Version imprimableSeptember 22, 2009
« What I Believe Tariq Ramadan. Oxford Univ., $12.95 (160p) ISBN 978-0-19-538785-8
Ramadan, a professor of Islamic studies at Oxford University and author of many thoughtful books on modern Islam, sets the record straight in this deliberately brief, sensible and accessible book that rebuts what he sees as distortions of his thought and unfair criticism. Ramadan was barred from entering the U.S. to teach when his visa was revoked in 2004. He advocates for a modern approach to Islamic interpretation, updating—but not snubbing—the classical. He recounts how his early days of teaching in Switzerland crystallized his feeling that solidarity between diverse communities is key, and includes a touching account of his relationship with a student who died of a drug overdose. His insights into the Israel-Palestine conflict are a refreshing change from the established back-and-forth on that issue. While Ramadan delves deeply into such detailed theological-sociological issues as the treatment of Muslim women, his most staunch assertion is basic : one can be both a citizen of the West and a Muslim without conflict. What I Believe is not just a summary of Ramadan’s own views but a primer on modern Western Muslim life. (Oct.)
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