Middle East
Toward a Muslim Marketplace of Ideas
Jennifer Bryson Monday, 13 June 2011
The intersection of Islam and religious freedom is of vital importance for religious minorities—both for non-Muslims who live as minorities in Muslim-majority areas, and for Muslims who live as minorities in countries where Islam is not the predominant faith. But the intersection is also vital for the majority—for Muslims in Muslim-majority contexts. The Witherspoon Institute recently held a seminar on these issues, papers from which are published in this special issue of The Review of Faith & International Affairs.
Read more: Toward a Muslim Marketplace of Ideas
Preserving the Freedom for Faith: Re-evaluating the Politics of Compulsion
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali Monday, 13 June 2011
The execution of apostates fundamentally contradicts the nature of faith, since genuine faith can neither be coerced nor institutionalized. Today, executions for apostasy should be halted, as the execution of an apostate has no moral or strategic goal.
Read more: Preserving the Freedom for Faith: Re-evaluating the Politics of Compulsion
Religious Freedom and Interreligious Relations in Islam: Reflections on Da'wah
Louay Safi Monday, 13 June 2011
Evangelization, known as da'wah, is an essential principle in Islam. The Qur'an, properly interpreted, rejects coercive "proselytization" and considers faith to be a matter of personal conviction.
Read more: Religious Freedom and Interreligious Relations in Islam: Reflections on Da'wah
The Politics of Religious Minorities in Muslim-Majority States: Old Challenges and New Trends
Ziya Meral Monday, 13 June 2011
Socio-political factors have influenced the treatment of non-Muslims living in Muslim-majority states. Four historical eras demonstrate the evolving nature of how non-Muslim minorities have been treated by their Muslim rulers.
Ambiguities of Apostasy and the Repression of Muslim Dissent
Abdullah Saeed Monday, 13 June 2011
Early Islam acknowledged religious diversity and offered protections for people of other religions. Today, laws against apostasy and blasphemy are used to suppress religious dissent, thwart political opposition, harass intellectuals, and incite acts of violence.
Read more: Ambiguities of Apostasy and the Repression of Muslim Dissent
Religious Freedom and the Rule of the Clan in Muslim Societies
Mark Weiner Monday, 13 June 2011
"Clan rule"—social organization based on extended kinship networks—plays an important role in restricting individual freedom in Muslim-majority states. To advance religious liberty in Muslim-majority societies, the rule of the clan must be transformed into the rule of law.
Read more: Religious Freedom and the Rule of the Clan in Muslim Societies
Blasphemy Laws in Muslim-majority Countries
Asma Uddin Monday, 13 June 2011
In Pakistan, Indonesia, and Egypt, blasphemy laws appease rather than control violent extremists and create a culture of impunity, where increasingly egregious crimes are committed with little or no consequences for the perpetrators.
Read more: Blasphemy Laws in Muslim-majority Countries
Exporting Blasphemy Restrictions: The Organization of the Islamic Conference and the United Nations
Paul Marshall Monday, 13 June 2011
In the United Nations Human Rights Commission, the 57 members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) have campaigned to ban criticism of Islam or Islamic governments through a resolution titled "Combating Defamation of Religions." [FREE]
The Trouble with American Foreign Policy and Islam
Thomas Farr Monday, 13 June 2011
Religious liberty is essential for building stable and lasting democracies. A successful regime of religious liberty has three characteristics: full equality under the law for religious minorities, limits on the majority's cultural and political dominance, and vigorous freedom of expression.
Read more: The Trouble with American Foreign Policy and Islam
Gracious Engagement: Interfaith Dialogue and the "Other"
Laura Merzig Fabrycky Monday, 13 June 2011
A review of Irfan A. Omar, ed., A Christian View of Islam: Essays on Dialogue by Thomas F. Michel, S.J. (Orbis Books, 2010).
Read more: Gracious Engagement: Interfaith Dialogue and the "Other"
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