Idea
Joseph Maïla links the attacks of September 11 to an ideological reading of Islam. This means that texts are torn from their history and treated as a closed block that can be used to justify a predetermined position. When this happens, religion shifts from a field of gradual understanding to a reservoir of absolute statements mobilized in struggle and violence.
Condensed formulation
Joseph Maïla links the attacks of September 11 to an ideological reading of Islam
Its place in the book’s argument
This claim appears as part of a critique of readings that freeze the religious text and detach it from its context. It supports the book’s argument that violence does not arise from the text alone, but from the way it is used. It therefore places responsibility on ideological reading, not on Islam as a whole, and keeps open the possibility of a more balanced historical understanding.
Why it matters
Its importance lies in identifying the fault line in interpretation rather than in the text as a fixed essence. It also explains how a religious phrase can be turned into a political tool. This helps us understand Arkoun as a critic of the mechanisms of simplification that make religion hostage to closed reading.
Brief witness passage
Joseph Maïla links the attacks of September 11 to an ideological reading of Islam. Texts are torn from their historical context and treated as though they were a closed block suitable for justifying a predetermined position. Religion then shifts from a field of gradual understanding to a reservoir of absolute statements mobilized in struggle and violence.
Reading questions
- How does the text define the ideological reading of religious texts?
- What is the difference between a historical understanding of the text and its justificatory use?
Degree of documentation
High: the claim appears in a clear location in the book’s material.