Pink/Qurʾānic Interpretation, 7. Clashes and Fault Lines

Qurʾānic interpretation today is steeped in conflict. That conflict is often embedded in and caused by complex power relations on the local and global level. The legitimacy of specific approaches to the Qurʾān and of its authors is often fiercely contested. This chapter examines some of the causes of such conflicts. Some clashes over Qurʾānic interpretation arise from the way in which certain themes – first and foremost that of gender relations – are framed today, others from claims of individuals, institutions and states to religious authority and a monopoly on the religious discourse. The chapter concludes with a discussion of a new trend that subverts the battle over the true meaning of the Qurʾān by promoting subjectivity and calling into question the possibility of ever attaining certitude over the Qurʾān’s message. Gender, Queerness and the Qur'an, Debates on Same-Sex Marriage: Mun'im Sirry (b. 1973, Indonesia) on the Story of Lot, Causes for Conflict, Doubt versus Certainty: Ahmad Khayri al-Umari (b. 1970, Iraq) on Q, 21:51-56 and his Critics, Postmodern Uncertainties and Subjective Approaches, Subjectivity and Qur'anic Interpretation in a Muslim Intellectual's Blog: Hakan Turan (b. 1979, Germany) on Q, 5:51