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Dear
Dr. Shaz
I was so delighted to get your letter of the
30th May following my lectures on Islam which
though tough were deliberately positioned
to deepen the dialogue between Islam and the
West. There is so much in your letter which
is quite excellent and delightful from an
intellectual point of view and if you have
the time I would dearly like to know your
response to the following questions:
- I notice on page
2 of your letter you speak of Islamic decline
but I suppose you were thinking of this
in the intellectual and ideological sense
and not in terms of numbers? It does seen
that Islam is on the increase everywhere
but it seems from your letter that you do
not always see this as a mark of approval.
- What in your opinion
is the importance of “Ummah” for Muslim
identity? Does not this concept lend itself
to political and fundamentalist interpretation?
- My third question
springs out of reflection on your letter
which has to do with the interpretation
of the Koran. How do Muslim scholars reconcile
references in the Holy Koran which seem
to point in different directions? What I
mean by this is that from my reading of
the Koran there are many statements about
the character of God as Holy and peaceful
with the ensuing commands that the people
of God should live at peace. On the other
side there are references which seem to
indicate a fierce war-like attitude towards
unbelievers, even to Jews and Christians.
I would love to have your views on that.
Once again thank
you so much for your helpful letter.
Yours ever,
Rt. Rev. & Rt. Hon.
Lord
Carey of Clifton
London |
