Secularism, Religion and Multicultural Citizenship

Tariq Modood editor Geoffrey Brahm Levey editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Cambridge University Press

Published:20th Nov '08

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Secularism, Religion and Multicultural Citizenship cover

Highly topical examination of the central problems raised by the relationship between religion, multiculturalism and secularism in western democracies.

Contemporary Western democracies are challenged by the problems raised by the relationship between religion, multiculturalism and secularism. This book seeks to clarify the history, terms and limits of western secularism and explores the Muslim experience today, considering its broader significance for multicultural liberal democracies.The Islamist attacks of 9/11, the Danish cartoon affair and rioting by Muslim youths in France are just some of the events that have caused the 'Muslim question' to become a key issue of public debate in many western democracies. Secularism, Religion and Multicultural Citizenship argues that the Muslim case raises important questions about how we understand western secularism and respond to new religious claims in multicultural democracies. The contributors challenge prevailing assumptions about the history and practice of western secularism and recover the pragmatism behind liberal principles in negotiating new conditions. By situating the Muslim experience in relation to western secularism and liberal democratic practice, and through examining a variety of national contexts (including Britain, Germany, France, Denmark, the United States, Australia and India), this book extends thinking about our contemporary condition and considers the broader significance for multicultural liberal democracies.

'What, exactly, is liberal about passing restrictive policies designed to defend liberalism from the claims of religious populations? Nothing, is the answer given in this challenging and provocative book. In fact, many of the authors of these essays contend that European states have responded to the rise of Islam in their midst with a peculiar form of cultural and political sectarianism that has, at times, been glaringly illiberal. This book is sure to shape debate on a classic theoretical question that now resides at the heart of contemporary European politics.' Tim Byrnes, Colgate University
'… an edited collection of essays whose ambition is to bring to bear theoretical rigor, historical insights, and cultural analysis upon questions of political theory that are as timely as they are weighty, namely the just boundary between Islam and the state, the risks associated with secularism, and the compatibility of Islam and western liberal democracy. Under the direction of editors Geoffrey Brahm Levey and Tariq Modood, the authors rise to the occasion with originality, aplomb, and a refreshing pragmatism that makes this a book well worth reading.' Journal of Church and State

ISBN: 9780521695411

Dimensions: 228mm x 151mm x 18mm

Weight: 490g

298 pages