Today the New York Times a Canadian liberal Muslim woman who is advocating reform of Islam to wrest the mainstream of the religion away from extremists.
“If ever there was a moment for an Islamic reformation, it’s now,” she argues in her book. “If we’re sincere about fighting the asphyxiating despotism” that Al Qaeda seeks to spread, she adds, “we can’t be afraid to ask: What if the Koran isn’t perfect? What if it’s not a completely God-authored book? What if it’s riddled with human biases?”
It’s interesting to think that if Irshad Manji were a Christian, what she said would define her as heterodox or even heretical. She is also a lesbian feminist. But because she’s Muslim, she speaks the truth about the Koran. It is not perfect, it is not God authored, and it is riddled with human biases. Of course, if she were Christian and espoused the same views about the Bible, she wouldn’t need armed bodyguards and bulletproof glass and wouldn’t have to ask the reporter not to give details about her home. Then again, in Christianity, theology is faith seeking understanding, whereas in Islam theology is the force-feeding of a particular interpretation upon all believers.
Just another difference between Islam and Christianity.
