Читать книгу The Tragedy of Islam - Imam Mohammad Tawhidi - Страница 8

For years, I have publicly explained the complexities of my religion and advocated the need for serious change. I have done this via media releases, public forums, articles, social media and addresses to community groups and government organizations. I have also engaged where possible with Muslim and non-Muslim religious figures, academics, politicians and members of the general public. Many times, I was advised to “write a book.” I have now accepted this advice and offer the following work for your consideration.

The aim of this book is to provide a different side to present-day arguments as to what Islam is and the current popular narrative. Not only am I an Islamic scholar, but I am ordained as a third-generation imam and Islamic authority. As such, I feel that there is a particular responsibility on me to speak out against the extremists and fundamentalist ideologies that have infested my religion.

For much of my life, I subscribed to the vision of Islam presented to me by my religious teachers. While being devoted to my religion, I undertook the long process of study to become an accredited imam. It was during this period that I came to question the interpretations of Muslim doctrine that many religious scholars promote as “true Islam.” The revelations revealed to the Prophet Mohammed contained in the Holy Quran are in fact not the only basis of many contemporary Islamic practices. The source materials for much of their teachings are books written centuries after Mohammad’s death. These theological and jurisprudential works are in fact in contradiction with each other. Deeply troubling to me were the bigoted, violent, and extreme interpretations that these scholars were using to indoctrinate young minds. I was lucky enough to liberate myself from extremist ideologies, and I wish the same for many of my co-religionists.

Both Muslims and non-Muslims have a vital role to play. At its simplest, we must support the modernizers against the “traditionalists,” and relentlessly drive the extremists from our societies. In particular, we must rid ourselves of the doctrine of “multiculturalism at all costs” as it has provided extremists with useful cover. Islamists have found themselves able to claim victim status in a society that they hope to destroy and supplant. Tolerant democracies have offered an opportunity to Muslim immigrants, to attain a better and safer life for themselves and their families. How we have got to our present state, where we have had terrorist attacks on our soil, lies in our own misconceptions regarding the nature of the mind set of extremists; and here I am witnessing the same jihadists my family fled from, now moving into our neighborhoods.

It is obvious that our governments are at variance with the views of the majority of citizens as to what constitutes a sensible immigration policy. This is a dangerous mindset for governments to hold, as it opens the possibility for Islamic extremists to make major political gains. This sadly is not confined to Australia; it is common to most of the tolerant democracies.

My goals are to do all I can to strengthen the force of reformists and modernists within Islam, and to warn my fellow Australians and the citizens of other democracies of the dangers in their midst.