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A leading professor and expert on Islam has warned that the religion is "not sustainable" in its current form and called for more critical thinking.
Ednan Aslan, 57, a professor for Islamic religious education at the University of Vienna in Austria and a frequent guest on German-language TV shows, said that in Islam too little is being questioned and too much simply taken for granted.
He warned: "Islam, as it is now, is not sustainable," and said he wanted to "reshape the face" of his religion.
Aslan said that Islam is "out of touch with the present" in the way it is currently taught.
Aslan argues that the most important prerequisite for religious education - and for education in general - is that the children need to learn to think.
He said: "This means that the children do not accept anything that is conveyed in the name of religion. They should also be able to question theological, religious content. Everything else is not a healthy religiosity.
"What does a youth in Vienna learn when he reads how many camels, sheep, goats he has to give for Islamic charity tax? Or whether the Prophet has eaten grasshoppers or not?
"This is in a school book in the 21st century in Vienna. In this way, the children do not learn to reflect, but only learn how to accept the given rules."
Austrian expert says Islam is unsustainable in its current form - The Local
I posted this here, because this man is addressing perhaps the most important reason why some in Islamic communities are not assimilating; they are teaching their children as if they're still in Africa or the Mideast, not preparing them for life in Vienna.
Of course many Muslim children will become disenfranchised as adults if they are not equipped with the needed mindset to function in 21st century Europe. This disenchantment can lead to crime, and even terrorism.
Thoughts?