Diversity Dissent and Dialogue

The author of the book under review is currently Associate Professor at the Department of Islamic Studies, Aligarh Muslim University, India. He is the author and translator of approximately fifty books in Urdu and English, mostly on Islamic political thought, Islamic movements, Islam and contemporary issues, and Qur’anic studies. The present book is a collection of essays that deal with religious freedom, pluralism, inter-faith dialogue, the Qur’anic phenomenon and Maqasid al-Shari[ah. Almost all these themes have gained currency in recent years, especially after 9/11, as Islam has been frequently labelled as a “violent” and “terrorist” religion that has little concern for peace, human rights, justice, tolerance, pluralism, democratic values, etc. These issues have become focal points of worldwide debate. For Fahad, diversity, dissent, and dialogue have been “core to the ideology of Islam” (p. 1), because every human being is born innocent, pure, free, inclined to right and virtue, and imbued with true understanding of his position in the universe and about God’s goodness, wisdom and power, as mentioned in the Qur’an (30:30). (p. vii)