Arthur Chrenkoff asks the supreme politically doubleplus ungood question, the question that drives much of LGF’s coverage of the global jihad: What if the Islamic Reformation is already happening - but its name is Bin Ladenism?

A few weekends ago I had the pleasure of finally meeting Sophie Masson and her husband, David. Sophie is a prolific author, as well as a regular visitor and even occasional guest blogger at Chrenkoff (too occasional; how about another piece, Sophie?), and over some coffee on a hot Sunday afternoon in Brisbane we got to discussing, among other things, the current condition of Islam. Sophie, like Mrs Chrenkoff, was born in Indonesia, which prompted her to note that Indonesia, even though still one of the most moderate Muslim societies in the world, has over the past twenty or so years become noticeably less easy-going and more conservative a society (something she has written about here).

At which point the concept of the Reformation popped into our conversation. Many observers, particularly since September 11 had irrevocably thrust the question of Islam into the public debate throughout the Western world, have argued that what the Muslim world badly needs is a movement akin to the Protestant Reformation, to bring Islam out of its current “Middle Ages” and help the Islamic society become more like, well, us. But what if, Sophie suggested - in an ironic case of “beware what you wish for” - the Reformation is already taking place throughout the Islamic world - and its name is Bin Ladenism?