Islamic Schizophrenia

In every discussion I’ve ever engaged about Islam and the future an ideological divide emerges over the willingness of Muslims to embrace basic human rights.  On one side are those who contend the large majority of Muslims want the same rights accorded other groups around the globe, notwithstanding the influence of radical opinion.  On the other side are those who contend human rights, even broadly defined, are inconsistent with sharia and therefore incompatible with Islam.

As I see it concepts of freedom and equality are treated with suspicion among Muslims because these ideas are perceived as a threat to their cultural identity and freedom is associated with colonialism.  Therefore it isn’t a universal principle that flowered through the Rights of Man, but is rather a specific regional concept imposed by an imperialistic authority.

At the same time “freedom