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Article: Why critical scrutiny of Islam is an utmost necessity: Can reason blunt fanaticism? (Islam: Voices of Dissent).
- Article from:
- Free Inquiry
- Article date:
- March 22, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Islam faces unprecedented scrutiny worldwide. This is appropriate--indeed, an utmost necessity. Westerners demand to know the source of Muslim hatred towards them. After September 11, Qur'ans sold vigorously across the West to readers wondering what it contained that could incite such murderous zealotry.
Muslims could benefit even more from critical scrutiny of Islam. Yet many react violently when Islam is criticized, whether by Muslim or non-Muslim critics. Defenders claim that Islam is the most tolerant and peaceful of religions, perhaps quoting the only unequivocally tolerant Qur'anic verse they can recall: "There is no compulsion in religion" (Qur'an, sura 2, ...