Religious Freedom in Islam

The fundamental problem with this book is its deep Orientalist bias. To appreciate this point, imagine a book discussing African Americans and the rule of law. The key question this hypothetical book would seek to answer is whether African American culture is inhospitable to respecting the rule of law. Two schools of thought, the author suggests, should be studied. Black skeptics argue that a disdain for rule of law and an appetite for gang activity are hard-wired into African American culture with roots that go back to ancient African warrior religions. Black pluralists, by contrast, are more optimistic. They argue that under the right social conditions, African Americans can draw upon their cultural resources to be good citizens, respect the rule of law, and reject violence. Both schools of thought, the author emphatically asserts, are wrong yet they simultaneously contribute to understanding this subject. Black skeptics keep the debate honest,...

Epistemology · Islam · Orientalism · Political science · Skepticism · Sociology · Subject (documents) · Theology · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Law · Philosophy