Critical-Progressive Muslims: On Islamic hermeneutics, Gender and Interreligious Dialogue

  In today’s world, where political polarisation and conflict seem to deepen by the day, the intersection of religion and politics has become a critical battleground. The manipulation of religious texts for political gain is not a new phenomenon; it has been a tool used throughout history to justify wars, oppression, and discrimination. However, in contemporary society, the stakes have never been higher. The use of religious texts to create essentialising views on political affairs is not only irresponsible but downright dangerous. In this essay I will explore why we must challenge those who distort religious texts for political ends, and why accountability is essential in this discourse.   The Authority of Religious Texts   Religious texts hold profound significance for billions of people around the world. They are often seen as divine revelations that provide moral guidance, a sense of identity, and a framework for understanding the universe. However, the authority of the

The Fragility of Trust in Democracy-Insights from Y.N Harari's book Nexus Adis Duderija ( with help fo Chat GTP) "In a well-functioning democracy, citizens trust the results of elections, the decisions of courts, the reports of media outlets, and the findings of scientific disciplines because citizens believe these institutions are committed to the truth. Once people think that power is the only reality, they lose trust in all these institutions, democracy collapses, and the strongmen can seize total power." Y N.Harari. Nexus When it comes to the viability of a democracy, trust serves as the fundamental thread that holds the fabric together. When citizens believe in the integrity and reliability of elections, the judiciary, media, and scientific research, they empower the democratic process, fostering a society where diverse voices contribute to a shared vision for the future. However, as historian Yuval Noah Harari warns in his new book Nexus ( refer to quote above) , on

  The Cycle of Supremacy and Opperssion and How to Overcome it     Adis Duderija  In the annals of human history, the struggle against oppression has often taken center stage. From medieval forms of imperialism to (neo)- colonialism, various movements have arisen, championing the rights of the marginalized and the disenfranchised. However, a disconcerting pattern emerges when we observe that those who vehemently oppose one form of imperialistic or supremacist ideology often seek to supplant it with another. This paradox raises significant moral questions about the nature of resistance and the ethics of power dynamics. Are we merely trading one form of domination for another? Or is there a deeper understanding of justice and equity at play?     Imperialism, in its various forms, has historically been characterized by domination whether through military force, economic exploitation, or cultural hegemony. It often involves a powerful entity asserting control over a more vulner

The Many Faces of Totalitarian Rigidity Adis Duderija ( with help of Chat GTP) "Indeed! Totalitarian rigidity has many expressions: intellectual, imaginative, spiritual, social, and political. People can be rigidly totalitarian and so can governments. Their rigidity is rooted in a fear of novelty, of adventure. They seek full control of the world by any means necessary, sometimes through the barrel of a gun and often through intimidation". - Prof. Jay McDaniel, leading process thinker Totalitarianism, a term often evoking images of oppressive regimes, extends far beyond the confines of government action. It permeates intellectual discourse, stifles imaginative expression, constrains spiritual beliefs, and imposes social norms. At its core, totalitarian rigidity is a manifestation of a profound fear of novelty and change. This essay explores how this rigidity takes shape in various aspects of human life and highlights the dangers it poses to freedom, creativity, and ultimately

    Expert Witness Report on Gender Interactions and Women Clothing in the Islamic Tradition    Adis Duderija    The injunctions pertaining to women clothing in the Islamic interpretive tradition and gender relations in general (primarily Islamic jurisprudence known as fiqh) are result of interpretive processes that have taken several centuries to form. What is today considered four mainstream Sunni Islamic schools of law only reached large degree of hermeneutical stability   after over 400 years of juristic and legal methodology reasoning (Hallaq 2004 ; Jackson 2002). Jackson, who uses   a Darwinian metaphor of the survival of the fittest, describes   this process of the formation of mainstream Sunnism   as follows   by the end of the 4th/10th century, the madhhab had emerged as the exclusive repository of legal authority. From this point on, all interpretive activity, if it was to be sanctioned and recognized as authoritative or “orthodox,” would have to take place wit