Islam Without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.81 (664 Votes) |
| Asin | : | B00D2BVF1W |
| Format Type | : | |
| Number of Pages | : | 538 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2014-09-28 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Persuasive and inspiring, Islam Without Extremes offers a desperately needed intellectual basis for the reconcilability of Islam and religious, political, economic, and social freedoms.. From furious reactions to the cartoons of Prophet Muhammad to the suppression of women, news from the Muslim world begs the question: is Islam incompatible with freedom? With an eye sympathetic to Western liberalism and Islamic theology, Mustafa Akyol traces the ideological and historical roots of political Islam. However, through his careful reexamination of the currents of Muslim thought, Akyol discovers a flourishing of liberalism in the 19th-century Ottoman Empire and the unique "Islamo-liberal synthesis" of present-day Turkey. The traditionalist school won out, fostering perceptions of Islam as antithetical to modernity. A provocative manifesto for an interpretation of Islam that synthesizes liberal ideas and respect for the Islamic tradition. Only by accepting a secular state, he powerfully asserts, can Islamic societies thrive. The years following Muhammad's passing in 632 AD saw an intellectual "war of ideas" rage between rationalist, flexible schools of Islam and the more dogmatic, rigid ones
Best Islamic history book to understand the roots of extremism I am in the middle of the book right now - but I had to share this.This is way better than 'Destiny Disrupted'.Must read for all Muslims !Promise to come back and update this review after I complete the book.OK, finished the book and as promised have come back to update my review.Although 'Destiny Disrupted' is a much detailed account of Islamic history, Akyol's account provides a historical perspectiv. Islam without xtremes Very well explained and easy to understand. It came as a surprise to learn how many things catholics and muslims have in common. I thought we had more roots with jews and learn it is with muslims.It is awesome to learn how so many believes doesn't come from the Quran, but were manipulated for political reasons in the past and presented as part of the Quran. Let's hope that with traveling abroad to stud. "A unique and important work" according to David Miller. Among the central questions of our time is whether or not democracy -- or, in the larger sense, free societies -- are possible for non-Western cultures. Here in America, many ask if our understanding of "liberty" will translate to other, non-western cultures that do not share our Judeo-Christian legacy.This question is all the more important now, as we observe the fallout from the Arab Spring of 2011.