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most important ways are going to be through the written word, and through visual media. Why is the
written word important? In a world of tweets, attention spans are shortening and people are thinking
in little bites. But what are the masters of extremist Islam doing? They are building castles out of
words. They are engaging in long legalistic arguments on the precise value of different actions. They
are focusing on developing an advanced theology of death, destruction, and decay. If we are to work
on combating this type of distortion of Islam, then we need to spend the time also working out in
words, both spoken and written, the philosophical and theological arguments for a wholesome Islam.
We need to fill the world of Islam with works of literary fiction that allow us to empathize with one
another, and give words to our feelings.
The visual is also important. By developing the visual arts in the Islamic world we foster a way
that allows our youth to express themselves nonverbally. We also need to develop film, whereby we
can enchant one another with stories that come from our rich Islamic, and human, imagination.
The harsh reality is that the more narrowly defined the scope of religious knowledge and
expertise, and the more exclusively protected it is, then the less relevance it will have and the less
potency it will have. There is more than enough space within these debates for a range of people to
participate, from philosophers to psychologists, from literary theorists to writers of contemporary
fiction, from disenchanted young men to fallen and condemned women. It is evident that in this sphere,
we will progress far more rapidly if we include everyone in the dialogue.
In fact, you will understand that so many people can contribute to religious and ethical debate that
you should be surprised when the ulema still insist that only they can participate in the discussion. Yet
within the ulema is a quiet but growing number who recognize that they do not have all the answers.
This group, which is still not interconnected, understands that Islam cannot be dominated by a narrow
band of “experts” who are often enticed by personal power and enrichment. This group of ulema
recognizes that for Islam to be healthy and wholesome in the twenty-first century, many more people
will need to be involved in the process of rejuvenation. So I will look forward with you and your
generation to an ulema for the twenty-first century—who are not afraid of questions about knowledge,
sexuality, philosophy, and difference.