Jason,

Almost every high-profile ex-Muslim who has come to the West and speaks out against Islam express great skepticism that Islam can be reformed. I won’t say it is impossible. I won’t go that categorically extreme, but I will second my great skepticism. Any truly curious and objective person who reads the Islamic scriptures (Qur’an) and understands how the Islamic doctrine of abrogation works will know that the Medinan “revelations” cancel out the Meccan ones. Also, every – EVERY – traditional school of Islamic theology, Sunni and Shia, affirms the bedrock hermeneutical principle that the Qur’an is the eternal, uncreated, perfect, literal words of Allah. That means you cannot add, subtract, or cancel any of it. So, in order to “reform” Islam you must first declare that the Qur’an is not the compilation of the very words of Allah. As things stand right now, any Muslim which denies this principle is declared apostate and ripe for murder.

That is what you are up against. This is why Ibn Warraq (not his real name), Walid Shoebat, Ali Sina, Ayyan Hirsi Ali, and others are extremely skeptical that Islam can be reformed. Ali Sina, in particular, studied to be a Shia cleric. He is deeply, formidably knowledgeable about every Islamic writing. My experience of reading the Qur’an (and parts of it I had trouble understanding)confirmed for my satisfaction that it is not a religion of peace and that it is imperialistic, aggressive, and violent in its very nature.

But right now the “reform” camp among our kafir elites holds sway and suppresses the contrary opinion. This is done in the government and in academia, and it is a well-financed campaign to slander people like Robert Spencer, Steve Emerson, and Daniel Pipes.