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Medieval Philosophical Discourse and Muslim-Christian Dialogue
As pluralistic societies in the West become the norm and the "global village" becomes a reality, ecumenical dialogues gain prominence. Ecumenical dialogues, which, like many other discussions, first began among scholars as an exclusively academic activity, now take place in churches, communities, and other sociopolitical organizations. In the United States, in particular, attempts are being made to introduce educational curricula that are sensitive to the culture and religious orientations of minorities.
The very feasibility of a Christian-Muslim dialogue should be called into question. Can the Islamic world enter into a dialogue with the secular West? Any dialogue or discourse requires a common language, a shared worldview, and some basic agreement on some of the fundamental axioms around which a worldview is formed. I fear that the Islamic world and the West no longer have such a common language.
Muslim Women's Studies:
Two Contributions
Denise Spellberg's survey of the legacy of 'A'ishah and Amina Wadud-Muhsin's exegesis of the Qur'anic exposition of gender are forays in the field of Muslim women's studies. Both works study the place of Muslim women in the textual heritage of the community, but their points of departure are different. Spellberg proposes that 'A'ishah's legacy, a product of exclusively male writings in texts from the classical Islamic centuries, is a reflection of Muslim men's interpretations of early Islamic history and their opinions about the proper place of women in their own time. Such interpretations, Spellberg shows, are charged with the political tensions of their contemporary societies. Yet 'A'ishah's "legacy alone defied idealization as completely as it denied comfortable categorization" by the Muslim men whose texts represent and construct her, Spellberg asserts.
Political Authority in
Classical Islamic Thought
Unlike Christianity, where normative thought is expressed in theological writings, in Islam normative thought is expressed in legal tradition. According to this tradition, the purpose of Islamic society is to submit to God's will, which is expressed clearly through revelation: Human beings are to create a just society. As political activity is essential for the creation and maintenance of social justice, all political activity is essentially religious activity in Islam. Thus, the discussion of political activity is highly developed and wide-ranging in Islamic legal texts. In this paper, I focus on discussions of the source of political authority in the ideal Islamic state.
The Case of Jerusalem From A Civilizational Perspective
This paper is an attempt to evaluate an international political problem from a philosophical perspective in order to see its actual place within a civilizational phenomenon. How Muslims view Jerusalem and how it is to be viewed from a historical perspective are the main issues to be evaluated. The historical approach shall attempt to provide a framework for treating the problem. This framework includes the concept of civilization and the phenomenon of the rise and fall of civilizations. Certain historical facts may lead us to clues for unravelling our perception of the Jerusalem issue today. We shall then begin our treatment of the problem from evaluating the concept of civilization
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