rsr
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LOS ANGELES - UCLA law professor Khaled Abou El Fadl has a scholarly manner and speaks in soft tones. But listen as he tells his story.
A Kuwaiti native, he was fascinated by militant Islam as a young man, then evolved into a moderate champion of democracy who suffered arrest and torture in Egypt for his views. Saudi go-betweens failed to buy his silence but long limited his influence by preventing publication of his works in Arabic. He received death threats over anti-terrorist comments following the Sept. 11 attacks.
Now, as Muslim immigrants to America struggle to find their voice, no one is more outspoken than Abou El Fadl - driven by what he sees as a global crisis: the fight between "moderates" and "puritans" to determine who represents authentic Islam.
"Nothing less than the very soul of Islam" is at risk, says the 42-year-old Abou El Fadl, who is calling upon moderates to reverse their declining influence and reclaim bold leadership of the faith.
This is a "transformative moment," he says. In his view, Islam is suffering a schism as dramatic as the 16th century Protestant Reformation that split Christian Europe.
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His story reminds me of the current state of the Democratic party.
rsr
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The missing link:
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LadyEagle
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Can't read the full story without registering, rsr.
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I believe this was the same El Fadl who was on a local radio talk show.
He stated that Islamic terrorism groups appeal to disenfranchised male youths in their teens and early 20's, youths that have no sense of direction or worth.
Like most cults, they get recruited out of a sense that they will get that need filled.
He commented that local Muslim mosques and communities often fail to meet the needs of the youth in their local community, which results in their disenfranchisement.
LadyEagle
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Oh, well, of Daniel Pipes said it, then it must be true
:rolleyes: