"The Coming Islamic Culture War" Topic

"Western observers are often blind to social currents within the Muslim world. During the Arab Spring revolutions of 2011, outside analysts confidently predicted that the uprisings would marginalize the jihadist movement in favor of more moderate and democratic reformers. In fact, the opposite happened—an unprecedented jihadist mobilization that has inspired legions of fighters from around the world and fragmented or threatened more than half a dozen countries. In large part, this was because the collapse of the old regimes, which had suppressed Islamism domestically, created new spaces for jihadists. These spaces included both literal ungoverned territory and discursive spaces, where radicals were newly able to engage in dawa, or proselytism.

Today, a new type of discursive space—one that will foster a very different set of ideas—is opening up in the Muslim world. In April 2011, Bahraini human rights activists created one such space when they launched the website Ahwaa, the first online forum for the LGBT community in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Esra'a al-Shafei, one of the website's founders, was modest about the site's ambitions, explaining that Ahwaa was intended "as a support network" for the "LGBTQ community" as well as a resource for those "who want to learn more by interacting with [LGBT] people."

Although little-noticed at the time, Ahwaa's seemingly innocuous project was in fact revolutionary. Homosexuality in the MENA region is not only stigmatized but generally criminalized and banished from the public sphere. The creation of an online platform where LGBT people could candidly discuss the issues affecting their lives, such as romantic relationships or the tensions between Islam and gay rights, was thus a direct challenge to deeply inscribed cultural and religious norms. Indeed, Ahwaa heralds a wave of challenging ideas that, fueled by rapidly rising Internet penetration, will soon inundate Muslim-majority countries…"
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Amicalement
Armand

The whole thing sounds fishy to me. I cannot imagine Muslims having a difference of opinion about the underpinnings of their faith. Next thing you know, they'll be making up stories about Christians breaking up into different denominations over the same idea. Ahh, come on. Where do they come up with this stuff?!?

Wow! Not about gaming, not about military events and all about religious matters. That's a hat-trick or a triple-play for inappropriate posting.
Congratulations on that!

Cheers.
Rod Robertson.

Rob,

You forget the gay card. It's a home run with the bases loaded. :)

Vince

There is and will be no culture war within the Islamic world tearing it apart. The progressive secular elements are a minority. They're also lambs who become refugees whenever there is conflict.

Agree!

Amicalement
Armand