75to reading scripture— picking a passage and saying
this is its true meaning regardless of everything else
around it—or do we concede that perhaps there are
other methods of interpretation?
It comes down to our starting point: If one were
to assume that a correct, unchanging reading of
Islamic scripture never existed and that, from in-
ception to now, it has always been in the spirit of
its times, then the reform approach would be the
intellectually consistent one. Indeed, we would
expect it to be the majority view today. This ap-
proach stands in opposition to that of the very or-
ga nized, vocal, and violent minority that has been
shouting everyone else down. If, on the other hand,
we start from the premise that the vacuous reading
was the original approach to scripture, then the re-
form view stands little chance of success. There
may be no answer here. I don’t think this question
has been resolved when it comes to interpreting the
US Constitution, or Shakespeare, or indeed any re-
ligious scripture.
So, pragmatically speaking, what can be done?
If somebody in Pakistan were to raise with me the
issues you have raised, they could be killed. In such
a stifl ing atmosphere, what is the solution? (I don’t
want our readers to think that all Muslim- majority
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