Dave Rubin interviews Maajid Nawaz. The beginning is familiar stuff if you know anything about Maajid’s journey and his relationship with Sam, but this is really worth listening to. In particular, at about 25m in, he defines “regressive left” and why he feels they give a pass to theocratic oppression and accuse people who don’t of being neocons even when that is plainly absurd. He postulates that it is a matter of priority and that they see geopolitical state terrorism (my words, not his) as being a bigger issue, and that it is too difficult to deal with both issues at the same time. I think he is onto something here. I also like his rationale for the need to distinguish between Islam and Islamism; that for Muslims (and all of us) to be able to have conversations about reform, we must have accurate definitions for what it is that we want to argue needs to change.

I think Rubin is doing some good stuff with his new show. What I do wish he’d ask Maajid is just why the left feels geopolitics is the bigger deal. Maybe next time (hmm, I may write to Rubin to suggest it).

http://www.ora.tv/rubinreport/2015/10/2/maajid-nawaz-and-dave-rubin-discuss-the-regressive-left-political-correctness-0_twq2e3jhwn8

http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.684711

Didn’t mean to sound too hopeful 🙂

I don’t know what the Koran says, but have been led to believe that, for instance, Islamic violence can be directly supported by it’s passages. That makes change all the more difficult, while at least if the poor treatment of women was not so directly supported there is more hope for change.

So it’s all Aristotle’s fault? It’s a good article, but it by no means tells us everything that the Quran says about women vis a vis men.

The Quran is patriarchal as is the Bible, the ancient Greeks, the Romans and virtually all societies we know of before the 20th century. Even now where there is full de jure equality, there is seldom de facto equality.

I like to feel hopeful also, Ken, but I am doubtful if newly discovered feminine influence in early Islam is going to have much influence on present day behaviors. Yes, change is possible, and the sheikh is right when he points out the recency of women’s rights in western countries. But it was not a reinterpretation of Christian doctrine that pioneered women’s rights in the west. It was extending the enlightenment ideal of human equality. Sounds like this sheikh is getting there and we can only hope that more will also.

http://s.telegraph.co.uk/graphics/projects/koran-carla-power/index.html

The ones that don’t.

Which is disgraceful, Heather, the number that do or the number that don’t recognize a Palestinian state?

Pretty disgraceful really.

http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/these-are-all-the-countries-that-recognise-palestine-as-a-state–ZJRk0Dpo_l

There was a big thing about working hard in Calvinism that contributed to the success of the Scottish diaspora. Hard work became a Christian Duty, and idleness a Sin.