It's hard not to feel respect for the Sufi tradition, which sings Islam's song in all its depth and richness. Fortunately, they aren't the only alternative voices out there. I've already talked about the late Abdul Ghaffar Khan and his Gandhian Khudai Khidmatgar movement. Here are three more:
Begin with Abdal Hakim-Murad, whose outstanding article "Islamic Spirituality: The Forgotten Revolution" deserves a whole blog post of its own. Want to know what's going on spiritually within the faith? This is your primer.
Or how about Khaled Abou El-Fadl at UCLA, whose focus is Islam and human rights. The L.A. Times has called him "perhaps the most articulate enemy of the Wahhabi creed that shaped Bin Laden's brand of Islam." He understands the jihadists...because he used to be one of them. What changed his mind? A Dad who deserves cards from all of us on Father's Day.
Over in Europe, there's Sheikh Palazzi. With so much depressing news coming from that continent, the Majlis al-Ulema (Council of Scholars) of the Italian Muslim Association are a welcome relief. Their recent declaration, reproduced on Naomi Ragen's site, is inspiring.
Naomi writes:
"I hope that Western journalists, enamored and respectful of suicide bombers and their parents, who talk of holy wars, and sacred sacrifices will read [the IMA Declaration] and stop spouting their nonsense. I hope that Moslems will return to the true faith, and join the Jewish people in seeking to do the will of our G-d, whose paths are the paths of peacefulness."
In Israel, there is a special memorial at Yad Vashem set aside for "The Righteous Among Nations." These people risked everything to save Jews during WWII. Some have famous names like Schindler, and Wallenberg. Some have names known only to those they tried to save. We need to celebrate and elevate moral courage in this war, too, which is why this subject will become a recurring feature here at Winds of Change. It supports people who take real risks on behalf of G-d and civilization. It reminds us that all is not lost, and keeps us from giving in to hate.
Great humanity and decency can be found in the ummah. If nurtured and supported, it can win.
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