Islam: Reform and Transform

John R. Houk
© August 2, 2009

One of my biggest struggles about the religion of Islam (Mohammedanism) is in wavering back and forth with the concept that it can be reformed or a better term might be transformed.

I totally get that Mohammedan revered writings is the basis of what Islamic apologists call radical Islam as opposed to Moderate Islam. This is also why “transformed” is a better word than “reformed.”

“Reform” implies going back to the original from the present. “Transform” is changing the present to something better.

The radical Islam practiced by terrorists and the ‘return to a Caliphate’ Mohammedans is really the reform movement occurring within Mohammedanism today. There are some liberal Muslims that denounce the violence of radical Islam and the inherent violent intolerance of Sharia Law. One such group (lack of study precludes naming other groups or degrees of transforming movements) is Muslims Against Sharia.

Such Muslim groups such as Muslims Against Sharia usually are the first to criticize me about my ‘Islam is inherently evil’ stand. It is this largely ignored by the dominant Mohammedan community that these liberal Muslims has caused me to waver back and forth about Islam being a religion that can be transformed into an religion of peace away from its inherent revered writings that actually makes Islam a religion of violence and intolerance.

Yet the reality IS, as long as there are people that revere the Quran as the absolute word of god (i.e. Allah) and people subscribe to the near infallibility of the Hadith and Sunna; I can see no transformation in the future for Islam. I believe only a raw acceptance of some secular humanism as the filter to view Islamic revered writings is the only path to Mohammedan transformation.

It is the secular humanist filter that I usually am very critical of as it relates to the diluting of Christianity. However, I believe the diluting effect of secular humanism is the only way for Mohammedanism to transform. Such a dilution would enable the spiritually minded among Muslims to pick and choose to eliminate the violence and embrace the peaceful-inner consciousness that Islam is very capable of transforming toward. Indeed, the so-called Moderate Muslims who embrace the mantra that ‘Islam is peace’ would probably tell you the ‘Greater Jihad’ is all about making the inward man a better person.

I was reading a D. L. Adams article entitled, “Humor is not Just for Entertainment.” Adams’ theme is that the only thing that Mohammed and thus by extension Islam finds as humorous is the brutal demise of kafir (unbelievers) or any person that is insulting to Mohammed and Islam.

The outlying crux of the matter is a demonstration of the inherent violence and brutality inherent in the revered writings of Mohammedanism. So I am back to Islam is inherently evil.

JRH 8/2/09