News & Comment
Islam 'not sustainable' in its current form and must 'reshape' to modern values, says religious expert

News

Islam is "not sustainable" in its current form with religious teachings that are "out of touch with the present", according to a leading Austrian professor. Ednan Aslan, professor of Islamic religious education at the University of Vienna, proposed several changes to a religion he said he wanted to "reshape" with modern values.

Mr Aslan is currently developing a curriculum for an Islamic theology course to be taught across Austria, to encourage scholars to "question" the nature of the faith.

"Islam, as it is now, is not sustainable," Mr Aslan told the Kurier. "We want to reshape the face of Islam. It is important that Islam is given a new face in order to be able to remain visible. It is out of touch with the present.

"Currently, Islam is unfortunately a religion of isolation. A religion of migration. A religion of Turkey, of Saudi Arabia. But no religion of Europe, which advocates pluralism or prepares children accordingly for a plural society.

"Why do we base the image of Muslims on women with headscarves? Organisations which shape our image of Islam, but they are just a small section of it."

Mr Aslan said European countries must lead the way in helping to amend the reputation of Islam, as certain Middle Eastern and African nations lacked the democratic freedoms necessary for such a debate.

"Unfortunately, this is not possible in Islamic countries. They simply cannot lead this debate in Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia," he added. "Democracy is an invention of the Enlightenment." (Independent.co.uk)

Comment

There are two types of people on this earth - those who have answered the fundamental question about life and its purpose; and those who are lost.

The West has formed religion in their image and have “reshaped” their Judo-Christian religions and produced two ‘new’ ones secularism/capitalism and socialism. And now, Ednan is continuing the centuries-old struggle of the Orientalist in attempting to “reshape” Islam.

Ednan and his predecessors are cynics of Islam and acolytes of the western religion of secularism. They have not rationally answered the root question of whether there is a God or not. They cannot deal with nor accommodate those who have certainty of the existence of God. Instead they violently insist on relegating God to the personal realm of life, except when it is Christianity or Judaism in which case the speak of tolerance.

Rather than seek to establish the truth, the only reaction the ‘enlightened’ Western countries like Austria, France, Holland, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Denmark or the US appear to have is blind, charged hatred. One simply has to see, the contrast when it comes to the ‘religion’ of Islam - how basic ‘human rights’, freedom of belief, one’s right to cover are stripped when it comes to Muslim women. There has never been a problem with their nuns who wish to wear a habit. Or feminist or lesbians, who might balk at the thought of school girls being ‘forced’ to swim with boys.

For Believers of Islam, Muslims, clearly what Ednan is espousing is incorrect, deceitful and wrong. If Ednan Aslan does not believe in a God, then “reshaping Islam” is actually a cynical exercise, pandering to and perpetuating what he believes to be untrue. Either way, it is a dishonest and cynical endeavour at best.

Islam is a Deen - a way of life with an intellectual basis confirmed and established by the mind and in accord with humankind’s nature. Good, bad, right and wrong never change. Allah (swt) has prescribed a Guidance, that guarantees one’s honour, security and well-being of all mankind. Good, bad right and wrong remains till the end of time.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Muhammad Hamzah