Muslim expert tells Georgetown students Islam needs some serious reform

Here is a newsletter I got about a Muslim expert, Tawfik Hamid, who gave a good lecture to the students of Georgetown University:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 20, 2006

Muslim Expert Tells Georgetown Students Islam is in Desperate Need of Reformation
Endorses a peaceful form of Islam

WASHINGTON: Dr. Tawfik Hamid, a former member of Jamaha Islameia (JI) and associate of Dr. Ayman al-Zawahri, told an audience of Georgetown University students on Thursday that Islam is in desperate need of reformation.

"If the leaders of Islam endorse teachings accepting slavery, the beating of women, the killing of homosexuals, the killing of those who convert from Islam to other religions (apostates), humiliation taxes or jihad to spread Islam -- practices that do not hold the basic tenants of common humanity -- then it does not make sense to engage with the leaders of that religion," he said.

Dr. Hamid, a medical doctor, clinical psychologist and expert in Islam, says that for the past 22 years he has been trying to reform Islam. During his many years in Egypt, he preached a peaceful form of Islam, but says he was forced to leave the country when he was threatened and attacked in nearly every mosque he visited.

After lecturing at Georgetown, Dr. Hamid met with a number of military intelligence experts.

"Dr. Hamid is a treasure," one general said. "We need him in the U.S. to explain the dangers of extremism to America and the world."

Contact: Keith Davies at lalric@verizon.net or 720-935-2826

And it's certainly a promising development that, after the way that Georgetown cowered to CAIR by letting them hold a lecture there some time ago, they're now taking a more positive route by enabling someone of a much more positive position to give a lecture there.

If Islam needs a reform, my suggestion/proposal would probably be to teach more of Sufism, which could be the most positive step possible to take.