FIRST THINGS: Tariq Ramadan emerged after September 11 as an apologist for a liberal, peaceful interpretation of Islam, earning him plaudits from the Western media, including the title of the “Muslim Martin Luther” in a 2004 Washington Post op-ed. In his new book, Islam and the Arab Awakening, he is at pains to stay on script. More than anything, he means to show that the Arab Spring is not a catalyst for the rise of Islamist regimes, but instead could be the initial step in throwing off the yoke of European colonialism and American imperialism in favor of new political arrangements that embody both democratic pluralism and a reinvigorated sense of Islamic identity and culture.
For Ramadan, there is no inherent contradiction between a society rooted in Islamic ideals on the one hand, and the democratic principles of equality, liberty, and pluralism, on the other. Indeed, Ramadan has made a career out of interpreting his religion in progressive, sometimes innovative ways, always insisting that Islam is apolitical and humanistic: that it should be a force for equality (especially for women), public education, consensual government, social justice, and the general elevation of the human condition. Read on and comment » | John Daniel Davidson | Thursday, March 07, 2013
MARK ALEXANDER: Islam: The Enemy of Democracy and Freedom »
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