Experts Contrast Political and Moderate Islam in Wake of Egypt Violence

Several experts on Islam, speaking after recent turmoil following the ousting of Egypt's President Morsi, highlighted that Islam is not monolithic and the U.S. should support the Islamic tradition that respects religious liberty.

"Religion, when it becomes political and it seeks to take control of society, should be rejected," Christian convert from Islam Patrick Sookhdeo, director of the Institute for the Study of Islam and Christianity, international director of the Barnabus Fund, and spokesman for persecuted Christians, told The Christian Post in an interview Tuesday. He called the now-deposed Muslim Brotherhood government Islamist and said it sought to "transform Egypt from a democratic society to what would effectively be a religious state."

Sookhdeo expressed concern that the military – rather than an election – had removed former President Morsi, but said the action nevertheless bore some degree of legitimacy. When "countless millions come out upon the streets, and basically argue that he is creating what is in effect a religious state and therefore he should step down, I think the voices of those people do need to be listened to." Read more