Islam's organic liberalism
On July 21, in an opinion posted by Newsweek, Dr Ali Gomaa, the Grand Mufti of Egypt, made a startling declaration about freedom of conscience in Islam. He stated that not only could a Muslim choose a religion other than Islam but "there is no worldly punishment" for rejecting Islam. Relying on the Koran, he argued that while leaving Islam was a sin in the eyes of God - which would be punished on the Day of Judgment - this did not mean that Islam could be imposed on anyone by force.
Muslims like Gomaa, by pulling Islam out of political debates, can, and are, creating the conditions for liberalism (and secularism). We should celebrate that while remembering that they will not work at a pace dictated by us in the west.
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