The Islamist attacks of 9/11, the Danish cartoon affair and rioting by Muslim youths in France are just some of the events that have caused the 'Muslim question' to become a key issue of public debate in many western democracies. Secularism, Religion and Multicultural Citizenship argues that the Muslim case raises important questions about how we understand western secularism and respond to new religious claims in multicultural democracies. The contributors challenge prevailing assumptions about the history and practice of western secularism and recover the pragmatism behind liberal principles in negotiating new conditions. By situating the Muslim experience in relation to western secularism and liberal democratic practice, and through examining a variety of national contexts (including Britain, Germany, France, Denmark, the United States, Australia and India), this book extends thinking about our contemporary condition and considers the broader significance for multicultural liberal democracies.

Highly topical examination of the central problems raised by the relationship between religion, multiculturalism and secularism in western democracies.

About the Author
Geoffrey Brahm Levey is Senior Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences and International Studies and founding Director of the Program in Jewish Studies at the University of New South Wales, Sydney. Tariq Modood is Professor of Sociology, Politics and Public Policy and founding Director of the Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship at the University of Bristol, UK.

Reviews
'What, exactly, is liberal about passing restrictive policies designed to defend liberalism from the claims of religious populations? Nothing, is the answer given in this challenging and provocative book. In fact, many of the authors of these essays contend that European states have responded to the rise of Islam in their midst with a peculiar form of cultural and political sectarianism that has, at times, been glaringly illiberal. This book is sure to shape debate on a classic theoretical question that now resides at the heart of contemporary European politics.' Tim Byrnes, Colgate University
'... an edited collection of essays whose ambition is to bring to bear theoretical rigor, historical insights, and cultural analysis upon questions of political theory that are as timely as they are weighty, namely the just boundary between Islam and the state, the risks associated with secularism, and the compatibility of Islam and western liberal democracy. Under the direction of editors Geoffrey Brahm Levey and Tariq Modood, the authors rise to the occasion with originality, aplomb, and a refreshing pragmatism that makes this a book well worth reading.' Journal of Church and State



Book Information
ISBN 9780521695411
Author Geoffrey Brahm Levey
Format Paperback
Page Count 298
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 490g
Dimensions(mm) 228mm * 151mm * 18mm