The Islamic state? A contradiction in terms. Jihad? Far too much emphasis these days on military action. A requirement that women wear a veil? A quaint leftover from pre-Muslim times that is not mandated by Islam.


These and other observations by Gamal Banna, an 84-year-old Egyptian author, have created a stir in Egypt recently. They are indicative of the ferment within Islam at large, and of the increasingly passionate discussion of political and religious issues in Egypt, the Middle East’s most populous country.