Nouh El Harmouzi – författare

Extremist ideas thrive on the certainty they engender in their followers. Undermining that certainty is crucial to their defeat. The scholarship on show in this book is therefore vital: it shows that liberalism is not a Western, Christian or atheist construct. The authors writing here demonstrate that Islam is not only compatible with liberalism, but is inherently liberal. The battle against Islamist extremism must be led by the communities most directly affected. This includes Muslims themselves. This book provides ammunition to those who wish to battle the claim that Islam and freedom are incompatible.

Islam is growing rapidly both in its traditional homelands and in the West. Some in the West view Islam with a mixture of fear and suspicion. However, it is also fair to say that there is widespread ignorance about Islam, and especially about its relationship to political systems and the economy. Is Islam compatible with a free society and a free economy? Is the fact that many Muslim-majority states do not have free economies or polities a result of an incompatibility between Islam and political and economic freedom, or does it result from an unfortunate series of historical events? What role has past colonialism played in encouraging Muslim extremism? Exactly what does Islam have to say about freedom in economic, political and religious life?This book, written by a range of Islamic scholars, sheds a great deal of light on these crucial questions. It is an important book for those in the West who need to understand Islam better. It is also important for those in Muslim countries who can influence the development of political systems and economic policy. The publication of this book could not be more timely.