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Emirati scholar Mansour Al-Nogaidan said that in the Abrahamic faiths, social and economic reforms have always been led by politicians and not religious institutions. He made these remarks in an interview that aired on MBC TV (Saudi Arabia) on March 26, 2021. Al-Nogaidan added that "luckily," in the Sunni Muslim countries, it is the politicians and the governments who lead the religious institutions. He said that the "wrathful and punishing God" will have no place in the future of humanity, and all creeds and religions seek a compassionate God. Al-Nogaidan lamented that it is only the Muslim religion whose followers kill each other in mosques and places of worship. In his youth, the Saudi-born Al-Nogaidan was involved in Jihadist activity.
Mansour Al-Nogaidan: "We are living in an age of cultures and religions opening up to one another. We are exposed to the world - Muslims, Jews, Christians, pagans, followers of various creeds, apostates, everybody... Therefore, now and in the future, humanity will only seek a compassionate God. The wrathful and punishing God will have no place in the future of humanity.
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"Judaism faced [this problem] early on, and Christianity faced it in the days of Reformation and Counter-Reformation, and us Muslims, the youngest of these three religions, have woken up to the crisis we are facing and we are still trying to find a glimmer [of hope]. I am sad to say that the only nation on the face of the earth whose followers kill one another at mosques and places of worship is the Muslim nation.
"Our problem is deep. It is not about [the late] Nawal El Saadawi. It is not about Masr Hamed Abu Zeid, about Abdullah Al-Qasemi, and it is not about Ghazi Al-Gosaibi. The problem is not with all these scholars who, when they die, we start publishing rulings on whether we should pray for Allah's mercy upon them. No. Allah's mercy preceded His wrath. Allah's mercy encompasses everything, and this mercy will triumph. Are the religious institutions, the jurisprudents, and the Muslim muftis up to the challenge? No!"
Interviewer: "This is why I wanted to ask you..."
Al-Nogaidan: "This is why any attempt at reform by the religious institutions will fail, so long as it is not led by the locomotive of politics.
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"Throughout history, the religious institutions of the Abrahamic religions have not succeeded in leading social reforms for their people. These institutions have kept themselves isolated in dark places. The social and economic reforms have always been led by the politicians.
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"Luckily, the religious institutions in the Sunni Muslim countries are led by the politicians. They are led by the states, by the governments.
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"The hate speech is here to stay for many decades. This is normal. But are we giving up? Fortunately, we are not. When I look at Twitter, there are extremist voices there, but the louder voice there is of people who are more merciful and humane. The future belongs to all the religions and creeds that search for a compassionate God. The wrathful and vengeful God has no place in the future of humanity."
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