Salman Rushdie on Islamic fanaticism

From the Washington Post. I don't necessarily agree with the entirety of this article, but it's very good and worth reading. I'll soon have a somewhat related post on why the Iraq War is not about promoting democracy, contrary to Bush-speak, but rather liberalism or perhaps neo-liberalism is the more appropriate term in today's language of politics.

The deeper alienations that lead to terrorism may have their roots in these young men's objections to events in Iraq or elsewhere, but the closed communities of some traditional Western Muslims are places in which young men's alienations can easily deepen. What is needed is a move beyond tradition -- nothing less than a reform movement to bring the core concepts of Islam into the modern age, a Muslim Reformation to combat not only the jihadist ideologues but also the dusty, stifling seminaries of the traditionalists, throwing open the windows to let in much-needed fresh air.