Title: Muslim Reformist Thought in 21 st Century and its Broad Themes: A Brief Study of 'Democratic Pluralism' in the light of A. Sachedinas 'The Islamic Roots of Democratic Pluralism
Abstract: With the beginning of 2011, humanity entered its second decade of the third millennium (21 st Century), but the world is still facing the new claims, issues and challenges and disquieting apprehensions. The intellectuals, both Muslims and Non-Muslims, in their own capacities, have contributed (in the recent past and present) and are contributing to various challenges and issues, agitating humanity on one hand, and having direct concern with the Muslim Ummah. Some of these challenges and issues include (such –izations as) Globalization, Liberalization, Democratization (including various themes such as the process of democratization in Muslim lands, its Islamic Heritage, Democratic Pluralism, and other related themes), Privatization, Secularization, and Religious Resurgence, and others. Throughout the Muslim world, from Indonesia and Malaysia in Southeast Asia to Algeria and Morocco in North Africa, from Middle East to Central Asia, and from Europe to America, there has emerged a group of highly articulate and influential public intellectuals whose ideas are inspired by reformist/modernist 1 interpretations of Islam. The voices of these intellectuals or men of letters – for majority of them are professors, writers, essayists, gifted in the arts of letters and oratory – and their disposition is to be moderate and their political passions tamed and reasoned 2 . What these intellectuals, generally known as modernists/reformists, represent is a vision of Islam and its role in human polity that is radically different from that advocated by orthodoxy. The Central Goal of the Reformist/ Modernist Muslim thinkers:The central goal that reformist/modernist thinkers have set for themselves is to reformulate and reinterpret popular notions of Islam in ways that are consistent with and supportive with the tenets of modern life. Moderate Muslim thinkers still struggle with the concept of modernity and the need to integrate the Muslim world. To them, notes an observer, a Muslim has to “coexist with modernity” – and, nowadays, with “postmodernity”. To these thinkers, the emphasis on asala (authenticity) is only an attempt to ignore the conditions created by the Muslim world (Hopwood, 1998, 9; Kamrava, 2006, 15).
Publication Year: 2011
Publication Date: 2011-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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