Islam and "Western Values": Toward a New Conversation
Azizah al-Hibri Monday, 1 September 2003
"‘Islam and Democracy' ... isn't that an oxymoron?" That was my secretary's response to an article by that title I wrote in 1992. It was a sentiment then widely shared in mainstream American culture. And now, over a decade later, not much has changed (this notwithstanding the fact that enormous energy has been expended on the topic in academic and policy circles). I've recently participated in many of the perennial Washington D.C. conferences called to talk and "puzzle" about Islam's compatibility with democracy. Typically such discussions focus on institutions, existing elites, and top-down approaches. But such discussions miss the game completely; they miss the grassroots.
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