What Is Islam?

There has been some discussion in Defense/Intelligence/Law Enforcement/Homeland Security Circles about teaching about Islam.  Unfortunately, it has tended to polarize into two camps, at different ends of the issue.  One camp sees all Muslims in a secret plot to impose Sharia on the US.  The other extreme believes that Islam is a religion of peace and nothing in Islam, anywhere, offers a danger to us.  As the author of the article linked below points out, some on this second extreme tend to think of religion as a minor factor in society and it's principles as fairly flexible.

US Air Force Major Mark Jacobsen♠, has written about this in the latest issue of Armed Forces Journal.

I think this passage captures his proposed solution:

Genuine dialogue is rare, and government educators are often caught between extreme anti-Islamic voices and aggressive lobbying by Islamic organizations to silence criticism of Islam.

There is only one way out of this dilemma, and fortunately it is the most intellectually honest one:  to understand the battle for American perceptions of Islam, to map out the topography of the debate and to teach students to critically analyze rival arguments.  Such a program would teach the basics of Islamic history and sources of doctrine, then explore how they have been interpreted and used by various groups throughout history.  Instead of searching out and identifying one “true” meaning, it would explore the manifold meanings suggested by Islam’s friends and foes alike.  It would also explore possible reasons why various groups embrace the meanings they do.

We do need to better understand Islam, and most important, while not thinking of it as being like Protestantism, recognizing that there is no one Islam.  Saudi Arabia and Iran do not think alike.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Major Jacobsen is a C-17 Aircraft Commander, a "Trash Hauler" in Air Force argot.  The Kiwis say "Truckee".