Reformism Massoud Romdhani 31 March 2005

Islam and politics don’t mix

From the end of the 19th century, pan–Arabic and pan–Islamic movements have vied for influence in countries like ours. The Islamic movement developed in the 1950s in Egypt and spread to various countries. In Tunisia, it arose, particularly in the 1970s, as a sort of riposte to the leftist ideas that were prevalent at the time. Many people are convinced that the then regime of Habib Bourguiba helped the Islamic movement establish itself.

Reformism Omid Safi 29 March 2005

What is Progressive Islam?

The various understandings of Islam which fall under the rubric of ‘progressive’ are both continuations of, and radical departures from, the hundred and fifty year old tradition of liberal Islam. (1) Liberal advocates of Islam generally display an uncritical, almost devotional identification with modernity, and often (but do not always) by-pass discussions […].
Reformism Abdou Filali-Ansari 24 February 2005

Islam’s Reformist Tradition

The “clash of civilizations” supposedly underway between the West and the Muslim world, which many see as manifested in Iraq, as well as in Saudi Arabia’s growing violence, in fact masks other conflicts – disputes that will probably prove to be far more significant in the long term. One of these struggles is taking place among Muslims themselves over the […].
Reformism Abdou Filali-Ansari 24 February 2005

La tradition réformatrice de l’islam

Le ” choc des civilisations “à l’œuvre paraît-il entre le monde occidental et le monde musulman, et que beaucoup voient se manifester en Irak et dans l’aggravation de la violence en Arabie saoudite, cache en réalité d’autres conflits qui s’avèreront probablement beaucoup plus importants à long terme. L’un de ces conflits divise les musulmans et concerne l […].
Reformism Nawaat 21 February 2005

Democratic culture and extremist Islam

Are Islam and democracy incompatible? The evolution of a radical Turkish Islamic group in Germany suggests that the pursuit of ‘fundamentalist’ goals can itself create the space for a rational appraisal of tradition. By seeking truth in origin and scripture rather than history, successive generations of Islamists may be drawn – even despite themselves – t […].
Reformism Ali Shariati 21 February 2005

Expectations from the Muslim Woman

Prior to beginning my lecture, I would like to propose some practical suggestions. Speaking about women’s rights, women’s personality and Islam’s view of women differs a great deal from the realization of the actual value which Islam gives to human beings, and to women, in particular. Most often we are satisfied by pointing out that Islam gives great value […].
Reformism Ali Shariati 21 February 2005

Human and Islam

Ladies and Gentlemen: Tonight, as long as time permits, I would like to investigate the following questions: I. Does Islam recognize man as a helpless creature whose ultimate goal and ideal is to stand powerless in front of God? II. Does Islam recognize humanness as a nobility? III. Is helpiessness in man a pre-requisite of belief in Islam, or on the c […].
Reformism Ali Shariati 21 February 2005

Where Shall We Begin?

Ali Shariati (1933-1977) has been called the “Ideologue of the Iranian Revolution.” His reinterpretation of Islam in modern sociological categories prepared the way for the Islamic revival that shook Iran in 1979, attracting many young Muslims who had been alienated both from the traditional clergy and from Western culture. Shariati was born in Mazinan, […].
Reformism Olivier Roy 21 February 2005

A Clash of Cultures or a Debate on Europe’s Values?

The murder of Theo van Gogh in the Netherlands (2 November 2004) represents a recent example of how westernized Muslims and converts have been implicated in acts associated with Islamic radicalism in Europe. Despite widespread interpretations that Islamic radicalization represents the failure of the multiculturalists approach vis-à-vis Muslim immigrants, r […].
Reformism Muhammad Khalid Masud 21 February 2005

The Adab of Dissent and Dialogue

Professor Khalid Masud is perhaps one of the most universally-acclaimed Islamic scholars of Pakistan. Himself a product of both traditional madrasa and modern university education, he has researched and written extensively about the development of Islamic law and Muslim political-legal thought. As the former Academic Director of the International Institute […].
Reformism Muhammad Khalid Masud 21 February 2005

Islam, Society, Modernity

During the huge public discourse, especially in the aftermath of 11 September 2001, Muslim mind-set toward modernity frequently came into question. A whole theology bas came into being on the question whether Islam and modernity are compatible to each other. Neither the question nor the arguments are new. Similar debates arose in the nineteenth century whe […].
Reformism Muhammad Khalid Masud 21 February 2005

Shari’a et fatwa : Un regard musulman

Les mots shari’a et fatwa reviennent souvent dans les dépêches d’actualité. Rares sont pourtant les lecteurs des grands journaux et les téléspectateurs qui en connaissent réellement la signification. Il paraît donc important d’obtenir à ce sujet quelques éclaircissements. Peu de chercheurs sont aussi compétents pour nous les offrir que le professeur Muha […].
Reformism Nawaat 21 February 2005

Antiaméricanisme et radicalisme islamique

Suite aux attentats qui endeuillèrent New York, d’innombrables auteurs cherchèrent à dégager les causes profondes de cet antiaméricanisme, à cerner les motivations des auteurs des opérations du 11 septembre et à analyser le discours d’un radicalisme islamique dont les schèmes de pensées et les références religieuses demeuraient incompréhensibles aux popula […].
Reformism Mohammad Shabestari 21 February 2005

Faith, Freedom, and Reason

Can there be such a thing as Islamic human rights? Do the commandments set forth in the Koran have eternal validity, or can they be modified according to the demands of reason? Iranian clergyman Mohammad Shabestari has devoted his life to exploring these issues in modern religious and political Islamic thinking. By Roman Seidel Mohammad Mojtahed Shabesta […].
Reformism Nawaat 11 February 2005

“The Fiction of Life”.

Conversation with Azar Nafisi (1). by Elizabeth Wasserman (2) In 1979, Azar Nafisi returned to her native Iran after a seventeen-year absence. From the moment she stepped off the plane, she found herself in a place that was dark and unfamiliar. The cheerful and cosmopolitan Tehran airport that she remembered from her youth, with its terraced restaurant […].
Reformism Nawaat 08 February 2005

Let Us Be Moors: Islam, Race and “Connected Histories”

“Seamos moros!” wrote the Cuban poet and nationalist José Martíí in 1893, in support of the Berber uprising against Spanish rule in northern Morocco. “Let us be Moors…the revolt in the Rif…is not an isolated incident, but an outbreak of the change and realignment that have entered the world. Let us be Moors…we [Cubans] who will probably die by the ha […].
Themes Nawaat 08 February 2005

Existing Political Vessels Cannot Contain the Reform Movement.

Interview with Sai’id Hajjarian. Introdution: Sai’id Hajjarian, a leading theorist of the democratic Islamist New Left, is one of President Khatami’s closest political advisers. In 1998 he ran for the Tehran City Council, receiving the second largest number of votes. Hajjarian is also the official permit holder for the daily Sobh-e Emrooz and serves on […].