I guess I trust my college professor because he had us read the Koran and discuss how it was similar and different to the bible. I do not trust the news or other media, and in general, don't think there are many accurate sources of information in the US.
This is an important question. I generally trust BBC, NPR, PBS, Islamonline.net, also the book "Islam in the World" by Malise Ruthven and many of Karen Armstrong's books about Islam. Sometimes I trust my Muslim students and friends, but I usually try to doublecheck their info because they sometimes say conflicting things. When I say "trust" I mean I do not believe these sources are trying to intentionally shape my thinking, NOT that these sources are authorities on Islam or that I read anything without questioning it, in my view this kind of trust is dangerous.
You may disagree but I see many different "Islams" and I think it is simplistic to say any particular version of Islam is the "True Islam" or any Muslim is a "True Muslim." In the same way it is simplistic to say one person is representative of the "True America" and other Americans or their views or way of life are not. But this raises the question of whether or not we can say that something or someone is NOT representative of Islam or NOT representative of America if it is overwhelmingly rejected by the vast majority, but even when overwhelmingly rejected, it clearly remains an opinion, not a fact that it isnt representative.
In your opinion, should I trust the New York Times? The author Bernard Lewis? Sometimes I don't know if a site or book or magazine, is biased, accurate etc. or not. Does Al Azhar have publications in English about Islam that I can trust? What sources do you trust (in English or Arabic)? What sources do you definitely not trust? What site or person is the most trustworthy voice of Islam in Egypt? What is your opinion of Yusuf El-Qaradawi? Mohammed el-Sharawy, Abu Ishaq el-Heweny?
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ReplyDeleteJohn Esposito and Dalia Mogahed's
Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think
I guess I trust my college professor because he had us read the Koran and discuss how it was similar and different to the bible. I do not trust the news or other media, and in general, don't think there are many accurate sources of information in the US.
ReplyDeleteThis is an important question.
ReplyDeleteI generally trust BBC, NPR, PBS, Islamonline.net, also the book "Islam in the World" by Malise Ruthven and many of Karen Armstrong's books about Islam. Sometimes I trust my Muslim students and friends, but I usually try to doublecheck their info because they sometimes say conflicting things. When I say "trust" I mean I do not believe these sources are trying to intentionally shape my thinking, NOT that these sources are authorities on Islam or that I read anything without questioning it, in my view this kind of trust is dangerous.
You may disagree but I see many different "Islams" and I think it is simplistic to say any particular version of Islam is the "True Islam" or any Muslim is a "True Muslim."
In the same way it is simplistic to say one person is representative of the "True America" and other Americans or their views or way of life are not.
But this raises the question of whether or not we can say that something or someone is NOT representative of Islam or NOT representative of America if it is overwhelmingly rejected by the vast majority, but even when overwhelmingly rejected, it clearly remains an opinion, not a fact that it isnt representative.
In your opinion, should I trust the New York Times? The author Bernard Lewis? Sometimes I don't know if a site or book or magazine, is biased, accurate etc. or not. Does Al Azhar have publications in English about Islam that I can trust? What sources do you trust (in English or Arabic)? What sources do you definitely not trust? What site or person is the most trustworthy voice of Islam in Egypt? What is your opinion of Yusuf El-Qaradawi? Mohammed el-Sharawy, Abu Ishaq el-Heweny?