Chapter Synopses

Introduction

Preliminary Pages

Index

Chapter 1 - Abdullahi Ahmed an-Na'im and the Hermeneutics of Reform in Islam Benjamin MacQueen by Benjamin MacQueen

This chapter explores the work of Abdullahi Ahmed an-Na'im, a leading advocate of the applicability of the universal human rights in Muslim communities. Examining the hermeneutic approach of an-Na`im, this chapter examines his championing of increased popular control of Islamic political and social doctrine for empowerment in the face of persistent authoritarianism and human rights deprivation. However, this approach is restricted by a lack of attention to the mechanics of authoritarian rule that persist in many parts of the Muslim world.

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Chapter 2: Shirin Ebadi and the Question of Women's Rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran: Reform or Reconstruction? by Rebecca Barlow

This chapter investigates divergent responses among Iranian women to gender-based discrimination in Iran. Outlining forms of both 'integrated' and 'anti-systemic' dissent, this chapter reveals is a broader tension between those who champion reform of the existing system and those seeking a social and political overhaul. Through an examination of the Nobel Peace Laureate, lawyer and activist Shirin Ebadi, this chapter raises the question of whether significant reform of inequitable gender rights in Iran can occur within the existing system or whether the system itself is deficient in terms of its ability to meaningfully address this issue.

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Chapter 3: Muslim Democrats: The Changing Face of Political Islam in Malaysia by Sven Alexander Schottman

This chapter examines this with an exploration of 'moderate Islamism' in Malaysia, a country that has drifted towards a more overt Islamic identity since its independence. Rather than a simple assertion of religious identity, a small number of Malaysia's political elites in the post-Mahathir era have sought to develop a utilitarian perspective that emphasises the 'objectives' of Islamic doctrine and law rather than literalist interpretations. The government of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi reflected this trend with its determination to develop an Islamic model that balanced the interests of Malaysia's majority Muslim citizens with the large non-Muslim minority in the count.

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Chapter 4: Defending Religious Freedom in Indonesia: Muslims, Non-Muslims and Legislation on Houses of Worship by Ismatu Ropi

This chapter presents the case of religious freedom in Indonesia through debate over the status of religion. Specifically, this chapter explores the debates over legislation concerning construction of houses of worship and efforts by Muslim, Christian and Confucian Indonesians to ensure the protection of religious diversity. Drawing on extensive primary research, this chapter shows how the efforts of successive Indonesian regimes that sought to use this issue as a means to manipulate public opinion has been countered by Indonesian civil society. This is a demonstration of the ability of grassroots organisations to ensure the vitality of religious diversity.

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Chapter 5: Contemporary Islamic Discourse in Europe: The Emergence of a 'Euro-Islam'? by Kylie Baxter

This chapter provides an examination of how voices of diaspora Muslim communities, traditionally dismissed within the broader currents of Islamic thought, are increasingly asserting their presence. Indeed, 'Western Muslims' are uniquely placed to make a special contribution to theoretical and jurisprudential reform. As such, this chapter suggests that rather than establishing barriers to the practice of their religion, the work of thinkers such as Tariq Ramadan highlights how life as a minority community has in many ways freed Muslims in the West to explore alternative and innovative aspects, particularly in relation to the social and political applications of the faith.

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