Reformist Voices of Islam

"Shireen Hunter has thoughtfully and skillfully assembled a group of scholars who demonstrate that the latest currents in Islamic reformism in a number of countries and regions are important instruments of change today. This nuanced and comparative study illuminates the ways in which reformers have reacted to both the adverse effects of modernization and the grand prescriptions some Muslim intellectuals and activists have confidently presented. It also documents the divergence of viewpoints on such signal issues as women's rights and the place of Islamic law. In so doing, it points to the difficulties reformists have had in maintaining their religious credibility and resisting the misguided embrace of the West. These are forceful and critical insights that informed readers will want-and need-to know." - James Piscatori, Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, Australian National University "For those who since 9/11 have asked whether Islam is capable of reform, Shireen Hunter's Reformist Voices of Islam is 'the' book to read. Indeed, anyone who wants to know about Islamic reform, its messengers and messages, will welcome this volume, which brings together eminent experts and Muslim voices of reform." - John L. Esposito, Georgetown University"