READING RAMADAN: WHAT SHOULD WE DEMAND OF MUSLIM INTELLECTUALS IN THE WEST?
READING RAMADAN: WHAT SHOULD WE DEMAND OF MUSLIM INTELLECTUALS IN THE WEST?

Summary/Abstract: Tariq Ramadan is an exciting,and controversial public figure who presents himself as a bridge between Islamic and democratic communities which have at times radically different understandings of justice,morality and even,in some cases,of which basic facts best describe the way our social world operates.This figure presents two distinct messages to those two communities:to his own,a message of confidence and authenticity;to the outside community,a message of trust and conciliation. Liberal democracies must have a firm but also consistent view regarding what they demand intelectually,morally and spiritually of minority communities.Because liberal democracies limit their aspirations to the just and stable ordering of social cooperation, democratic societies ought to require agreement from their fellow citizens on only those matters which are essential to the preservation of justice,political stability and social solidarity from one generation to the next. We must be very cautious about demanding further agreement about ultimate ends and the morality of policies and practices which are not predetermined by the standards of justice.

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