Islam and Liberty

Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Islamic and Middle Eastern studies:

Islamic statements against terrorism in the wake of the September 11 mass murders.
Carolina Center for the Study of the Middle East and Muslim Civilizations.
- Upcoming Carolina events related to Middle Eastern and Islamic studies.
Middle East Sociology Working Group.
The Unthinkable Revolution in Iran (Harvard University Press, 2004) (or Amazon.com). (.فصل نخست)
Democracy Denied, 1905-1915 (Harvard University Press, 2008) (or Amazon.com). Chapter 1 online.
Liberal Islam: A Source-Book, edited by Charles Kurzman (Oxford University Press, 1998).
- Liberal Islam web links.
- Click to order book from Oxford University Press or Amazon.com.
Modernist Islam, 1840-1940: A Source-Book, edited by Charles Kurzman (Oxford University Press, 2002).
- Click to order book from Oxford University Press or Amazon.com.
Iranian Family Attitudes Survey.
Some of my articles and lectures:
- Reading Weber in Tehran, Chronicle of Higher Education, November 1, 2009.
- Ignore All the Iran Experts, ForeignPolicy.com, June 17, 2009.
- The Iranian Revolution at 30: Still Unpredictable, in Viewpoints, Middle East Institute, January 29, 2009, pp. 32-34.
- Contemporary Iran in Context, with Omid Safi, "The State of Things," WUNC-FM, December 4, 2008.
- Farewell to World Peace?, with Neil Englehart, Christian Science Monitor, August 29, 2008.
- Xenophobia in Wartime America, with Erin Carlston and Rosa Perelmuter, "The State of Things," WUNC-FM, December 6, 2007.
- Welcome to World Peace, with Neil Englehart, Christian Science Monitor, August 30, 2006.
- Bin Laden and Other Thoroughly Modern Muslims, Contexts Magazine, Fall-Winter 2002.
- Convocation Address: On Approaching the Qur'an, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, August 18, 2002.
- Who Speaks for Islam Today?, News and Observer (Raleigh, N.C.), December 2, 2001.
- Understanding the Attack on America, speech at peace rally, Chapel Hill, N.C., September 17, 2001.
- Lost Opportunities: Limits of U.S. Support for Constitutionalism in Iran, The Iranian, April 19, 2000.
- Liberal Islam: Prospects and Challenges (html version), Middle East Review of International Affairs, September 1999.
- more articles available through my curriculum vitae.
My address:

C. Kurzman
Department of Sociology
CB#3210, 155 Hamilton Hall
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3210 USA

kurzman@unc.edu (e-mail)
(1) (919) 962-1007 (phone)
(1) (919) 962-7568 (fax)
http://www.unc.edu/~kurzman (web)
Curriculum vitae

Collected by Charles Kurzman

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

As noted in the introduction to the Liberal Islam anthology, I use the term "liberal" to refer to basic themes in the history of liberalism, such as democracy, freedom of thought, social equality, and human progress. The term "liberal" has a variety of meanings, to be sure, and its reputation in much of the Islamic world has been tainted by its hypocritical introduction under colonialism. Thus these links, and the Liberal Islam anthology itself, include some authors and activists who may not consider themselves "liberal," though they deal seriously with liberal themes.

Web sites or pages devoted to authors in the Liberal Islam anthology:

Chapter 6. S.M. Zafar, Pakistan: http://www.washington-report.org/backissues/0896/9608078.htm
Chapter 7. Mehdi Bazargan, Iran: http://www.nehzateazadi.org/mehdi.html
Chapter 9. Rachid Ghannouchi, Tunisia: Muslim Students Association listing
Chapter 10. Sadek Sulaiman, Oman: http://www.alhewar.com/SadekDemAndShura.htm
Chapter 12. Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan: http://www.ppp.org.pk/speeches.html
Chapter 13. Fatima Mernissi, Morocco: http://www.mernissi.net
Chapter 15. Muhammad Shahrour, Syria: http://www.moslem.org/shahroor.htm
Chapter 17. Chandra Muzaffar, Malaysia: http://www.just-international.org
Chapter 18. Mohamed Talbi, Tunisia: Muslim Students Association listing
Chapter 20. Rusmir Mahmutcehajic, Bosnia: http://www.ifbosna.org.ba
Chapter 21. `Ali Shari`ati, Iran: http://www.shariati.com
Chapter 22. Yusuf Qaradawi, Egypt-Qatar: http://www.qaradawi.net
Chapter 23. Mohamed Arkoun, Algeria-France: Muslim Students Association listing
Chapter 24. `Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na`im, Sudan-USA: http://people.law.emory.edu/~aannaim
Chapter 26. Abdulkarim Soroush, Iran: http://www.drsoroush.com
Chapter 27. Muhammad Iqbal, India: http://www.eden.rutgers.edu/~ufchi/iqbal.html, http://www.allamaiqbal.com,
http://members.tripod.com/~islamica/iqbal.htm
Chapter 29. Nurcholish Madjid, Indonesia: http://www.paramadina.org