And suddenly, the quiet and anonymous life he and his mother were building come crashing to an end as their enemies find them again. For a young man who wants to find his place in the world, are these gifts a blessing or a curse? A Swiss-born Muslim activist, he is the grandson of the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, the radical group credited with inspiring modern Islamic radicalism.
Ramadan is fluent in English, French and Arabic. In Europe, he is the most quoted and circulated writer on Islam. His writings are a regular feature of major English-speaking newspapers, but his real message is revealed in his speeches to Muslim groups in France, Africa, and the Middle East. Caroline Fourest has carefully transcribed and translated those speeches and shows that Ramdan's ingenious rhetoric is a Trojan horse, fostering the anti-Semitic and anti-Christian values of fundamentalist Islam on its latest battlefield: Western civilization.
Finally, they reached the borders of Africa and Europe — a border separated by the narrow strip of a strait. The first commander to cross these straits and set foot on European soil was none other than Tariq ibn Ziyad.
A brave and formidable warrior, Tariq was a smart strategist. He strategically took of advantage of the time the Christian rulers of Andalusia were engulfed in a civil war to attack and ultimately defeat them.
Hence, the straits that he crossed was honoroubly named after him, as Jabal Tariq or Gibraltar. This is a m a j o r priorities. T h i s process of traditions. Facts and figures the m o r e it should b e restrictive and o p p o s e W e s t e r n p e r m i s - speak for themselves. So l o n g as elusions. In this sense, a t s o m e stage i n t e g r a t i o n policies overcome t h o s e registers and firmly situate themselves inside result in t h e exact o p p o s i t e of w h a t they set o u t t o achieve: ,'American society.
W h a t is y o u r position a b o u t plural initiatives. This p h e n o m e n o n is visible e v e r y w h e r e : Muslims a n d their n u m b e r s are, and are increasingly g o i n g t o The Smu of Bdanging and ifcf 'Post-lntegiatim " ApfroatM 73 b e c o m e , i m p o r t a n t stakes in elections, a n d political parties, often out of t o u c h with those n e w citizens, frequendy m a n a g e ito reach t h e m only through " c o m m u n i t y - o r i e n t e d " discourse, by promising t o take their "religious" d e m a n d s into account.
H o w e v e r , r e c o g n i z i n g t h a t or courage to promote there are victims is o n e thing; m a i n t a i n i n g a victim mind-set is social policies, they simply t a k e advantage of popular percep- another. I a m calling tor an entirely opposite attitude: because tions a n d feelings a n d e n d u p "culturalizing," "religionizing," t h e r e are actual victims, p e o p l e m u s t resist a n y t e m p t a t i o n t o o r "Islamizing" social issues.
At a loss for political ideas, izing" and "Islamizing" p r o b l e m s because they d o n o t k n o w they develop expedient, populist theories t h a t are often cxplic- how to solve t h e m with new, b o l d e r social pohcies. O u r politi- idy or implicitly racist.
At t h e core of this process, the d a n g e r cians lack c o u r a g e and are obsessed wirh the t i m e span of elec- consists in Muslim citizens themselves t a k i n g in this discourse tions, which is n o t the far l o n g e r t i m e of social reforms.
O n e c a n n o t representarions, etc. H o w e v e r , four years o n a n d in spite and c u l m r a l affiliation, they will never be able t o escape social of presidential, legislative, a n d local e l e c t i o n s n o t h i n g h a s marginalization. In E u r o p e , t h e political issue o f law, equal t r e a t m e n t , objective relations o f d o m i n a t i o n , deni- Turkey's integration should have been considered solely o n the gration, and e c o n o m i c and social marginalization, of political basis o f t h e conditions for accession: d o e s Turkey a n s w e r the d i s c r i m i n a t i o n , racism, a n d x e n o p h o b i a.
T h e danger is real. T h i s is a difficult c h a l l e n g e i n d e e d national and international debates can n o l o n g e r be downplayed. The Roouaj'Europe Is this partial loss of m e m o r y incidental, o r d o e s it values a n d t h e social a n d political vision of E u r o p e a n d of H f s u l t from a deliberate ideological and pohtical choice? W h a t this p r o c e s s M u s l i m scholars and intellectuals has b e e n overiooked t o t h e p r o c e s s leading t o self-construction.
It w a s m the n a m e o f s u c h ire mistaken b o t h historically and scientifically. Recently, after a l e c t u r e I gave at O x f o r d ecology, ethics, etc. Yet and h a d developed in m y latest philosopfiical book. W ith and for their fellow ci:tizens, they m u s t raise the one's fellow believers, o n e ' s g o v e r n m e n t , or whoever else.
T h e r e are religious and versible. M u s h m citizens have settled in a n d will c o n t i n u e j I iiltural questions that m u s t b e considered as such. This positive observation comes w i t h run of elections, think and build for the long it is mainly on t h e local level t h a t advances run.
T a n d tndrrect resistance agarnst the lures of seetanantsm. W h i l e the attacks are 17 lany and diverse, the campaigns t h a t t u r n m e i n t o a "contro- Criticisms and Oppositions rsial intellectual" have a l o g i c o f t h e i r o w n a n d suit well iderstood interests. It will b e n o t i c e d t h a t in b o t h historical and "security" and very biased s t a t e m e n t s a b o u t i m m i g r a n t s periods, Islam w a s always pictured as "the other," "different," and foreigners or, m o r e explicitly, a b o u t M u s l i m s a n d t h e i r "antithetical": t h e conservative Christian West pictured Islam practices.
S o m e homosexual organizations lesbian organizations that intervene in politics and in the media still find this discourse t o o "conservative" as well as d a n g e r o u s t o d e n o u n c e t h e reality o f h o m o p h o b i a i n Islamic circles. Jewish organi-. Criticisms And Oppositions Some Arab and I should also. Elsewhere, in painful circumstances, this very esting.
Fostering suspicion a b o u t t h o s e Muslim intellectuals' cuHar play o f alliances c o u l d b e observed w i t h t h e Taliban: and leaders' c o m m i t m e n t a n d intentions m a y also reduce the ilier b e i n g useful t o A m e r i c a n g o a l s in Afghanistan for a impact o f their internal pohtical criticisms.
T h e r e is an objec- vhile, they b e c a m e everybody's enemies as s o o n as the Bush tive alliance of well-understood interests b e t w e e n s o m e a u t o - idministration changed their m i n d s a b o u t t h e m.
One should also add to this the efforts and criticisms of those w h o still refer t o themselves a s Muslims o r "cultural Muslims" or w h o call t h e m s e l v e s "ex-Muslims," a n d w h o s e c u r r e n t o r Some Salafi Groups and Some "Ex-Muslims " past affiliation t o Islam g r a n t s t h e i r speech s o m e credibility.
Some of t h e m have gone t h r o u g h difficult experiences within that Muslim societies or c o m m u n i t i e s ; others used t o be radicals o r c o m e from within Muslim c o m m u n i t i e s in t h e West a n d w h a t violent extremists, while o t h e r s c o m e from Muslim majority advantage can b e taken of t h e m. Bdicve supposedly "ideologically n e u t r a l " intellectuals t o foster suspi cion a n d confirm d o u b t s a b o u t Islam o r a b o u t s o m e Muslim scholars o r intellecmals.
I have Conclusion L casionally h a d live personal experience of the tense, obsesiive reactions o r o b v i o u s faulty acts t h a t c o u l d result from ly presence in certain societal debatesfrom w h i c h 1 should ;irnhably have b e e n n a m r a l l y absent. M y study of psychology and addressing a variety of issues in different fields o r realms m a y jsychoanalysis, w i t h t h e h e l p o f critical d i s t a n c e and s o m e - have led t o confusion, a l o n g w i t h o p p o s i t i o n a n d criticism.
W a s it Nevertheless, I remain fundamentally optimistic while as m a n of religion? A m o n g religious trends, w a s I a reformist knowing, as I said, that the r o a d will be l o n g a n d t h a t evolu- o r a conservative?
Did I s p e a k as a W e s t e r n e r , or as a citizen tions and progress m u s t be considered in t e r m s of generations of which country? Politically, was I r a t h e r t o the left or t o t h e rather than of years.
Efforts are required in m a n y fields and w e center of the political spectrum? S o m e must get involved, steadfastly a n d consistently, in accelerating.
For twenty- understandable because of t h e variety of topics addressed reh- five years I have kept trying, b o t h o n the a c a d e m i c and t h e o - g i o u s , c u l t u r a l , social, philosophical, a n d political, n a t i o n a l , retical level and very practically at the grass roots, t o set forth and international a n d o f t h e complexity o f t h e issues.
Yet this a vision, n u r t u r e reflection, a n d test strategies and projects. This also m u s t be discussed and debated m o u s , a n d even less, universalistic. JJ4 Condusion What I Bdteve As I have repeatedly stated, the challenge is also a psycho- urs the desire t o go further, t o u n d e r s t a n d b e t t e r , and t o logical o n e.
This is w h y w e m u s t really live and w o r k self-confidence and of t r u s t in others. T h i s requires consider- grther o n shared projects. IS I often d o w h e n concluding lecmres: how m a n y w o m e n and Self-confidence a n d t r u s t in o t h e r s require that b o t h p a r t i e s men from outside your " o w n circle," y o u r " o w n culture," o r be lucid as t o their o w n difficulties and genuinely seek k n o w l - ' your "own universe of reference" have you m e t d u r i n g the past edge and understanding.
S u c h an effort involves resisting o n e s month? Tio Appendix 1 Appendixl T h e following weeks and m o n t h s allowed m e to chart Ic d e m a n d e d silence. Are Muslims lot a n d a d o p t the a t t i m d e o f t h e "victim," the "discriminated II Lily capable of living in secularized societies? Are their values minority," w h o withdraws i n t o itself and never ceases tojustify I ompatible w i t h those of d e m o c r a c y?
N o t h i n g will change until they accept full inarginality? T h e revolution o f trust w e are calling for will d e p e n d first o n self-confidence, o n confidence m one's convictions: their task is t o reappropriate their heritage Handling Fears; Facing Legitimate Questions and to develop toward it a positive yet critical intellectual attitude.
T h e y m u s t b e capable of affirming t h a t the teachings of have b r o u g h t Western p o p u l a t i o n s islam s u m m o n Muslims first t o spiritual life, t o introspection, face t o face w i t h n e w realities and self d o u b t s as deep as they and to self-reform. T h e y m u s t forcefully insist that M u s l i m s have b e e n challenging.
T h e increasingly visible p r e s e n c e of are expected to respect the laws of the countries in which they millions o f Muslims in t h e i r midst has m a d e t h e m aware t h a t reside and t o w h i c h they m u s t b e loyal.
In the n a m e of ilicse very areas. T h e future of all levels o f society? At a loss for creative, i n n o v a t i v e that require political, n o t r e h g i o u s , solutions. Citizens o f t h e Muslim faith to sociopolitical issues. Instead of w i t h d r a w i n g from the public debate a n d t o their respective societies, it is surely t h a t of reconcihation.
T h e poli- eties, of their values, their history, and their aspfracions, t h e y cies of t h o s e w h o exploit fear are intended t o create precisely are ideally placed to engage their fellow citizens in reconciling w h a t t h e y claim t o c o m b a t : b y perpetuaUy accusing M u s l i m s these societies w i t h their o w n ideals.
T h e vital issue t o d a y of n o t b e i n g integrated, of setting themselves apart, of setting is n o t t o c o m p a r e social m o d e l s or experiences in a u p barriers b e t w e e n " t h e m " and "us," a n d of shutting t h e m - debate as w e have witnessed a m o n g the United States, France, selves u p in a religious i d e n t i t y they v i e w a s exclusive, t h e and Great Britain b u t m o r e simply, a n d in a far stricter a n d intellectuals and politicians w h o w a r n against the "naivety" of m o r e d e m a n d i n g way, t o t a k e t h e m e a s u r e o f each society b y o t h e r poHticians, against " t h e Islamic t h r e a t " or the "failure" comparing the ideals affirmed and pmclaimed by its intellecmals o f pluralist society o r o f muJticulturaiism.
As citizens, at the social grass roots: h u m a n rights a n d equality of oppor- Muslims are today called u p o n t o establish a rigorous critique o f t h e s e very alarmist p r o n o u n c e m e n t s t h a t badly conceal the that Muslim Westerners can bring fruitless mnity b e t w e e n men and w o m e n , people of different origins, skin colors.
T h e s e shared projects that MusHms must d e m o n s t r a t e toward their community. Local political a u t h o r i t i e s can do m u c h t o initiative: s u c h are the c o n t o u r s o f a responsible c o m m i t m e n t b y all t h e citizens in W e s t e r n societiesfor t h e y lay claim t o the benefits of a responsible, citizen-based ethic; for they w a n t t o p r o m o t e t h e Western cultural richness; for they k n o w t h a t survival will d e p e n d , imperatively, u p o n a n e w sense o f political creativity.
Citizens m u s t w o r k in the l o n g t e r m , above a n d b e y o n d t h e electoral d e a d l i n e s t h a t p a r a l y z e politicians a n d transform t h e prevailing a t m o s p h e r e of suspicion, and citizens, hinder the formulation of innovative, courageous policies.
T h e y moreover d e m a n d e d that building minarets be prohibited for they symbolized Muslims' sertlcment and the 'arrogance o f their colonization" contradicting the "Christian essence" of Swiss culture, 19, But w h o w a s also, ic is generally overlooked, a Muslim judge yitJ as well as a fcrveiii worshiper, 20, This is what the philosopher and medievalist Alain de Libera has been d o i n g in b o o k after book: see in particular his seminal Penser au Moyen ge.
See Islamic of religious and cultural pluralism, 82 feminist trends, films, anti-Islamic, 9 3 adaptations o f Islamic law and jurisprudence , 13, 48, 56, 85 forced marriages, See also post IsraelPalestine conflict, integration approach integrity, jihad effort, resistance , See aho. Islamic headscarf controversy, 11, local level, participation for c h a n g e , murtad apostate , 5 0 of, , See also exMuslims; isolation, 30 identity cri.
I37ni9 Quran, 48 openness, Orhan Kaya. See also war against terror striking from within, 26 y o u n g people and, 59 regional ideniLties, 25 selfhating j e w s , testing questions, 70 religion selfknowledge, 88 Thierry student , 9 , 1 1 9 - 2 1 fear o f religious and cultural.
Pierre, 98 viability of cultural, opposition to, 31 seven Cs, 8 6 8 9 traditional landmarks, w e a k e n i n g repressing. Tunisia, 15, 40, "nirkey. Western Islam, Muhammad Nurthariq.
Adibah Lurman. Meru Muad'Dib Massey Bey. The Holy Islam. Islam and Religious Freedom. Shadab Anjum. Misbah ul Islam Andrabi. Jonas Sunshine Callewaert. Mohammad Imran Mohiddin. Popular in Hadith. Books for Islam. Mohammed Zoraiz Zulqarnain. Khadijah Nauman. Raux Xar. Mahmood Ismail Jetalsarwala. Islamic Books. Faiz Ibn Faiz. What I took from this book was a profound call to love more deeply.
Everything else that Ramadan mentions is ultimately drawn from love. Love involves a particular tension from the vantage point of pluralism. This tension m This is a book meant to start a dialogue, and to provide one with the framework and vision necessary to begin that dialogue. This tension might be summarized: "I need to love myself deeply enough to know my purpose in this world - or to be on a constant search to find that purpose.
In light of this, I will adopt certain truisms for myself, but I must be able to hold those beliefs while still validating the beliefs of those around me through empathy.
This apparent contradiction can be achieved through a non-dualistic perspective, and is how my love can extend to others. If I cannot love in this manner, I am in danger of falling into patterns that ultimately end up restricting freedom both for myself and for others. Educating ourselves in the various ways people work towards purpose or meaning is perhaps the most important step in the process. Ramadan provides tools that helps us to ask the right questions of one another.
This is the kind of love that is able to live within a certain belief system or tradition, but still be able to see that the final answers are not within one's grasp. We always have something to learn from the "other". The content of the book is filled with discussions of spiritual traditions, atheism, civilizations, globalization, education, cultural patterns, psychology, philosophy, science, rationalism, political systems, etc From his own description, Ramadan weaves in and out of these various currents and shows their inter-connectivity.
It's a metaphor of how we can interact in our own human diversity - by looking for those places where various threads cross and coherently intersect.
To do so requires love and acceptance of the "other" as a human while constantly seeking to ask appropriate questions without always needing to have the answers.
View 1 comment. Jan 08, Hadeel rated it it was amazing. Tariq is the one who taught me that without discipline you cannot maintain freedom, This book should definitely have a place on your shelf, it is so intense yet on its first pages, I realized I have to go back and read it again. Tariq Ramadan portrays ethics, diversity, arts, philosophies, spiritualities, religions in different angles, for those who dont read philosophy, this book will be difficult yet it is so necessary to read, even if you read it bit by bit.
Human beings are on a quest and P. Human beings are on a quest and he describes the conditions of embarking on this quest.. I am so glad there is a Muslim who can write such books with this professionalism and openness to other eastern and western cultures and ideologies, he is well-aware of both mindsets and of what he is saying, it will make you realize how important it is for a Muslim to be aware of all kinds of arts, sciences that is out there in order to have a collective view on how humanity is shaped and what shapes us, its a book about diversity, love, tolerance, forgiveness, transcendence of self, and exploring new oceans of ideas.
Aug 15, Hadeer rated it it was amazing Shelves: kindle-book , I loved this book very much - with slight preference for some chapters over the others. The author explains big, sometimes complicated terms and concepts in layman language which makes it easy to keep up with him.
I could strongly relate to many things written in this book, I am already sharing a few hereunder. I'd strongly recommend the book for any I loved this book very much - with slight preference for some chapters over the others. I'd strongly recommend the book for anyone who's interested in philosophy. Quotes from the book. That is their essence, it is when they are perverted that their teachings become rigid and dogmatic, and solidify into moral codes that inspire a feeling of guilt, that stigmatize what is natural, or lead to an obsession with limits, flaws or "sin".
It is at this point that things become inverted and we begin to see ourselves in a negative and a deprecatory light. When it's not one's own gaze or final judgement that condemns one to condemn oneself, one begins to feel uncomfortable, and feel that one can't live up to one's ideals.
The climate of fear and insecurity makes citizens accept measures that restrict the rights they have won, or even differential forms of treatment that are justified by the threat itself. In The Quest for Meaning , Tariq Ramadan, philosopher and Islamic scholar, invites the reader to join him on a journey to the deep ocean of religious, secular, and indigenous spiritual traditions to explore the most pressing contemporary issues.
Along the way, Ramadan interrogates the concepts that frame current debates including: faith and reason, emotions and spirituality, tradition and modernity, freedom, equality, universality, and civilization.
He acknowledges the greatest flashpoints and attempts to bridge divergent paths to a common ground between these religious and intellectual traditions. He calls urgently for a deep and meaningful dialogue that leads us to go beyond tolerant co-existence to mutual respect and enrichment.
Written in a both direct and meditative style this is an important, timely and intelligent book that aims to direct and shape debate around the most important questions of our time. Assalamualikum, Good post. Tariq Ramadan calls himself a bridge builder between Muslims and European culture, but contradictions in his theology prevent him from fulfilling this role.
He exhorts his European followers to refrain from anti-Semitic violence, yet he cites as an authority Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, who is an apologist for Palestinian suicide bombers. Ramadan has made alliances with left wing politicians and academics in France, Britain, the Netherlands, and the United States, but he has a pattern of disappointing and frustrating his leftist allies. In the wake of terrorist attacks in Britain and the Netherlands, the British and Dutch governments called upon Ramadan to support peaceable brands of Islam in these traumatized countries.
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