What "Moderate Islam" Would Look Like

[faithandpeace]

Assalamu alaikum. In light of all the articles and government propaganda coming out about combating "radical extremist" Islam and supporting what they call "moderate Islam" I figured I would give my own interpretation on what version of Islam these non-Muslim governments and media outlets would like us to have. Many of the things listed below have already been encouraged and tried by them, subhanallah, and a quick Google search will verify it. As follows:

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1. Mosques. They would be co-ed to promote "gender equality." Men and women would be allowed to pray side-by-side and sit anywhere they want. Men and women would be encouraged to wear contemporary Western dress instead of sunnah clothing. Beards and hijab would be discouraged in favor of contemporary Western standards of appearance and attire. Prayers, talks, recitations, and readings would all be done in English only. Non-traditional means of worship would be explored such as choirs, bands, music, singing, and dancing. Women could be imams and lead prayers for both men and women. Imams would also be expected to perform same-sex marriages and homosexuals would be allowed to be open about their relationships in the mosque.

2. Faith and knowledge. God would be redefined to be equally loving of all people. There would be no hellfire or grave punishment as all people regardless of belief and actions would be rewarded equally in the hereafter. The Qur'an would only be in English and edited of any details that could be offensive to Christians, Jews, atheists, and other non-Muslims. All verses pertaining to violence would be edited or removed. Topics such as ummah, khalifa, sharia, and jihad would be considered symbolic only and interpreted to apply to previous times and places but no longer applicable in the modern world. Hadiths, the four madhabs, and other early scholarship would be considered history, cultural custom, and myth to be discussed as past traditions but no longer taken seriously.

3. Practice. Praying five times per day would be optional as it would not be considered feasible in the modern fast-paced business world. Mosques would have freedom to hold jummah prayers when they wanted to and could move them to other days such as Sundays to make it more convenient for workplace schedules. Diet restrictions would be optional and symbolic as would fasting. Muslims would not be allowed to fast until they obtained prior permission by a non-Muslim doctor. Charity would be optional and would have to be equally divided between Muslim and non-Muslim organizations. Muslims would not be allowed to discuss or show their religion in any way in the public areas and could not pray in workplaces, schools, or on the streets nor would be allowed to wear Islamic clothing outside of their homes or mosques. Hajj could be applied for as long as prospective pilgrims publicly testified to government officials that they submit their souls to the state first and God second. Their application would then be reviewed by the State of Israel for final determination.

4. Security. All Muslims would be required to register with the government and carry Muslim ID cards. All mosques would be required to submit to government surveillance and monitoring including the installation of cameras in all mosques, maintaining lists of all Muslims who pray there, and submitting such data to the government whenever requested. Muslims would not be allowed to own weapons and mosques and Muslim community centers would not be allowed to hold martial arts or self-defense programs of any kind. Islamic flags and symbols would be prohibited and every Muslim would be required to fly their country's flag on the outside of their homes to demonstrate their loyalty to the state. Muslims or Islamic institutions who failed to comply with any of these standards would have their members who are non-citizens of the country deported immediately and those who are citizens imprisoned indefinitely.

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Subhanallah, I think that about sums it all up. May Allah (swt) protect the ummah, safeguard the deen, and shield the believers from the Shaytan. Ameen.