The Challenge of Modernizing Islam: Reformers Speak Out and the Obstacles They Face

Description

As ISIS, al-Qaeda and other Islamic groups radicalize peaceful Muslims by appealing to the teachings of the Qur'an and the example of Muhammad, it is imperative for these moderates to articulate a vision of Islam, and an exegesis of Islamic scripture, that can withstand the challenge of the jihadis, refute their understanding of Islam, and establish on a firm foundation an Islam that is genuinely peaceful, tolerant, pluralistic and compatible with secular governance, the freedom of speech, and the equality of rights of all people before the law. The Challenge of Islamic Reform is the first major effort to provide that foundation. Veteran journalist Christine Douglass-Williams interviews the foremost moderate and reformist Muslims in the Western world and asks them tough questions about how they deal with problematic Qur'an passages, how they intend to get their message across to the Muslim world, and more.

Christine Douglass-Williams is a nine-time international award-winning journalist and television producer (including Telly, Videographer, and Omni Awards), conducting over 1,700 live interviews. She is a past federally appointed Director with the Canadian Race Relations Foundation and a former appointee to the Office of Religious Freedom in Foreign Affairs. She also serves as a political advisor. Christine has authored hundreds of blogs, articles, and columns. Her writings have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Jewish Press, Breaking Israel News, the Middle East Quarterly, FrontPage Magazine, Hudson Institute, among many other venues, and the Gatestone International Policy Council, at which she has served on the Board of Governors. Christine is a daily writer at Jihad Watch, a project of the David Horowitz Freedom Center; and has authored a monograph for the Center for Security Policy in Washington, D.C., as part of its Civilizational Jihad series titled: "Fired by the Canadian Government for Criticizing Islam-Multicultural Canada: A Weak Link for Islamization." As a former on-the-beat political and crime news reporter and newsroom editor, Christine has also worked as a regular national columnist and news analyst with Metro News (owned by the Toronto Star). She was also a senior advisor to the Hudson Institute in New York.