On the latest Assault on Islam/Quran

The following are two pieces on the article in the January, 1999 issue of the Atlantic Monthly on the Qur'an. The first piece was written before the article came out by M. A. Muqtedar Khan, who is the Editor of the American Muslim Quarterly and the General Secretary of the Association of Muslim Social Scientists. The post appeared on DCNet. The second is the first two paragraphs of a piece was written by Dr. Aziza al-Hibri of the University of Richmonds Law School. It appeared on AMILAnet and theres a link to the complete statement.

Subject: dc: ON THE LATEST ASSAULT ON THE QURAN
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1999 14:13:39 -0500 (EST)
From: Washington DC Area Muslim Network

 The coming issue of the Atlantic Monthly (Jan 1999) launches a major assault on the authenticity of the Quran. By arguing that The Quran is a historical document, it is trying to prove that Quran is not the word of God and therefore Islam is nothing but a historical construction that served the political interests of certain vested interests, like Pagan Arabs etc.

 Needless to say Muslims are going to be disturbed and justifiably angered by this abuse. There might be angry and reactionary responses, which I believe could do more damage to the mission of Islam than the Atlantic Monthly article. Remember foolish knee jerk reactions from Muslims will always undermine the image of Islam and Muslims. Defamatory propaganda by non-Muslims (particularly from those with known sympathies for Israel) should be taken as routine. This kind of propaganda by some Jews and some Christians, all Marxists, and more recently some Hindus, has been an ongoing challenge for ambassador's of Islam.

 The discursive assault on Islam in the last 30 years has been so virulent and consistent that its hostility and venom that it can only be compared to the actual hatred of Islam that prompted the Crusades. Yet, by the grace of Allah, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the U.S., Canada, in Europe, in Asia, Australia and Africa. This phenomenalglobal growth of Islam, through conversions not migration, is indicative of two important facts, that Muslims should draw reassurance from:

     1. One that Islam grows through an exchange of faith and ideas and not through the sword as many non-Muslim, secular, and Marxist historians imply.

     2. Two, anti-Islamic propaganda does little to stem the Islamic tide, on the contrary it seems to invite more interests and conversions.

 Not many of the readers of the Atlantic monthly are going to be Muslims with weak faith who will simply discard their faith based on this article. Muslims who care little about their faith can find many other reasons to leave. I doubt if the general audience of the magazine will be knowledgeable enough about Islam's history to actually use it to undermine Muslim faith. The only damage that it may do is to perhaps dissuade those non-Muslims who might be beginning to take interest in Islam and provide a rationale for those Muslims who have ceased to be believing/practicing Muslims anyway.

 It is possible that the article, which studiously avoids discussing the substantive contents of the Quran, may actually provoke many to read The Quran and inshallah discover its truth.

 How should Muslims respond to such assaults. We should use them as motivations to work harder in the cause of Allah and pay special attention to the study, memorization and recitation of Quran in Muslim halaqas.

 I propose that all Islamic organization of N. America come together And organize a World conference on Quranic Appreciation in the Year 2000. We can invite prominent scholars of the Quran from all over the world, of course excluding the anti-Quran crusaders, and create a major event that will enhance to understanding and appreciation of the Quran amongst Muslims everywhere. A huge event would also generate great curiosity in the Word of god amongst others too. In fact, I think we should declare the 21st century as the Century of the Quran and launch a global movement that will tighten the embrace between Muslims and the Quran, Inshallah.

M. A. Muqtedar Khan
Editor, American Muslim Quarterly
General Secretary, Association of Muslim Social Scientists

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Washington DC Area Muslim Network
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Subject: NEWS: Statement On The Recent Article In The Atlantic Monthly
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1999 14:11:40 -0800

Statement On The Recent Article In The Atlantic Monthly
By Azizah Y. al-Hibri

T. C. Williams School of Law
University of Richmond

January 7, 1999

 I have been asked by many concerned Muslims and non-Muslims to provide my views on the recent article, entitled "What is the Koran?" published by The Atlantic Monthly in its January, 1999 issue. I have reviewed the article and find that it presents highly speculative arguments based on remarkably selective data supporting a point of view hostile to Islam. Furthermore, it relies on stereotypical assumptions about Islam, rooted in a biased perspective deeply offensive to Muslims.

 Of course the author, Toby Lester, is entitled to his opinion on Islam. In a free market place of ideas, anyone may say almost anything. However, articles like his do not contribute positively to the ongoing efforts of building bridges of trust, compassion and understanding within our pluralistic society. For this reason, it is important for American Muslims to make their views and feelings known to their compatriots. This is essential for the robust exchange of ideas.

To read more of Dr. Azizah's statement and other articles please visit http://karamah.org - Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights.

Syed Hossein Nasr's Response to the Atlantic Monthly article.

The preceding document was posted on AMILAnet - a service of American Muslims Intent on Learning and Activism (AMILA) San Francisco Bay Area

http://www.mpac.org/amila

Opinions expressed in the above post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official views of AMILA

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