In Search of Moderate Muslims

Pope Benedict visits Turkey to heal a centuries old schism between Catholic and Orthodox Christians, even as the number of Christians there dwindles to thousands. But of course, his visit brings the relationship of Islam and modern society to the fore.

Turkey is supposedly a secular, moderate Muslim country, yet we have Christians prosecuted for practicing their religion, accused of "insulting Turkishness". Robert Spencer, via Michelle Malkin:

Two converts from Islam to Christianity, Hakan Tastan and Turan Topal, are currently on trial on charges of “insulting ‘Turkishness’” and inciting hatred of Islam. What seems to be behind the charges is that Tastan and Topal were proselytizing – which, while not officially illegal, is frowned upon and has sometimes resulted in beatings of Christians trying to hand out religious literature. On November 4, a Protestant church in western Turkey was firebombed, after months of harassment that was ignored by Turkish authorities. The murderer of a Catholic priest, Fr. Andrea Santoro, last February in the Turkish city of Trabzon was recently sentenced to only eighteen years in prison. (The killer shouted “Allahu akbar!” as he fired shots at the priest.)

Irshad Manji, in the London Times, RCP, asks "What is a 'moderate' Muslim?". She prefers to call herself a reformer, as some self-identified moderates reacted to her earlier defense of the pope.....

(The irony is, my defence of the Pope played up the Quran’s non-violence. I pointed out that Islam’s holy book encourages Muslims to reflect far more than to retaliate. Even if someone is mocking your religion, the Quran advises, walk away. Once tempers have cooled, engage in dialogue.)

.....with this (emphasis mine):

Consider, for example, this message from Imran, a self-described “moderate Muslim” and American citizen who works for the US government:

“You said that how Muslims are reacting to the Pope is like reducing the Quran to its most bloodthirsty passages. There is no such thing, Missy… You are looking for cheap publicity for your book and bashing Islam is the easiest way to get it nowadays. It used to be sleeping with the publisher, but for that you require looks. One more thing, if you are a Jew, you should not be ashamed of it."

Sonya is another Muslim American who benefits from her country’s free speech guarantees. She told me that I should be ashamed of myself for stating my heretical views publicly. Sonya went on:

“Do you blame the people who give you death threats? Or try to psychically harm you? I happen to agree with them. If you know how to talk to people, it will get you somewhere. If you don't, you will have many enemies...”

Daniel Johnson, NY Sun, points out a conversation with the prime minister of Turkey, wherein he repudiated the idea of moderate Islam, and made no distinction between Islam the religion and its use in the political ideology of Islamism.

The pope asks for reciprocity of religious tolerance, and for religion to be independent of the state.

Not only religious freedom, but freedom itself is at stake.

UPDATE: Pope visits Blue Mosque.

Related posts: Multiculti Meets its Limits, Full Text, Persecution of Biblical Proportions, Morally Obtuse, Reciprocity in Religion.