Western Muslims and the Future of Islam

By: Tariq Ramadan

Narrated by: Peter Ganim

Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's Summary

In a Western world suddenly acutely interested in Islam, one question has been repeatedly heard above the din: Where are the Muslim reformers? With this ambitious volume, Tariq Ramadan firmly establishes himself as one of Europe's leading thinkers and one of Islam's most innovative and important voices. As the number of Muslims living in the West grows, the question of what it means to be a Western Muslim becomes increasingly important to the futures of both Islam and the West. While the media are focused on radical Islam, Ramadan claims, a silent revolution is sweeping Islamic communities in the West, as Muslims actively seek ways to live in harmony with their faith within a Western context. French, English, German, and American Muslims - women as well as men - are reshaping their religion into one that is faithful to the principles of Islam, dressed in European and American cultures, and definitively rooted in Western societies. Ramadan's goal is to create an independent Western Islam, anchored not in the traditions of Islamic countries but in the cultural reality of the West. He begins by offering a fresh reading of Islamic sources, interpreting them for a Western context and demonstrating how a new understanding of universal Islamic principles can open the door to integration into Western societies. He then shows how these principles can be put to practical use. Ramadan contends that Muslims can-indeed must-be faithful to their principles while participating fully in the civic life of Western secular societies.

Grounded in scholarship and bold in its aims, Western Muslims and the Future of Islam offers a striking vision of a new Muslim Identity, one which rejects once and for all the idea that Islam must be defined in opposition to the West.

©2004 Oxford University Press, Inc. (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Pluralistic Islam at its finest

This book contains the quintessential meaning of what it means to be Muslim in a pluralistic society. Ramadan sticks to the principles of Islam while engendering a mutual respect for the other in Western society. it is his life's work and his thesis that Muslims in the West need not ostracizing cells from normal societal practices, cultural norms, and mores but rather embrace the principles of Islam while maintaining our Western identities. A must read for any Muslim born and raised in Europe the US or Canada.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Informative and thought provoking

Informative and thought provoking. This book does a good job of relating Muslim thought to the western environment. It is needed in today's world.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

revolutionary vision and plan forward

the best book I read yet. powerful vision, excruciating walkthrough, a genuine initiative for a collaborative plan towards solving contemporary issues.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Incredibly informative and extensive

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, because it highlights the situation Muslims in the West face and using the principles of Islam, one can understand why certain things exist and how one can face them.