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Western Muslims and the Future of Islam

Front Cover
15 Reviews
Oxford University Press, Nov 27, 2003 - Religion - 288 pages
In a Western world suddenly acutely interested in Islam, one question has been repeatedly heard above the din: where are the Muslim reformers? With this ambitious volume, Tariq Ramadan firmly establishes himself as one of Europe's leading thinkers and one of Islam's most innovative and important voices. As the number of Muslims living in the West grows, the question of what it means to be a Western Muslim becomes increasingly important to the futures of both Islam and the West. While the media are focused on radical Islam, Ramadan claims, a silent revolution is sweeping Islamic communities in the West, as Muslims actively seek ways to live in harmony with their faith within a Western context. French, English, German, and American Muslims--women as well as men--are reshaping their religion into one that is faithful to the principles of Islam, dressed in European and American cultures, and definitively rooted in Western societies. Ramadan's goal is to create an independent Western Islam, anchored not in the traditions of Islamic countries but in the cultural reality of the West. He begins by offering a fresh reading of Islamic sources, interpreting them for a Western context and demonstrating how a new understanding of universal Islamic principles can open the door to integration into Western societies. He then shows how these principles can be put to practical use. Ramadan contends that Muslims can-indeed must-be faithful to their principles while participating fully in the civic life of Western secular societies. Grounded in scholarship and bold in its aims, Western Muslims and the Future of Islam offers a striking vision of a new Muslim Identity, one which rejects once and for all the idea that Islam must be defined in opposition to the West.
  

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Review: Western Muslims and the Future of Islam

User Review  - Shifaa - Goodreads

It's a bit confusing at first, but once you start getting used to turning the pages it gets interesting. There were times when I didn't feel like continuing it, because it goes around the point that you're trying to get, but it gets better when you proceed with the reading :) Read full review

Review: Western Muslims and the Future of Islam

User Review  - Andrew - Goodreads

I've been deeply impressed with Tariq Ramadan when I've seen him on Al-Jazeera, and reading this book, there's clearly an intelligent and subtle thinker at work. I'm afraid, however, that I'm not the ... Read full review

All 11 reviews »

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Contents

In Practice
3
A Universe of Reference
9
The Meaning of Engagement
113
Conclusion
224
Notes
229
Glossary
253
Index
261
Copyright

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