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The queston of openness & freedom of thoughts

If we examine the history of the byzantine and the Christians of  the 8th -11th century is rightfully pointed out by Muslims, It is the degree of backwardness, primitive and filthy those Christian were living under. However, if you look closer as the reason for which those Christians were such  backwards, it was due to the massive and centralized force of the Church and the Popes whom used their own private armies (think of IRI) to keep people under their brutal and fundamentalist dogma. Religious was the city-state and the city-states were the religion.

The change occurred only after the Europeans had weakened the power of the church and through the  separation of church & State, they managed to transfer government to the people themselves. It was no longer what the Holy book had said, rather what conventional wisdom and the sense of right and wrong say - based of the fundamental timeless tenants of the 10 commandments.

Today you will watch on Israeli TV, very intellectual polemic between the secular and the non-secular element about relgious affairs, and their place in contemporary Judaism. Was the Burning Bush in Sinai, the question is asked,  was it really burning by act of god, or mere gas leak from the ground which was ignited by a thunder. (How many of these "Burning Bushes" we see in Oil fields). Or were the Jews wondering for 40 years before  they a arrived into Israel. And what about the 10 plagues. Did they occur as result of  "act of God"?, or just natural phenomenon easily explained in today's understanding science and environment.

Are Jews and Christian of today any less believers in the fundamentals of their respective religion. they are not.

These are the fundamental changes which helped the Jude-Christin societies to advance to an unprecedented level  of  human development.

Islam Must and eventual  will undergo the same level of transformation and public scrutiny, to attain the level of understanding who they are and what are the fundamentals of their religious belief and understanding of the universe.

In an era of Internet, instant communications, and the vast arrays of knowledge available to each on of us - regardless of nationality, race, or religion. We all learn from other pov to enrich our lives and quality of life..

There is no other way for Muslims and Islam to ask the same poignent and piecing questions. who are we?, where did we (as Muslims) came from, and where are we going from here. 

The type of suicide bombing under the lame excuse as "self sacrifices for what one believes in", are waning, and prove themselves to be weak argument, which  will result with inevitable defeat.

We are in an era of knowledge base societies, where knowledge is power. 

I just hope that many more decent  and well  meaning  Muslim like Soroush will come forward and put the spirit of human freedom and liberty to ask hard question, engage with self and constructive criticism, which  will result with better, peaceful and more productive societies. 

After all, Muslims have had more then 900 years to watch others succeed to where we are today, and follow suit for their own good. 

Unfortunately Muhammad legacy is viewed by the west as one whom no  one else had instilled so much fear, blind obedience, and total submission to his will, on so many people for so long. That is avery sad chapter in Islam.

I mostly agree with Mehdi .I

I mostly agree with Mehdi
.I read Koran frequently, an try to read in Origional (Arabic) with Eglish translation (Very Weak translation). No doubt, that Koran is very beautiful, rhythmic,intersting and very strong in contents.

The question is very ligtimate. Who created it?
2 0r 3 possibilities:

1- God. when you are reading it, it seems that God is talking to you, not Mohammad.(parrot)(qul hovallaho ahad= say God is one)
2- Muhmmad created it, but brought it in a way sounds like God is saying.( very Genious person, and should be admired))
3- some supernatural forces inspired to Muhammad ( like Evanglical believes, he was posessed!!!!)

These questions need answer, because billions of people follow it as "a divine source and must follow".

The problem is some people, especially intellectual, who already dismiss Koran, Islam, Relegoius, without knowing anything about it.But at the same time they forget, that this is their believe and as such ,you can not change them without knowing them.
The other day I was watching The Catholic Channel, two perists, and the moderator, and an Ex muslim ). The other three, admitting that they have never read, or seen Koran, but they were questioning, why a billion people are following such a "made up" book.!!! intersting. isn;t it?.

I believe,this is the responsiblity of intelctuals, researchers, students... to analize it, and discuss about it openly, otherwise the clergy continue to make business out of it as in middle ages of Christianity.

To my friend Anonymo

One cannot fight a forest fire with a cup of water. Nearly, one and half billion persons have faith in Islam. You can not simply say, I think that people can live without religion (or something like that) so you people stop believing in it – your message may not be heard.

Against, someone may try to fight fire with fire. Luther’s translation of the Bible into the vernacular of the people made the Scriptures more accessible to them, and had a tremendous political impact on the church and on German culture. You see the effects of his re-reading of Bible now. Souroush is trying to do the same thing for Islam, the reason why mullahs are so afraid of him is that he employs the same language than them but more logically and in the air time.

I’m wondering for when we have to wait to see a Jewish Luther. This religion hardly needs such a re-reading. Mehdi Mazloom any hint?

אני יודע מי אתה

mahmoudg

what on earth makes you make such a thoughtless and vicious comment brother? Elevating nazim above islam is meant to achieve what exactly?

Peace!

Mehdi jaan

Good points, except I would add that today we tend to forget that a fundamentalist and literal approach to religious text is quite a modern phenomenon partly due to the literalism of science. An attempt to reconcile science and religion - and the search for the 'truth' - has resulted in a simplistic approach that is way inferior to the age-old philosophies of sufism and the likes. Soroush wants to take us back to a more spiritual age, and he is a formidable force in Iranian theology. I sincerely wish him luck as we need him! Unfortunately, secular opponents of the regime - like me! - carry little weight with the majority in Iran.

Peace!

Qurans' miracles

The devoted Muslims believe Quran is a holy book that even though it is written in Arabic no Arabs can write anything identical to it.We have a holy book like Bible that since its creation it as been translated in many languages and there are tens of versions of it and they not identical to original Bible and the original bible does not even exist.Kings changed the writings in Bible to their likings to serve their purpose and Bible is nothing but letters that Jesus wrote to his disciples and there is nothing miraculous about it.

Mein Kampf has more value that Koran

A book full of "copy and Paste" features.  Mein Kampf and George W. Bush's book when it is published will have more substance than Koran does.

to anonymi

This is not a matter of who is smarter or more
educated. It is a matter of delusion, mass delusion at that!

Mr. Soroush is a product of an environment that brought him up as a devote religious man. He is also an educated man. There is a conflict between these two views of reality. He is desperately trying to save his religion while being aware of scientific progress and inherent inconsistencies of his religious views.

That is why someone has to awaken him and say "empror has no cloths"!

It seems he is getting there. The question is can he find the truth and have the courage to admit it before his time is up?

Sourush asks a very poignant question.

In essence, Sorrush contents that, today human race is by far more educated then the 7th centura era. in this period, we have much deeper cognitive reasoning behind various phenomenons around us - coupled with our in-depth understanding of human psychology, The art of excercise of power, and those forces behind the develoipment and perpetuation of Cult leaders and movement.

It all boils down to a basic question around which the whole fundamentals of Islam is being challenges. That is, Muhammad role in this episod.

Was Mohammad a mere parrot, the "letter Carrier" of Allah?. Or was he the one whom conceived all these Islamic tenants all by himself, to which he attributed them to some one else with perceived higher authorities.

If indeed he did receive his so called "revelation" from a second hand (Angle Gabriel) source, EXACTLY and verbatim from Allah, then, he was the illiterate and peasant as his detractors attribute to him. Therefore, his role in Islam should be treated accordingly.

On the other hand if Muhammad indeed, "manufactured" all those Islamic tenants all by himself. Then he was a genius, Therefore, he is  real Allah - hiding behind the image of higher authority (Allah). Muslims should worship him, and not Allah. Bow to his grave in Madinah and not to Mecca. Likewise, haj should be made to his  grave site and not to Mecca.

These are basic questions to which educated and open minded Muslims Must ask, and engage with open and honest question. 

While good and honest Muslims speak of Muhammads, "divine revelations", New and contemporary revelation about Muhammad role is  the true agenda

So Anonymo,

You are smarter than Soroush?... How does it do you're more Anonymous than him?

Launch of One Law for All -

Launch of One Law for All - Campaign against Sharia law in Britain //maryamnamazie.blogspot.com/2008/12/launch-o...

only complete challenge to

only complete challenge to human greed and corruption in this day and age.

Complete? Challenge??

Hardly! If anything, it promotes greed and corruption by its very message.

Revival of Islam in new age

There is no doubt that Islam is revisited in new age in a broader thought base. Some try to promote, some try to ridicule, so try to dicredit and some try to emotionally uphold it.

This article is another effort to discredit the cornerstone of a religion which is the only complete challenge to human greed and corruption in this day and age.

It will be another viral injection to make this living thought even stronger.

Please see:
Global Trends 2025 report

Peace;

Soroush lacks grasp of his futile effort!

Soroush is trying to prove a theorem but does not realize his axioms are wrong!

He is smart to realize the inconsistencies inherent in all religions. But not smart enough to forgo of it all. Instead he tries to reconcile that with logic and reason. That is futile. He needs not to be educated, not even enlightened. He needs to be awakened!