoreject Islamism as to those who advocate it. However, I remain perplexed byhis closing remarks in his answer to question 3. He appreciates the value of ...