Critical Muslim 54

Description

Since its beginnings—born out of the Enlightenment—liberalism has risen to become the global standard; an almost utopian ideal, against which political and moral philosophies have been judged. Yet, one quarter of the way through the twenty-first century, we wonder if the liberal idea is all but dead. The freedoms imbued by civil and human rights, individualism and private property have built the modern world, but not without growing pains and vestigial aches. More than a simple philosophy, liberalism has informed economics, secularism, language and culture. As the global hegemon, it has at times been cast as an enemy of the ‘other’; but, in fact, the liberalism that dominated in the West is not without its non-Western seeds and influences. This issue of Critical Muslim gives liberalism a long overdue analysis, evaluating how well it has fared up to the present, and considering how the future will continue to be shaped by its legacy.

About Critical Muslim: A quarterly publication of ideas and issues showcasing groundbreaking thinking on Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly changing, interconnected world. Each edition centers on a discrete theme, and contributions include reportage, academic analysis, cultural commentary, photography, poetry, and book reviews.

Editor(s)

Ziauddin Sardar is an award-winning, internationally renowned writer, futurist and cultural critic. His many books include Three Begums; Reading the Qur’an and A Person of Pakistani Origins (all published by Hurst); Mecca: The Sacred City; and Desperately Seeking Paradise: Journeys of a Sceptical Muslim. A former New Statesman columnist and UK equality and human rights commissioner, he is Editor of the influential quarterly Critical Muslim.