Synopses & Reviews
How can Muslims be both good citizens of liberal democracies and good Muslims? This is among the most pressing questions of our time, particularly in contemporary Europe. Some argue that Muslims have no tradition of separation of church and state and therefore can't participate in secular, pluralist society. At the other extreme, some Muslims argue that it is the duty of all believers to resist Western forms of government and to impose Islamic law. Andrew F. March is seeking to find a middle way between these poles. Is there, he asks, a tradition that is both consistent with orthodox Sunni Islam that is also compatible with modern liberal democracy? He begins with Rawls's theory that liberal societies rely for stability on an overlapping consensus between a public conception of justice and popular religious doctrines and asks what kinds of demands liberal societies place on citizens, and particularly on Muslims. March then offers a thorough examination of Islamic sources and current trends in Islamic thought to see whether there can indeed be a consensus. March finds that the answer is an emphatic yes. He demonstrates that there are very strong and authentically Islamic arguments for accepting the demands of citizenship in a liberal democracy, many of them found even in medieval works of Islamic jurisprudence. In fact, he shows, it is precisely the fact that Rawlsian political liberalism makes no claims to metaphysical truth that makes it appealing to Muslims.
Review
"In his book Islam and Liberal Citizenship, Andrew March presents a cogent analysis and discussion of contemporary Islamic thought. Indeed, it is a crucial work which sheds light on current positions surrounding issues of citizenship and democracy. I recommend it heartily not only to students of Islam, but also to scholars in the fields of government and political science."
--Jocelyne Cesari, Harvard University
"This book considers the vital question of whether and on what terms pious Muslims can regard the terms of citizenship in pluralist liberal democracies as fair, reasonable, and acceptable. Andrew March's important book is philosophically acute, politically sensitive, and deeply versed in Islamic religious, ethical, and juridical traditions. It offers an important model for comparative ethics. There is no other book like it. Everyone concerned about the encounter between Islam and political liberalism should read it."
--Stephen Macedo, Princeton University
Review
"March puts forward a historically expansive scholarly tour de force on the question of the compatibility of Islamic law with the demands of liberal citizenship in the context in which Muslims are living as a minority in a non-Muslim state...the book is an absolutely indispensible addition."--Journal of Religion
"As well as those in good governance generally, I recommend this excellent work for those studying political science, inter-religious relations, or Islamic studies, particularly at higher tertiary level."--American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences
Synopsis
Some argue that Muslims have no tradition of separation of church and state and therefore can't participate in secular, pluralist society. At the other extreme, some Muslims argue that it is the duty of all believers to resist western forms of government and to impose Islamic law. Andrew F. March demonstrates that there are very strong and authentically Islamic arguments for accepting the demands of citizenship in a liberal democracy, many of them found even in medieval works of Islamic jurisprudence. In fact, he shows, it is precisely the fact that Rawlsian political liberalism makes no claims to metaphysical truth that makes it appealing to Muslims.
About the Author
Andrew F. March is Associate Professor of Political Science at Yale University