Berkley Center Event: Islam, Human Rights, and the Secular: A Conversation between Talal Asad and Abdullahi An-Na'im (9/29/09)

Event Webpage: http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/events/view/1767

Can one ground universal human rights in the Islamic tradition? How do secular notions of human rights -- and those derived from other religious traditions -- compare with Islamic perspectives? Does the secular and democratic state pose a threat to Islam? Or might it in fact provide the best possible gurantee of the rights of Muslim citizens?. Two leading Muslim scholars, Talal Asad and Abdullahi An-Naim, discussed these questions with Jose Casanova, Professor of Sociology and Senior Fellow in the Berkley Center. This event was co-sponsored by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. (less info)