Published in October 1998.
From the back cover:
"Liberal Islam" is not a contradiction in terms; it is a thriving tradition and undergoing a revival within the last generation. This anthology presents the work of 32 prominent Muslims who are share parallel concerns with Western liberalism: separation of church and state, democracy, the rights of women and minorities, freedom of thought, and human progress.
Although the West has largely ignored the liberal tradition within Islam, many of these authors are well-known in their own countries as advocates of democracy and tolerance.
Among the authors are: `Abdul-Karim Soroush, a leading oppositional figure in Iran; Nurcholish Madjid, a prominent Indonesian intellectual; and `Ali `Abd al-Raziq, an Egyptian religious scholar whose writings on the separation of church and state have been controversial since the 1920s.
This collection will be an important resource for scholars and students of Islam, the Middle East, and international affairs, and will also help to redress the imbalance in our perception of the Islamic world.
"This important book makes available for the first time in English a selection of writings from Muslim thinkers engaged with the issues of global modernity. Most Euro-Americans have generally had to be content with skewed stereotypes and soundbites provided by the media, which portray all Muslims as anti-Western fanatics. Thoughtful readers here have access to the alternative voices of 20th-century Muslim intellectual life. The breadth and sophistication of this collection make it the indispensable sourcebook for anyone concerned with modern Islamic reflections on democracy, politics, and religion."
-- Carl W. Ernst, University of North Carolina
"This book provides a valuable introduction to many significant Muslim thinkers whose importance is ignored by headline hunters who miss the major historical trends. It must become the standard sourcebook for anyone seriously interested in modern and contemporary Muslim thought."
-- John O. Voll, Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University
About the Editor:
Charles Kurzman is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Trained at Harvard and Berkeley, he specializes in cross-cultural studies of anti-authoritarian movements. He has written extensively on the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and is currently writing a book on constitutional revolutions.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Charles Kurzman, "Liberal Islam and Its Islamic Context"
I. Against Theocracy
`Ali `Abd al-Raziq (Egypt, 1888-1966) - Muhammad Ahmad Khalaf-Allah (Egypt, 1916-1997) - Mahmud Taleqani (Iran, 1911-1979) - Muhammad Sa`id Al-`Ashmawi (Egypt, born 1932)
II. Democracy
Mohammad Natsir (Indonesia, 1908-1993) - S. M. Zafar (Pakistan, born 1930) - Mehdi Bazargan (Iran, 1907-1995) - Dimasangcay A. Pundato (Philippines, born 1947) (1991) - Rachid Ghannouchi (Tunisia, born 1941) - Sadek J. Sulaiman (Oman, born 1933)
III. Rights of Women
Nazira Zein-ed-Din (Ottoman Empire-Lebanon, born circa 1905) - Benazir Bhutto (Pakistan, born 1953) - Fatima Mernissi (Morocco, born 1940) - Amina Wadud-Muhsin (United States, born 1952) - Muhammad Shahrour (Syria, born 1938)
IV. Rights of Non-Muslims
Humayun Kabir (India, 1906-1969) - Chandra Muzaffar (Malaysia, born 1947) - Mohamed Talbi (Tunisia, born 1921) - Ali Bulaç (Turkey, born 1951) - Rusmir Mahmutcehajic (Yugoslavia-Bosnia, born 1948)
V. Freedom of Thought
`Ali Shari`ati (Iran, 1933-1977) - Yusuf Al-Qaradawi (Egypt-Qatar, born 1926) - Mohamed Arkoun (Algeria-France, born 1928) - Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na`im (Sudan-United States, born 1946) - Alhaji Adeleke Dirisu Ajijola (Nigeria, born 1932) - Abdul-Karim Soroush (Iran, born 1945)
VI. Progress
Muhammad Iqbal (India, 1877-1938) - Mahmoud Mohamed Taha (Sudan, circa 1910-1985) - Nurcholish Madjid (Indonesia, born 1939) - Mamadiou Dia (Senegal, born 1911) - Fazlur Rahman (Pakistan-United States, 1919-1988) - Shabbir Akhtar (Pakistan-England, born 1960)Click here to order from Oxford University Press.
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