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Saturday 18 November 2023

The late Professor James Aitken misunderstood Secular Koranism

https://www.fitz.cam.ac.uk/news/professor-james-aitken-1968-2023

https://www.facebook.com/claire.khaw/posts/pfbid02ueYybuWY5RpPycCxbpW229vnSFHUzbgnsR3n7GEjVhnZmNH1Zhy8mDYaECukUe4hl

Edward Martin:
Professor James Aitken, Professor of Hebrew and Early Jewish Studies, Director of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and Chair of the Faculty of Divinity, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, said:

"The concept that someone who has been brought up secular would want to CONVERT to a RELIGION, (in this instance Islam), remain secular, yet as a secular person, follow the rules of the Muslim bible, the Quran, is thoroughly ridiculous.

The concept that someone born into one religion and who has since become secular would want to CONVERT to another religion, (Islam), and remain secular, yet follow the rules of the Muslim bible, the Quran, is also equally ridiculous.

The person who has thought out this strange concept plainly has either a total lack of understanding of the word "secular", or has a hidden and potentially divisive agenda at the expense of all major religions, including Islam, that certainly needs fully explaining. I, personally, have never come across such blatant and rather confusing proselytising.

In fact, it is my considered, and if I may claim, expert opinion, that the concept of Secular Koranism is simply preposterous and rather pointless."

My response:

The late Professor Aitken seems to have thought Secular Koranism is for individuals. In fact, it is a legal system for *non-Muslim Western nations* to adopt. As I have already said before, Secular Koranism is a legal system, not a belief system. In other words it is not a religion, but a moral and legal political system incorporating Koranic principles of governance. The Koran protects freedom of belief since quran.com/2/256 supports the First Amendment. 

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