Ex-extremists call for 'Western Islam'

[Maggy J]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7360652.stm

Interesting!

I've read The Islamist and I have to say it was a worrying read if only for how matter of fact it seemed about how easy it is for British born Muslims to be drawn into extremism.

Can this be an opposing force to these influences?Or will it drop by the wayside?

[frogstamper]

Personally I feel its worth a try, it seems to me that Islam is at a crossroads, especially in the west, if groups like the above mentioned don't challenge the awful ideology of the fundamentalists we are all in trouble. The once in favour MCB seems to have been sidelined by the government, who now prefers the more progressive Sufi Muslim council, which unlike the MCB is far less into political Islam, also the SMC attended Holocaust Memorial day which the MCB wouldn't attend until this year, that in it self reinforced negative images of the MCB to non Muslim's, not a very savvy move on their part.

Going back to the question it seems to me some sort of western progressive Islam is to be preferred in Europe, so as to show that Islam and modernity can mix. Of course this will be made all the more difficult if certain papers insist on interviewing the hotheads, those self appointed leaders of British Muslims, for anything like this to even stand a chance these morons should be sidelined by the press. Show everyday Muslim's just living their lives, working and above all laughing, the reason I say this is because on an inter faith programme one of the audience asked this Muslim preacher, "is there any joy in being a Muslim", it just demonstrated to me how wide the gap is becoming. The guy who asked this question was not a racist or a stirrer, but a normal guy who had obviously seen and read so much bad publicity surrounding Islam he honestly thought that outside of religion there was nothing in a Muslim's life, if this perception is widespread we had better hope that groups like the one above are successful, for all our sakes.