Conversations With History - Jocelyne Cesari

"Islam in the West"

Jocelyne Cesari - Associate, Middle East Center, Harvard University

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Harvard's Jocelyne Cesari for a discussion of the subtle and complex changes transforming Islam practice and thinking as Muslims live and work in the West. Topics covered include: Muslim women, the changes in religious practices, sharia and Western courts, the emergence of moderate voices, and political factors affecing Western perceptions of Islam.

Recorded December 4, 2008

http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/iis/Kreisler.html
http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/conversations/

Category:

Education

Tags:

• UC
• Berkeley
• ucberkeley
• event
• Harry
• Kreisler
• history
• terrorism
• Islam
• women
• Jocelyne
• Cesari
• yt:quality=high

[8data]

John Esposito is the only person I refer to on Islam from Western Uses

[sayle79]

Another thing :who do you think of yourself and you are telling me what I have to do or What I should do or What the society is? Who are you and you are telling "you must.." or leave my religion behind? What do you know about ISlam? You are not even muslim or a scholar studying Islamic sciences to infer a conclusion..Even if you are, your conclusions binds yourself not Islam itself or muslims...

[writersblock26]

Dr. Cesari makes an interesting comparison on the structural differences between the Holy Bible and the Quran, referring to the Bible as a "narrative" and the Quran as a "poem." Maybe that is why in the Islamic tradition, Muslims are discouraged (and even prohibited in some cases) from reading translations of the Quran, the concern being that something of the divine character of the text is lost in translation. Perhaps that is why to those outside of Islam, it may seem inherently insular.

[writersblock26]

@8data What do you mean by "Western Uses"?

[ALANSARALHAQ]

Western social justice and political and economi system is based on an Islamic Model - therefore you already have laws that amount to Sharia - where muslims and West differ ar eon small things i.e. family law, property law etc etc. You can NOT have a Sharia LAW without a POLITICAL ISLAMIC STATE

[sayle79]

then be happy in your canda and stop making judgments without hesitation about something that you do not know...In Islam Allah gives a right His Slaves to deny himself" neither your canada or your other countries are not as liberal as Canada...and by the way in Islam people can choose the law to be applied for themslves..

[scoobyDx]

canada is a secular democracy. That's why we barred sharia law.

thank god :p

[scoobyDx]

In my case canadian secularism.

I speak only for myself.

[sayle79]

Which Secularism? German? Amrican? French? ...? Why do you feel a need that I need secularism? Why do you draw the boundries of my democracy? Democracy is different thing for different nations...Is israel a secular -democratic country? NO! Eventhough allegedly Turkey is demcratic and secular turks are not pleased with the defined boundaries of democracy...It is a decision that I will make ..not YOU!

[scoobyDx]

to partake in a secualr democratic framework there are ground rules that everyone must accept.

If your religion takes you beyond those common, non-religious restrictions (like importing religious law into the legal system which should be strictly off limits for ALL) then you have no place in the society. this is a common standard everyone must play by the democracies ground rules, or the system is broken, people will suffer and eventually flee.

you can see this in many fucked up places