Progressive Muslims

Developed in response to the events of September 11, 2001, these 14 articles from prominent Muslim thinkers offer a provocative reassessment of Islam's relationship with the modern world. Confronting issues such as racism, justice, sexuality and gender, this book reveals the real challenges faced by Muslims of both sexes in contemporary Western society. A probing, frank, and intellectually refreshing testament to the capacity of Islam for renewal, change, and growth, these articles from fifteen Muslim scholars and activists address the challenging and complex issues that confront Muslims today. Avoiding fundamentalist and apologetic approaches, the book concentrates on the key areas of debate in progressive Islamic thought: "Contemporary Islam," "Gender Justice," and "Pluralism." With further contributions on subjects as diverse and controversial as the alienation of Muslim youth; Islamic law, marriage, and feminism; and the role of democracy in Islam, this volume will prove thought-provoking for all those interested in the challenges of justice and pluralism facing the Muslim world as it confronts the twenty-first century.

Introduction: The times they are a-changin' ? a Muslim quest for justice, gender equality and pluralism Omid Safi Part I PROGRESSIVE MUSLIMS AND CONTEMPORARY ISLAM 1 The ugly modern and the modern ugly: reclaiming the beautiful in Islam Khaled Abou El Fadl 2 In search of progressive Islam beyond 9/11 Farid Esack 3 Islam: a civilizational project in progress Ahmet Karamustafa 4 The debts and burdens of critical Islam Ebrahim Moosa 5 On being a scholar of Islam: risks and responsibilities Tazim R. Kassam Part II PROGRESSIVE MUSLIMS AND GENDER JUSTICE 6 Transforming feminism: Islam, women and gender justice Sa'diyya Shaikh 7 Progressive Muslims and Islamic jurisprudence: the necessity for critical engagement with marriage and divorce law Kecia Ali 8 Sexuality, diversity and ethics in the agenda of progressive Muslims Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle 9 Are we up to the challenge? The need for a radical re-ordering of the Islamic discourse on women Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons Part III PROGRESSIVE MUSLIMS AND PLURALISM 10 Muslims, pluralism, and interfaith dialogue Amir Hussain 11 American Muslim identity: race and ethnicity in progressive Islam Amina Wadud 12 Islamic democracy and pluralism Ahmad S. Moussalli 13 How to put the genie back in the bottle? "Identity" Islam and Muslim youth cultures in America Marcia Hermansen 14 What is the victory of Islam? Towards a different understanding of the Ummah and political success in the contemporary world Farish A. Noor Further Reading Index