03rd Dec 2007
Moez Masoud, Muslim Televangelist
Edit – fixed Youtube link.
Wow. This guy is really impressive. Check out this Washington Post article. Snippets:
…[Masoud] said imams who outlawed art and music were misinterpreting their faith. He talked about love and relationships, the need to be compassionate toward homosexuals and tolerant of non-Muslims.
…
Television preaching in the Middle East was once largely limited to elderly scholars in white robes reading holy texts from behind a desk, emphasizing the afterlife over this life, and sometimes inciting violence against nonbelievers. But as TV has evolved from one or two heavily controlled state channels to hundreds of diverse, private satellite offerings, Masoud and perhaps a dozen other young men — plus a few women — have emerged as increasingly popular alternatives. Masoud and others promote “a sweet orthodoxy, which stresses the humane and compassionate” as an alternative to “unthinking rage”
…
As fundamental teachings, Masoud advocates adherence to prayer five times a day, peace toward all and abstinence from alcohol, sex outside of marriage and violence. Beyond those principles, he said, Islam is suffering from a “crisis of interpretation.”
“I’m sure Osama bin Laden knows a lot of the Koran,” he said. “But when a Muslim celebrates when the Twin Towers collapse, you have a big problem.”
This Youtube is also fantastic (minus the cheesy Braveheart music). He appears to have a website, but a lot of the links, including the “English” one, are broken. Also found this – looks like he spoke at a conference in 2005 called “The Radical Middle Way” (Vineyard anyone?).
Conservatives have been calling for more moderate Muslims – hopefully they will give support and encouragement to these emerging voices.
BTW, doesn’t he look like Justin?
Hey, that’s awesome, and not just ’cause he looks like me (a little, I admit).
You can listen to the Radical Middleway lectures, including the one delivered by Moez Masoud at http://www.radicalmiddleway.com/ …just click on the Audio link in the left hand margin.
Also worth hearing Abdul Hakim Murad. Very inspiring.
Yusuf.
Thank you for the tip, Yusuf. I will check it out.
Moez is a stand-up guy. He is a personal friend of my brother and mother. He has an amazing personal history, actually – coming from the religiously disaffected, ultra-wealthy elite of modern Egyptian society. He toiled with a lot of introspection amidst a life of extravagance and has since dedicated himself to learning and education of self and others, committing the entire Qur’an to memory late in life.
Interestingly, but unknown to many in the West, Moez is not a phenomenon of some modern re-examination of Islam. On the contrary, many of his personal scholarly relationships are with those who have studied and continue to teach in what we would probably call “traditional” settings. However, why does Moez continue to say what he says? Because of what many of us in the Muslim mainstream try to enunciate to the public constantly: Islam is actually quite moderate, reasonable and coexistence focused.
Thanks for your comment, taqee. I agree with you, and am glad that people like Moez are emphasizing the “traditional” teachings of Islam that have always been peaceable and kind.