Tunisian Philosopher Mohamed Mahjoub Calls For Revival Of Philosophical, Critical Study Of Islamic Texts In Order To Combat Islamic Extremism: We Cannot Only Rely On What Is Taught In Schools

Tunisian philosopher Professor Mohamed Mahjoub said in a November 28, 2020 interview on Sky News Arabia (UAE) that it is not enough to rely on schools to combat extremist Islamic teachings. He called for a revival of philosophical and critical study of Islamic religious texts, arguing that philosophers have always been part of religious study. Professor Mahjoub said that people should establish a comprehensive cultural movement that would find new understandings of Islamic texts, including the Quran. He asked: "Why don't we encourage thinking?"

Mohamed Mahjoub: "We must confront this religious extremism not only at schools, but also at the cultural level. We must improve the level of the religious discourse itself. Why do our mosques remain closed to philosophical thinking? We cannot deny that our philosophers were also in the mosques."

Interviewer: "True."

Mahjoub: "They would deliver their lessons inside the mosques. So why do you want to prevent thinking? Why don't we encourage thinking? Why don't we encourage a comprehensive cultural movement that would study, interpret, re-read, and find new understanding of this religious heritage, the Quranic text, or the hadiths of the Prophet? These [texts] can be criticized from a philological and intellectual perspective. We can revive these [religious heritages]. However, if we only rely on the schools, it would be like trying to carve a mountain with a small pickaxe. That is impossible."