When I first arrived at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, I must confess that I was somewhat disappointed. Given the customary brouhaha preceding a Muslim academic’s (or scholar’s) arrival, I’d expected at the very least a picket (even if it consisted solely of the distinguished Ameer Ali).
You can imagine my further disappointment when the most controversial things Tariq Ramadan, the source of the controversy, said, would be more likely to offend some Muslim sensibilities than the non-Muslims in attendance. In fact, Ramadan, who is an incredibly engaging and charismatic speaker, presented his very sensible points softly but with clear conviction. There was absolutely nothing that might require monitoring by authorities.
Admittedly, the Brisbane conference on the “challenges and opportunities” of Islam in Australia was my first true introduction to Ramadan and his thesis. I understood the following: he is a “reformist”; he believes Muslims need to try harder to reconcile their beliefs with those surrounding them in their particular Western nation; he is dubbed Islam’s Martin Luther; he lacks mainstream appeal; he is more successful in Europe than Australia and the US.
Most of this was confirmed in his keynote speech. Ramadan covered a lot of material, but not before addressing the news reports circulating prior to his arrival. He was disappointed that the Australian media was adopting such an exaggerated fear-mongering stance: focusing on his grandfather, Hassan al Banna (founder of Egypt’s the Muslim Brotherhood) and the revocation of his US visa a couple of years ago, which prevented him from taking up a post at the University of Notre Dame. He called these reports “unacceptable” and noted that there were several factual mistakes in the articles he read (four in one, eleven in another); apparently journalists had visited his website and attributed things to him that Tariq Ali had said (fair enough: having the same first name could confuse even the most intelligent of our species).
Ramadan’s discussion centred on citizenship and a sense of belonging. He acknowledged the practical challenges facing pluralistic societies, and also for Muslims in terms of their faith. He suggests that we are lacking discourse on spirituality and universal ethics (politics, etc). He wants to see more Muslims taking up academic positions, writing literature, learning and teaching Islam within their Western nations and, overall, participating socially and politically. He advocates commonality — in other words, send your children to state schools and provide strong supplementary guidance at home. I thoroughly enjoyed his talk and struggled to remember the last time I was so interested and, at times, moved, by what a Muslim scholar had to impart.
Ramadan does not hold back in his critical assessment of the issues plaguing Muslims today. While I took many notes, rather than write them all up (I was told the audio of Ramadan’s speech would eventually be available online), I’ll set out his closing remarks, which reflect his essential arguments. Ramadan concluded with the following:
- Shed the ‘victim mentality’; psychological isolation is what caused the UK bombers to undertake their crimes.
- Rid yourself of the minority mindset; there is no minority citizenship, the law applies equally to all and Muslims are not second-class citizens.
- Women have to be more involved practically in society.
- Social and economic problems should not be “Islamicised” and “culturalised”. Deal with these problems in their appropriate social and political realms. While there are overlapping realities (ghettos), many of these issues are simply not Islamic or cultural.
- Move from integration to contribution.
- Move from contribution to culture.
- Do not focus on the ones who are destroying, focus on the ones who are building.
All of this, Ramadan argues, will be the “silent revolution” of Muslims in the West.
21 comments ↓
Thanks for that Amal.
Never did understand the fuss (from Muslims as well as non-Muslims) over Ramadan. I’ve never heard him say anything even remotely controversial.
Tariq Ramadan is a socialist.
He’s right in that the IMF and the World Bank are probably the most destructive economic institutions ever created by man. And the remarks against neo-Liberal economic systems where Governments have an unduly large and interfering role are spot on.
He only slips up where he advocates for more Government intervention as the solution. Poor man. After nearly 100 years where Statism has been shown to be utter disaster, why is it people still put stock in it?
I agree, null. While I’m not familiar with all of his work, and naturally I’m not necessarily going to agree with everything Tariq Ramadan says, I respect his right to say it — and personally I didn’t find anything offensive or controversial in this speech. But I imagine some (avoiding tag usage) Muslims might have gagged at some his general ideas, criticisms and suggestions. I’m sure many would reject, for example, Ramadan’s stance on women’s issues, on social and political participation and approach to interpretation of Islam. Allahu’alam. I’d need to do some more research on him and find out why his critics don’t like him.
There’s isn’t anything particularly controversial or radical in the things you listed above — certainly nothing that would justify the whole “Muslim Martin Luther” label that is so often applied to him. What did he say that would make some Muslims gag?
Good question, Eudaemonion. Maybe the issue is simply that it’s never been adequately shown and the opposing arguments continue to be made more forcefully in education, the media and in politics?
Amir,
Muslims have been known to “gag” over somewhat minor things. Many, for example, would reject the idea of participating in a Western political system (HT), others would balk at the idea of sending their children to a State school (completely their right and their choice to do otherwise, but nonetheless a cause for disagreement), and then some might be disgusted at Ramadan’s suggestion women be socially active rather than simply take their dignified place in the home. Nothing controversial, but I am sure for some it would be disagreeable.
As for the Martin Luther label, that seems to me more a media label. But I suspect it’s applied to him because of his “reformist” slant.
With Tariq Ramadan, the problem he has faced with many Muslims are his comments about placing a moratorium on the hadud. Personally, I think the neocons make a much bigger deal of this man than is really there.
His economic views are ripped-off from people like Noam Chomsky and the New Left-types and his religious views are your typical occidental modernist stuff.
I really don’t know how he became casted as the mastermind of some sinister Islamist conspiracy to take over Europe. I imagine Ameer Ali is just jealous.
[...] at Austrolabe shares some advice from Tariq Ramadhan, who recently spoke at the “The Challenges and Opportunities of Isl… event in Brisbane, Australia. Ramadan’s discussion centred on citizenship and a sense of [...]
Just to throw Prof. Ramadan’s original article on the hudud issue in to the mix instead of just a critique of it. There are also some responses by `ulama’ and his response to them all as well if you look around the site. Definitely very interesting stuff.
He doesn’t have much of a following in the Muslim community does he. I don’t know anyone who has read his books or pays any attention to him.
He’s famous just because the non muslims call him Martin Luther and say he’s really great. He’s a product of their imagination really.
Actually, a lot of non Muslims say he’s not so great at all really.
http://www.newstatesman.com/200509120007
http://www.encounterbooks.com/books/brothertariq
Well, I wouldn’t worry too much about the book being sold by Encounter Books (Brother Tariq); they also have one of Robert Spencer’s books for sale, and the founding publisher has written a number of books with David Horowitz. “Not-so-serious books for wingnut readers.”
JDsg, I’m not really worried about any of it. My point was, there isn’t blanket support of Tariq Ramadan from non Muslims, nor is he a media darling. He’s been trashed in the US and Australian media many times.
And a further comment to Muhammad, I hardly think the lack of a following in the Muslim community says much about Tariq Ramadan. He’s an academic anyway. His books aren’t really sold a Big W. At least I don’t think they are. If they are, I’ve never noticed. Come to think of it, I might have to call head office and launch a complaint.
[...] blogs Tariq Ramadan’s keynote at the Brisbane Islamic studies [...]
I’ve heard it said that the media that trash him do it just so he will have credibility with the Muslims. It’s a conspiracy to boost his reformist message.
Yes, Tariq Ramadan, like Irshad Manji, is taken much more seriously by the Western media and neocon bloggers than he is by the Western Muslim community.
[...] Ramadan is no ordinary Muslim. He’s the imam accused of “Islamizing Modrernity.” Amal reviews Tariq Ramadan’s lecture in Australia. I understood the following: he is a “reformist”; he believes Muslims need to try harder to [...]
Muhammad
That’s really thoughtful of the media, they really must go to a lot of trouble to trash him, do they have secret meetings? Anyway, Tariq does have a pretty decent following in the European Muslim community.
[...] Amal at Austrolabe has a good review of Tariq Ramadan’s recent talk in Brisbane. [...]
[...] speech [pdf] given by Tariq Ramadan at the Brisbane conference and a transcript of the question and answer session is now online. Related PostsTariq [...]
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