Copyright © 2011 by Mustafa Akyol
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
First Edition
Epigraphs for part I and chapter 5 reprinted with permission of Cambridge University Press from The Cambridge History of Islam , vol. 2B. Copyright © 1970 by Cambridge University Press. Epigraph for chapter 1 reprinted with permission of the Acton Institute, from Toward a Free and Virtuous Society by Robert A. Sirico. Copyright © 1997 by the Acton Institute. Epigraph for chapter 2 reprinted with permission of Oxford University Press, from What Went Wrong? Western Impact and Middle Eastern Response by Bernard Lewis. Copyright © 1992 by Bernard Lewis. Epigraphs for chapters 3 and 8 reprinted with permission of the University of Chicago Press, from Islamic Liberalism: A Critique of Development Ideologies by Leonard Binder. Copyright © 1988 by the University of Chicago Press. All rights reserved. Epigraph for chapter 7 reprinted with permission of Benjamin R. Barber, from a paper presented at the Istanbul Seminars, organized by Reset Dialogues on Civilization . Copyright © 2008 by Benjamin R. Barber. Epigraph for part III reprinted with permission of Michael Novak, from The Universal Hunger for Liberty: Why the Clash of Civilizations Is Not Inevitable by Michael Novak. Copyright © 1994 by Michael Novak. Epigraph for chapter 9 reprinted with permission of Vincent Cornell, from his paper entitled “Islam: Theological Hostility and the Problem of Difference.” Copyright © 1993 by Vincent Cornell.
For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book,
write to Permissions, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.,
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact W. W. Norton Special Sales at [email protected] or 800-233-4830
Manufacturing by Courier Westford
Book design by Marysarah Quinn
Production manager: Julia Druskin
Ebook conversion by Erin Campbell, TIPS Technical Publishing, Inc .
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Akyol, Mustafa, 1972–
Islam without extremes : a Muslim case for liberty / Mustafa Akyol. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-393-07086-6 (hardcover)
1. Islam and state. 2. Secularism—Islamic countries. 3. Liberty—Relgious aspects—Islam. 4. Liberalism—Islamic countries. I. Title.
BP173.6.A4297 2011
297.2’72—dc22
2011014936
W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10110
www.wwnorton.com
W. W. Norton & Company Ltd.
Castle House, 75/76 Wells Street, London W1T 3QT
1234567890
To my beloved parents, Tülin and Taha Akyol,
to whom I owe more than I could ever say
Being created free by God, man is naturally obliged to benefit from this divine gift.
[Thus] state authority should be realized in the way which will least limit the freedom of the individual. . . .
The right of the sultan in our country is to govern on the basis of the will of the people and the principles of freedom.
His title is “one charged with kingship” [after all], not “owner of kingship.”
—Ottoman Muslim intellectual Namık Kemal,in his journal Hürriyet
(Liberty), July 20, 1868
Glossary
Abbasid . Islamic dynasty that held the seat of the caliphate from 750 to 1258; its capital was Baghdad.
Abode of Islam ( dar al-Islam ) . Lands ruled by Muslims according to the Shariah (Islamic law).
Abode of Treaty ( dar al-ahd or dar al-sulh ) . Lands ruled by non-Muslims who negotiated treaties with a Muslim state.
Abode of Trial ( dar al-ibtila ) . A term used by medieval Muslim scholars to define the world as a testing ground for humans to use their free will.
Abode of War ( dar al-harb ) . Lands ruled by non-Muslims that are considered enemy territory.
Allah . The Arabic word for God, used by Muslims and Arabic-speaking Christians.
al-Maturidi . The tenth-century founder of a school of
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
First Edition
Epigraphs for part I and chapter 5 reprinted with permission of Cambridge University Press from The Cambridge History of Islam , vol. 2B. Copyright © 1970 by Cambridge University Press. Epigraph for chapter 1 reprinted with permission of the Acton Institute, from Toward a Free and Virtuous Society by Robert A. Sirico. Copyright © 1997 by the Acton Institute. Epigraph for chapter 2 reprinted with permission of Oxford University Press, from What Went Wrong? Western Impact and Middle Eastern Response by Bernard Lewis. Copyright © 1992 by Bernard Lewis. Epigraphs for chapters 3 and 8 reprinted with permission of the University of Chicago Press, from Islamic Liberalism: A Critique of Development Ideologies by Leonard Binder. Copyright © 1988 by the University of Chicago Press. All rights reserved. Epigraph for chapter 7 reprinted with permission of Benjamin R. Barber, from a paper presented at the Istanbul Seminars, organized by Reset Dialogues on Civilization . Copyright © 2008 by Benjamin R. Barber. Epigraph for part III reprinted with permission of Michael Novak, from The Universal Hunger for Liberty: Why the Clash of Civilizations Is Not Inevitable by Michael Novak. Copyright © 1994 by Michael Novak. Epigraph for chapter 9 reprinted with permission of Vincent Cornell, from his paper entitled “Islam: Theological Hostility and the Problem of Difference.” Copyright © 1993 by Vincent Cornell.
For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book,
write to Permissions, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.,
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact W. W. Norton Special Sales at [email protected] or 800-233-4830
Manufacturing by Courier Westford
Book design by Marysarah Quinn
Production manager: Julia Druskin
Ebook conversion by Erin Campbell, TIPS Technical Publishing, Inc .
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Akyol, Mustafa, 1972–
Islam without extremes : a Muslim case for liberty / Mustafa Akyol. — 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-393-07086-6 (hardcover)
1. Islam and state. 2. Secularism—Islamic countries. 3. Liberty—Relgious aspects—Islam. 4. Liberalism—Islamic countries. I. Title.
BP173.6.A4297 2011
297.2’72—dc22
2011014936
W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10110
www.wwnorton.com
W. W. Norton & Company Ltd.
Castle House, 75/76 Wells Street, London W1T 3QT
1234567890
To my beloved parents, Tülin and Taha Akyol,
to whom I owe more than I could ever say
Being created free by God, man is naturally obliged to benefit from this divine gift.
[Thus] state authority should be realized in the way which will least limit the freedom of the individual. . . .
The right of the sultan in our country is to govern on the basis of the will of the people and the principles of freedom.
His title is “one charged with kingship” [after all], not “owner of kingship.”
—Ottoman Muslim intellectual Namık Kemal,in his journal Hürriyet
(Liberty), July 20, 1868
Glossary
Abbasid . Islamic dynasty that held the seat of the caliphate from 750 to 1258; its capital was Baghdad.
Abode of Islam ( dar al-Islam ) . Lands ruled by Muslims according to the Shariah (Islamic law).
Abode of Treaty ( dar al-ahd or dar al-sulh ) . Lands ruled by non-Muslims who negotiated treaties with a Muslim state.
Abode of Trial ( dar al-ibtila ) . A term used by medieval Muslim scholars to define the world as a testing ground for humans to use their free will.
Abode of War ( dar al-harb ) . Lands ruled by non-Muslims that are considered enemy territory.
Allah . The Arabic word for God, used by Muslims and Arabic-speaking Christians.
al-Maturidi . The tenth-century founder of a school of
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