I summarize the points brought up in the talk below. Tariq Ramadan: Tariq Ramadan first gave an introductory talk, where he listed how he sees Muslim in the West:
Islam is a Western religion because there are Muslims who are citizens. Muslims already do the 3Ls: I abide by the law, I speak the language, I am loyal to my country and to our values (critically and constructively). We're past talking about integration, we're now talking about contributing to society. [Islam in Europe] Read more
Once-Banned Muslim Scholar Tariq Ramadan on His First Visit to US in Six Years, President Obama and Why Muslims Should Make Their Voices Heard .... I am used to speak about Western Muslims. And as much as you are talking about security here, we talk about new visibility there. You don’t have a problem with visibility in the States, for example, but you may have a problem with this presence and mistrust.
In Europe, we have—we are facing exactly the same problems with new populist parties, old populist parties, far-right parties, using the Muslim presence and pushing us toward something which is emotional politics, using fears and very old racist attitudes and, you know, logic, just to target the Muslims: “They are threatening the very homogeneity of our culture.” [Democracy Now!] Read more [via Islamophobia Watch]
Should Tariq Ramadan have been allowed to enter the U.S.? Chicago Tribune reporter Manya Brachear has kindly written to me to alert me to this article. In her email to me she invited Jihad Watch readers to comment at her Tribune blog on this story, so have at it.
Note her identification of Tariq Ramadan as a "religious scholar" in her parting question below. "Chicago welcomes once-banned Muslim scholar," by Manya Brachear in the Chicago Tribune's Seeker blog, April 5: [Jihad Watch] Read more
