Islam in Liberalism

About this book

In the popular imagination Islam is often associated with words like oppression totalitarianism intolerance cruelty misogyny and homophobia while its presumed antonyms are Christianity the West liberalism individualism freedom citizenship and democracy. In the most alarmist views the Wests most cherished valuesfreedom equality and toleranceare said to be endangered by Islam worldwide. Joseph Massads Islam in Liberalism explores what Islam has become in todays world with full attention to the multiplication of its meanings and interpretations. He seeks to understand how anxieties about tyranny intolerance misogyny and homophobia seen in the politics of the Middle East are projected onto Islam itself. Massad shows that through this projection Europe emerges as democratic and tolerant feminist and pro-LGBT rightsor in short Islam-free. Massad documents the Christian and liberal idea that we should missionize democracy womens rights sexual rights tolerance equality and even therapies to cure Muslims of their un-European un-Christian and illiberal ways. Along the way he sheds light on a variety of controversial topics including the meanings of democracyand the ideological assumption that Islam is not compatible with it while Christianity iswomen in Islam sexuality and sexual freedom and the idea of Abrahamic religions valorizing an interfaith agenda. Islam in Liberalism is an unflinching critique of Western assumptions and of the liberalism that Europe and Euro-America blindly present as a type of salvation to an assumingly unenlightened Islam.