The force that is tearing apart the Muslim world is better called Islamoanarchy than Islamofascism. Islamoanarchy is the force that has harmed so many people in the world, especially Muslim women. Islamoanarchy allows any Muslim to act as theological judge, jury and executioner for any "crime" that offends his personal interpretation of Islam.
The Islamoanarchist feels free to murder his daughter who marries for love or is violently raped, divorce his wife by text message, blow up the World Trade Center, murder any man or woman who dresses in jeans or shorts, deface all artwork, gang rape a rival's sister, and throw bombs everywhere all in the name of his personal vision of Islam.
Most Muslims look on this behavior with horror but few understand how to rid their culture of the problems caused by Islamoanarchy.
A few Muslim intellectuals who have explored this topic are in hiding after receiving death threats from Islamoanarchists who planned to execute them for even suggesting reform.
The New York Times recently featured an article about two American born Islamic scholars who founded a Muslim seminary in Northern California. Yasuf and Shakir wanted to bridge the gap between American values and Islam, however in his writings Shakir said that democratic politics are not appropriate for Muslims.
http://www.iht.com/...
"While leading a mosque in New Haven in 1992, Shakir wrote a pamphlet that cautioned Muslims not to be co-opted by American politics. He wrote, "Islam presents an absolutist political agenda, or one which doesn't lend itself to compromise, nor to coalition building."
It seems to me that the Islamoanarchist himself decides what is "absolute" in his religion and then can decide to punish the offender. Modern Muslims understand that this isn't compatible with a modern pluralistic society that answers to civil law. Unfortunately, those who choose to speak out risk the death penalty imposed by an Islamoanarchist.
Progressives can help people understand that compromise, coalition building and obeying the laws of civil society give all the freedom to believe what they want to believe.