Fundamentalism

Short Interview: Robert Spencer on Fox & Friends Aug 14 2007

Robert Spencer, of JihadWatch.org, explains (in almost sound-byte form) the difference between moderate Muslims and violent extremists: the moderates are “bad” Muslims, in the sense that they don’t follow what the Qur’an actually teaches. The extremists, on the other hand, actually pay attention to what the Qur’an tells them to do and then do it ― things like engaging in violent “struggle” against those who “threaten” Islam by believing other creeds and killing Christians who “dishonor” Allah by worshipping Jesus.

In much the same way as many liberal Christians have drifted far afield from what the Bible actually teaches, and yet still call themselves Christians, many Muslims have chosen to ignore vast swaths of Islamic teaching and ideology yet still call themselves Muslims. This makes them “bad” Muslims in the sense that they’re unfaithful to the literal teaching of Mohammed and the Qur’an, but “good” Muslims in the sense that they have no interest in killing your children.

Which is a good thing.

The problem is that the extremists can come into a moderate area and tell the people there how they are not following the teachings of the Qur’an and are not being faithful to Allah. And according to the Qur’an, they’re right. It doesn’t take a university-educated professor of Arabic and Islamic theology to see that the literal reading of the Qur’an supports the jihadi ideology, and it seems that an unfortunate number of previously-moderate (i.e., not-very-Qur’an-following) Muslims end up becoming radicalized. Or should I say “literalized.”

Anyway, watch the video, and read more of Spencer’s stuff on the true, literal, fundamentalist nature of Islam. Then help me decide what we’re going to do about it.