Islamic Reform Since 9/11

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The religion of Islam garners large amounts attention. Many believe it is a violent and backwards religion. Since 9/11, "Islamic reform" has become an all-purpose phrase: equally a western impulse to protect itself from Muslim violence and a humanist notion aimed at assisting voiceless Muslims (Eteraz1). Extreme displays of Islamic faith such as the attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11 have generated negative stereotypes about Islam as a religion. These stereotypes of violence and backwards thinking have been further perpetuated by even more recent examples of extremism by Muslim terrorists. Although most Muslims are peaceful and do not endorse the violence of their Muslim brethren, there are some who believe it is their responsibility to punish those who do not adhere to Islam. This religion is no stranger to divinely motivated warfare. Islam was founded on the belief that it is excusable to harm others in the name of Allah. The terrorist group, Al-Qaeda, holds many of these beliefs. Al Qaeda's modern origins go back to Wahhabism, named after the revivalist movement founded by Muhammad Ibn'Abd al-Wahhab in 1744. Wahhab called for a return to a pure and unadulterated form of Islam closer to the ideals of the Prophet (Blond 3). Recently a movement is being made to reform and reinterpret Islam not just as a religion, but also as a culture. The reformation of Islam by its religious authorities and will yield a more passive interpretation of Islam, therefor deterring Islamic extremism and producing a more diplomatic faith.
Although Islam has made substantial progress, many would argue that Islam is incapable of change. Understanding Islam’s past is imperative to understanding its future. Since its inception, Islam has been a vio...

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...g a steady religion. The reforming of Islam will alter the philosophies The Taliban, AL Qaeda, and others who still devastate and injure under the dated teachings of the Koran and make the ferocity of the Muslim faith obsolete.

Works Cited

Solway, David. "The Question of Islamic Reform." FrontPage Magazine. Front Page Magazine, 13 July 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
Pipes, Daniel. "Can Islam Be Reformed?History and Human Nature Say Yes." Can Islam Be Reformed?: History and Human Nature Say Yes. N.p., July-Aug. 2013. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
Blond, Phillip, and Adrian Pabst. "The Roots of Islamic Terrorism." The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 July 2005. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
Eteraz, Ali. "The Roots of Islamic Reform." The Guardian. The Guardian, 25 Sept. 2007. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
Lewis, James. "Can Islam Reform?" American Thinker. N.p., 18 Dec. 2012. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.

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