Developed in response to the events of September 11 2001, these 14 articles from prominent Muslim thinkers offer a provocative reassessment of Islam's relationship with the modern world. Confronting issues such as racism, justice, sexuality and gender, this book reveals the real challenges faced by Muslims of both sexes in contemporary Western society. A probing, frank, and intellectually refreshing testament to the capacity of Islam for renewal, change, and growth, these articles from fifteen Muslim scholars and activists address the challenging and complex issues that confront Muslims today. Avoiding fundamentalist and apologetic approaches, the book concentrates on the key areas of debate in progressive Islamic thought: "Contemporary Islam," "Gender Justice," and "Pluralism."
Table of Contents:
Introduction: The times they are a-changin’ – a Muslim quest for justice, gender equality and pluralism
Omid Safi
Part I PROGRESSIVE MUSLIMS AND CONTEMPORARY ISLAM
1 The ugly modern and the modern ugly: reclaiming the beautiful in Islam
Khaled Abou El Fadl
2 In search of progressive Islam beyond 9/11
Farid Esack
3 Islam: a civilizational project in progress
Ahmet Karamustafa
4 The debts and burdens of critical Islam
Ebrahim Moosa
5 On being a scholar of Islam: risks and responsibilities
Tazim R. Kassam
Part II PROGRESSIVE MUSLIMS AND GENDER JUSTICE
6 Transforming feminism: Islam, women and gender justice
Sa‘diyya Shaikh
7 Progressive Muslims and Islamic jurisprudence: the necessity for critical engagement with marriage and divorce law
Kecia Ali
8 Sexuality, diversity and ethics in the agenda of progressive Muslims
Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle
9 Are we up to the challenge? The need for a radical re-ordering of the Islamic discourse on women
Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons
Part III PROGRESSIVE MUSLIMS AND PLURALISM
10 Muslims, pluralism, and interfaith dialogue
Amir Hussain
11 American Muslim identity: race and ethnicity in progressive Islam
Amina Wadud
12 Islamic democracy and pluralism
Ahmad S. Moussalli
13 How to put the genie back in the bottle? “Identity” Islam and Muslim youth cultures in America
Marcia Hermansen
14 What is the victory of Islam? Towards a different understanding of the Ummah and political success in the contemporary world
Farish A. Noor
Further Reading
Index
About the Author :
Omid Safi is Associate Professor of Religious Studies at University of North Carolina. He specialises in the study of the Islamic mystical tradition, the pre-modern history of the Islamic world, and contemporary Musliim thought, and has written books and articles on these subjects.
Review :
"A significant and welcome efforet providing an analytic overview by some contemporary progressive Muslim scholars. The book offers a very incisive critique and highlights the compelling need for a wholesome and rational approach to the issues."
