'Islam needs to reform itself ' - Berber professor

Islam structurally discriminates against women and non-Muslims. Dr. Kamal Nait-Zerrad, a French-Algerian professor of Berber studies in France, asks whether there are Muslim authorities bold enough to critique and reform their religion. MEMRI summarises an article from www.kabyles.com:

"In France, they want to sanction certain Muslim customs or practices, and public funds are used for the construction of mosques. Now, what is going on in the so-called 'Muslim' countries? In Iran, does a woman have the right to walk in the street without a hijab or a chador or a jilbab or who knows what else? No! Foreigners (journalists, Western ministers, and others) must wear the veil! In Saudi Arabia, can one build churches, synagogues, or other temples (and I do not even bring up centers for culture or free thought)? No, let us leave that to the tender democracies! There is no question here of speaking about reciprocity, but only of showing the insidious and fallacious sides of those who slowly but surely - with the help of 'useful idiots' - are shattering the secular edifice of the French republic - in the name of human rights!"

"For Islam, The Christian Or Jewish Non-Muslim Can Only Be A Dhimmi: "The fact is that Islam never foresaw a situation in which it would be in the minority. So long as one has not understood this, one cannot understand the Islamist movements. This is symptomatic of the Muslim vision of man, of human relations, and of other religions. For Islam, the Christian or Jewish non-Muslim can only be a dhimmi. Fighting against infidels is commanded in the Koran in these words [9:29]: 'Fight those who do not believe in Allah and in the last day, who do not forbid that which Allah and his Messenger declared forbidden, and who do not practice the religion of truth, among those who have received the Scripture! Fight them until they pay the jizya (poll tax), directly, when they are humiliated.' The jizya is reserved only for those who have the Scripture - that is, Jews, Christians, and to a lesser extent, Zoroastrians. As for the others - pagans, animists, free-thinkers, agnostics, and atheists - they have no other recourse but to convert to Islam or die.

"The study of the Koran allows one to point to the potential for intolerance that emerges from it and its outdated conception of law and justice. In essence, human rights have evolved in the direction of greater respect for man and his physical integrity. Some speak of a new interpretation of the Koran that is adapted to modern times. However, the political, social, or moral concepts in the Koran are intangible, and the Muslim cannot modify them or reject a part of them without being accused of heresy - unless [such modification] comes from a recognized authority."

"Where Are The Reformers?:"Objectively speaking, one cannot deny the fact that the Koran - like certain texts of other religions, for that matter - is anti-feminist. In Algeria, there is a fundamental contradiction between the constitution - which is supposed to be the basic law - and the family code. This brings us to the problem of the separation of [political] authority and religion in these countries. This separation, which is necessary for individual fulfillment, can only be attained if one sacrifices shari'a, with Islam becoming a personal religion. But where are the Muslims who will tackle this project? Who will propose another path… Where are the reformers?

"God Himself is said to be at the origin of the three great monotheistic religions. Each one then should be perfect, and always relevant, in any given era. But the Koran accused the Christians and the Jews of having falsified the Scriptures, and declared the[ir religion to be] invalid, with Islam remaining the only valid and certain religion. Now, as historical and scientific studies on the genesis of the [Koran] have shown, this accusation can be fired back at the Koran itself…(...)

"To come back to human rights, the contemporary conception of these rights is completely different than that which was current just one century ago. It has become more personalized and more universal…

"It is thus time for Islam - insofar as it is a 'great religion' - to critique itself and adapt to this evolution. The question is whether there exists a Muslim authority strong enough, with both the will and the courage, to start and to carry out this long labor - which would enable society to definitively and legally silence the Islamists and their henchmen."

MEMRI article in full