Talk focuses on fringe groups

Little could be more pertinent in the wake of the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001,… Little could be more pertinent in the wake of the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks than a discussion of Western relations to the Muslim world.

On Sept. 14, noted religious historian Reza Aslan, author of “No god but God,” delivered a speech at the University titled “Welcome to the Islamic Reformation.”

The speech, cosponsored by several organizations within Pitt and the city at large, is part of an ongoing effort to increase the available resources concerning Islamic studies in Pittsburgh.

Aslan’s speech centered on his belief that the focus on jihad, or holy war, among fringe Muslim groups actually represents a reformation akin to that of the Protestant Reformation in Europe.

This “Islamic Reformation” is accompanied by similarly extreme violence.

It does not represent a unified opinion from the many diverse and multinational groups of Muslims. Instead, it is comparable to the radical opinions that arose out of the Reformation, especially Puritanism.

It is “a violent, bloody, apocalyptic conflict over a question” — that question being “Who has the authority to interpret religion?”

Aslan also expressed concern that by treating the war on terror as a legitimate war and Osama bin Laden as a legitimate political and religious authority, the United States grants legitimacy to a conflict and a war that are not, in fact, legitimate.

Bin Laden has no authority to issue statements on policy on behalf of any government, or Islam itself; his statements and proclamations are directed by proxy toward the West, Aslan said.

He referenced the many adherents to Islam living in cosmopolitan and worldly cities as a living testament to the fact that the West and the Islamic world are not necessarily embroiled in a clash of civilizations.

This means that their values can, in fact, be successfully integrated with other cultures, he said.