Reddit mentions of Islam without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty

>i dont know his work well


I would recommend checking out his Book it makes for good reading.

The word is ijtihad which literally means "diligence" but refers to the practice of "independent reasoning" and at least according to a book I happened to read by a Turk was in during the Islamic Golden Age nominatively more common but over the centuries Islamic understanding stagnated or "closed the gates of independent reasoning" creating the idea that all questions had been answered.

And the author's basic premise is that Islam needs to return to its earlier periods of thought and isn't stuck a thousand years in the past but more like five hundred.

Quick overview of my thoughts about the Islamic World (Obviously I may be biased when it comes to Turkey). This all comes down to Islamic Countries developing actual modern mercantile economies (not OIL). Trade brings in diverse thought and encourages education and cultural exchange. You see the first real Muslim Middle Class emerging in Turkey and hopefully they do to Islam what Christians did to Christianity years ago. So long as the secular nature of the constitution is maintained I don't frown upon people wanting to be religious. For example on the Turkish side of my family wearing the Hijab is an actual choice. I have cousins(sisters) who wear it and some who do not. Some Syrian refugees are actually turning back to Turkey after they arrive in Germany because the Arabs are so conservative.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are the most vulnerable in my opinion. They made their bed with extremism and eventually it will collapse. If you go to London rich Saudis are obsessed with wealth and eat Foie Gras claiming its "halal". This sort of behavior will eventually result in the extremists taking over. I do not think Iran will collapse although they are a Theocracy they are changing and have a lot more latitude in their society. Turkey will become more Islamic as the decades go by but not in the sense of becoming extremist. You are going to see the first Muslim Middle Class emerge and hopefully it modernizes in a similar fashion that Christianity did. Erdogan is more like a religious conservative in the US rather than an Extremist. A lot of Europeans like to trash Turkey and a lot of times it is warranted but to be honest this is the first time Turkey has been an actual democracy in years. I believe there have been 4 military coups and 3 Military threats of Coup in the last 50 years. The secular Military even hanged a former President. No matter what you think about the religious debate you cannot call a state a democracy when the Military exerts that sort of control on society. Ataturk did some great things for Turkey but he was a dictator and did kill and torture a lot of people. Civilian control of the Military is one of the things that makes America Great. We seriously need Turkey to define what being Muslim in the modern world means because they actually have a modern economy that is not based on Oil. Erdogans power is mainly based in the fact that the opposition parties are incompetent most people who voted for him did it because the other guys were just so stupid. Hopefully Erdogan is removed from the picture through the next election and somebody new is in charge. Oman is not going to change much they were founded by an Islamic sect that is not Shia or Sunni that actually frowns upon most extreme interpretations of the religion. I'm not sure about Pakistan it depends who controls it in the end the Wahabbified Tribals or the Hanafi Majority. I don't know enough about African Muslims but I do know they are Maliki which is a very conservative version of Islam. I think the Pacific Island Islamic Countries will do good they have a lot of Chinese and Western influences which will help them secularize.

This book outlines the historical and modern problems Islam faces very well. Of course it is selling a certain point of view but it was well done.
https://www.amazon.com/Islam-without-Extremes-Muslim-Liberty/dp/0393347249

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13602000701737079

Doubt: A History: The Great Doubters and Their Legacy of Innovation from Socrates and Jesus to Thomas Jefferson and Emily Dickinson

Defenders of Reason in Islam: Mu'tazililism from Medieval School to Modern Symbol

The Closing of the Muslim Mind: How Intellectual Suicide Created the Modern Islamist Crisis

Islam's Predicament with Modernity: Religious Reform and Cultural Change

Islam without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty

Islam and Democracy: Fear of the Modern World

ps. I don't mind lending you at least some of the books above (via Amazon Kindle) if you're truly interested in learning about this period.