Moderation in Islam: Return to Koranic Principles to Counter Fundamentalism

Last week, Islamists blocked the construction of the first Hindu temple in Islamabad, Pakistan. The project was meant to symbolize tolerance in an age of radicalism. Instead, controversy has turned it into an emblem of dogmatism in the Muslim world. The Pakistani government’s decision to withdraw its support from the temple project is but a symptom of a wider trend. While fundamentalist clerics fought against the Hindu temple in Pakistan, a Turkish court revoked Hagia Sophia’s status as a museum, paving the way for its conversion into a mosque. A few hours later, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the deportation of Protestant missionaries, accusing them without evidence of “threatening Turkey’s public order.”

In every corner of the Muslim world, religious and ethnic minorities find themselves attacked by a pack of obdurate fanatics. Hiding behind the convenient veil of religious fervor, those who mistake orthodoxy for devotion have gained tremendous influence in political circles. As the rising tide of Islamic nationalism threatens the survival of Middle Eastern pluralism, a return to sound Koranic principles may well be the best way to defeat pseudo-religious fundamentalists.

About the Author

Mathis Bitton

Mathis Bitton is an editorial intern at National Review.

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Last week, Islamists blocked the construction of the first Hindu temple in Islamabad, Pakistan. The project was meant to symbolize tolerance in an age of radicalism. Instead, controversy has turned it into an emblem of dogmatism in the Muslim world. The Pakistani government’s decision to withdraw its support from the temple project is but a symptom of a wider trend. While fundamentalist clerics fought against the Hindu temple in Pakistan, a Turkish court revoked Hagia Sophia’s status as a museum, paving the way for its conversion into a mosque. A few hours later, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the deportation of Protestant missionaries, accusing them without evidence of “threatening Turkey’s public order.”

In every corner of the Muslim world, religious and ethnic minorities find themselves attacked by a pack of obdurate fanatics. Hiding behind the convenient veil of religious fervor, those who mistake orthodoxy for devotion have gained tremendous influence in political circles. As the rising tide of Islamic nationalism threatens the survival of Middle Eastern pluralism, a return to sound Koranic principles may well be the best way to defeat pseudo-religious fundamentalists.