Needed, vigorous critique of Islam

From Ex-jihadist seeks Islam's Martin Luther - 10/22/06 - The Detroit News Online

Hamid believes a reformation will lead to the more enlightened practice of Islam, as it did with the Christian and Jewish reformations. The essential ingredients of reform, he says, are rejection of the principles that apostates must be killed; women can be subjugated and enslaved; Jews are subhuman, and Islam can be spread through violence.

The challenge, he says, is that no Islamic Martin Luther has emerged. 'Show me where Muslims are speaking out against these beliefs,' he says.

'Only a small number of Muslims are jihadists, but many, many more sympathize with their goals. They are passive terrorists.'

Hamid's book is 'The Roots of Jihad.' He remains a practicing Muslim, but wants his religion to become more free, more tolerant, more open to secular pleasures -- like baseball -- and more accepting of criticism.

The West, he says, could help with the latter.

'You are so willing to criticize your own religions,' he says. 'You must do the same for Islam.'

In other words, instead of walking on eggshells for fear of roiling the wasps' nest, both East and West would be better served by a vigorous critique of Islam.

When one is overly sensitive to something, with no biological reason such as sickness to explain it, then Systematic Desensitization or Graduated Exposure Therapy is called for. They know they want a vigorous critique. We know it. They are crying out for it by their actions. After all, if Moslem imams can blame women for being raped, then anyone can blame Moslems for exposing Islam to criticism by their actions. Right? Doesn't the law of symmetry apply?