Here is an interesting debate between two Muslim women in the US: Irshad Manji and Dalia Mogahed. Manji, a vocal critic of Islam, sees herself as a reform Muslim; it is easy to understand why young Muslims in the West, as well as those fearful of Islam, would be drawn to her. Mogahed identifies herself as a mainstream Muslim who is "passionate about moderation."
I found Mogahed's analysis of the Muslim world more illuminating, including her response to whether Islam is a religion of peace, and how radicalization is so often rooted in politics but then takes on the language of religion. I did squirm a bit when she referred to Prophet Muhammad's wars of conquest as models of just wars. She also showed remarkably little enthusiasm for ijtihad—even when led by qualified Muslim clerics—rooting instead for classical religious scholarship and its more liberal interpretations of Islamic faith and jurisprudence.
More articles by Mogahed: Muslim true/false and What Makes a Muslim Radical. (Video via 3QD.)
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