When “Qur’an and Sunna” Become Slogans: Why Recognising Islam’s Plural Interpretive Traditions Is Our First Defense Against Islamist Extremism By Adis Duderija When it comes to understanding Islam, there is a truth that some people don’t want to hear, namely the idea that although from the very beginning of Islam, Muslims have appealed to the Qur’an and Sunna for guidance in matters of belief, ethics, law, and politics yet these same sources, across centuries and continents, have been used—often in good faith, sometimes in bad—to justify profoundly different theologies and value systems, from mystical universalism to strict legal formalism, from quietist piety to revolutionary activism. That historical fact is not necessarily a deficiency of the tradition ( “Islam” is after all an idea constructed by human minds like any other religion) ; it is a reality of interpretation. Acknowledging this reality is the first, necessary step to avoiding the ideological traps...
We need to Stop Pretending Religion Is Either Everything or Nothing in Violent Radicalisation Adis Duderija For two decades, policymakers and pundits have swung between two extremes when explaining violent radicalization: either religion explains everything—a sweeping “war of ideas” narrative—or religion explains nothing, reducing faith talk to camouflage for grievances or group dynamics. A recently published volume, Rethinking Religion and Radicalization , edited by Michele Grossman and H. A. Hellyer, dismantles both positions. Its message is clear: if we want realistic analysis and effective policy, we must take religious motivations seriously without making them exclusive causes. The editors’ introduction sets the tone. Grossman and Hellyer urge readers to see religion not only as content—beliefs, rituals, identities—but also as social practice, affect, and political mobilisation. They frame religion as a system that seeks to “connect with the transcendent … an...