Tunisian Reformist Thinker: Secularism is Vital for the Future of the Arab and Muslim World

(Hat Tip: MEMRI)

To summarize, Mr. Al-'Afif Al-Akhdar insists that, one way or another, Muslim societies will inevitably secularize, as the harsh realities of Muslim theocratic rule sour people on a strict interpretation of Islam. He even says that women and minorities (minorities in an Arab-dominant context) will lead the way.

I am of two minds about this analysis. I'm not talking about whether Mr. Al-Akhdar is right or wrong, but rather whether his predicted secularizing process will be helpful--or harmful.

Obviously he rejects all the things that make Islam a threat to the rest of the world. If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times: Islam is not a religion of peace. Fighting and killing everyone who is not a Muslim is what Islam is all about--and I would like nothing better than to see people drop this false religion and embrace a religion that, contrary to popular belief, is founded on love, not on hate.

But secularism isn't the way. I'm sorry, Mr. Al-Akhdar, but secularism must inevitably lead to the pouring of contempt upon any idea that God--any God--really exists.

Then again, the Bible itself predicts that just this sort of movement will sweep the earth. Paul warned his apprentice, Timothy, that people would turn away from God and from everything decent. Maybe Osama bin Laden doesn't have a decent thought in his head--at least, it's hard to imagine--but I wonder what thoughts are chasing through Al-Akhdar's head. What sort of world does he look forward to? What has modernism--the belief that cold, hard science will solve all our problems--really brought to humanity? Much as I regard most of Islam as a lie, secularism is an even bigger lie.

Worse than that, the Bible tells us that before Christ comes back, the world will give itself over to a personality cult, all centering on two men--one Gentile and one Jewish--one political and military, the other pseudo-religious. Those two will bring such death, misery and destruction between then that the world will frankly wish for Osama bin Laden in comparison to them.