Wafa Sultan
There have been a number of articles* recently about one Dr. Wafa Sultan, a Syrian expat. She has gathered attention because of an interview on Al-Jazeera (which appears to have been edited). In it, she makes many valid points about the behavior of Muslims and Muslim societies, but in newpaper interviews, she takes it a step further by appearing to blame it on the religion of Islam itself.
It's a shame that she does not see the differences between religion and the human beings that pervert it... She has clearly bought into the most extremist interpretation of the Qur'an that is available. Which is too bad.
But that's her business, really... What bothers me about this situation is two things:
1) some articles about her label her as a "Muslim", even though she herself says she is not one. I guess it makes people who like to spend their time grumbling about Islam feel empowered to hear these things coming from someone they label as an actual "Muslim."
2) Due to being labeled a Muslim, she is being invited by all sort of hate groups to speak about Why Islam is Bad. What is the ultimate goal here? What is the "solution" to this "problem?" Find a way to convert Muslims en masse away from Islam? What about those who won't convert? Should they be eliminated? Let's be honest here, if a group makes makes a concerted effort to denounce another group of people--not just their behavior, but the very basis of their existence, isn't there only one direction they could be going? Such groups are clearly not interested in engaging with and empowering those Muslims who do NOT subscribe to the extremist point of view Dr. Sultan believes is the true definition of Islam.
Dr. Sultan is free to her opinions, but I would hope that she would take a step back and think about the agendas of those who are suddenly hoisting her onto their shoulders.
By the way, here's an excellent commentary from MuslimWakeUp on Dr. Sultan's views.
*(click here to log in to www.nytimes.com)
It's a shame that she does not see the differences between religion and the human beings that pervert it... She has clearly bought into the most extremist interpretation of the Qur'an that is available. Which is too bad.
But that's her business, really... What bothers me about this situation is two things:
1) some articles about her label her as a "Muslim", even though she herself says she is not one. I guess it makes people who like to spend their time grumbling about Islam feel empowered to hear these things coming from someone they label as an actual "Muslim."
2) Due to being labeled a Muslim, she is being invited by all sort of hate groups to speak about Why Islam is Bad. What is the ultimate goal here? What is the "solution" to this "problem?" Find a way to convert Muslims en masse away from Islam? What about those who won't convert? Should they be eliminated? Let's be honest here, if a group makes makes a concerted effort to denounce another group of people--not just their behavior, but the very basis of their existence, isn't there only one direction they could be going? Such groups are clearly not interested in engaging with and empowering those Muslims who do NOT subscribe to the extremist point of view Dr. Sultan believes is the true definition of Islam.
Dr. Sultan is free to her opinions, but I would hope that she would take a step back and think about the agendas of those who are suddenly hoisting her onto their shoulders.
By the way, here's an excellent commentary from MuslimWakeUp on Dr. Sultan's views.
*(click here to log in to www.nytimes.com)
posted by purvis at 4:26 PM
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