Arabisation of Islam

[timelets]

An interesting article in a Singaporean newspaper:

The spate of terrorist attacks and the attendant violence witnessed in the last couple of months, including the recent attacks in Dhaka, Kishoreganj and Ektarpur in Bangladesh, and Nice in France, brings home the truth that something perverse is happening within Islam and Muslims alone can fight that scourge.

More importantly, a fundamental transformation is taking place within the Muslim community all over the world - an identity formation based on a world view taken from early Quranic precepts and a code of conduct resembling a way of life that was prevalent in the Arab world in the mediaeval period during the formative stage of Islam.

This form of identity is premised on an understanding and belief that to be a true Muslim, one has to be different from "others" in every aspect of life and that there cannot be a meeting ground between Islam and other religions.

Arabisation poses a threat to all Muslims who believe in Islam's divine character and universalism, and can be combated only by them.

It would be great if Indonesia and India, with their large Islamic populations, work out an non-Arab version of Islam compatible with other religions.