A cartoon that appeared in a Swiss newspaper following the recent victory of moderate Islamists in Turkey sums up the situation that prevails today. At the top of the cartoon read the blurb: " Les Islamistes gagnent les lections en Turqueouf! Ils sont mod r s ." (The Islamists have won the elections in Turkey Ouf! Thankfully they are moderates.) In the middle of the cartoon was the image of an imam performing the azan (call to prayer) from the minaret of a mosque. The imam cried out: " Allah est moyennement grand! " (Allah is moderately great!)

Humour aside, the message of the cartoon was clear for all to see: 'Moderate' and 'progressive' Islam was acceptable as long as its message was diluted and its impact minimal.

In countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, progressive Islam was seen as an acceptable alternative to Islamism for the simple reason that it did not question or jeopardise the political status quo. o­n the international scene, progressive Islam was seen as the acceptable face of popular Islam for the simple reason that it did not block the advance of Western (especially American) hegemony.