Citizenship, Security And Democracy Muslim Engagement With The West
About this ebook
and seeks solutions to the challenges of citizenship, security and
democracy through fresh and more varied perspectives as is related to
Islamic discourse and Muslim communities and their activism in the
West. These concerns have never been more pressing than today.
Democracy has been a global endeavour and concern, as in its ideal
form, it gives promise to liberty, freedoms and rights. However, after especially 9/11 and 7 /7, securitization
has become a more immediate goal, making security the driving discourse today. But, both
security and democracy are becoming ever less attainable in today's climate of increased division
and cleavages along ideological lines and lslamophobia - an acute problem for citizenship in
humanity.
On September 1-3, 2006, the Association of Muslim Social Scientists (AMSS UK) and the
Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) held a three day conference to
explore the challenges of democracy and security and, importantly, explore issues around citizenship
and identity of Muslim diaspora. Given the backdrop to a growing political discourse on the
Muslim 'Other', framed through the events of 9/11 and 7 /7 and increased tension as a result of this
discourse framing, the aim was to help discern causes to the major challenges facing governments
and the safety, freedoms and dignity of individuals globally. This was attempted through the study
of Islamic thought and on-the-ground case study research of Muslim societies and communities.
This conference marks one of the major events to have been organised where such a large number
of scholars, experts, and activists from a wide range of ideological positions and professional backgrounds
come together in an ambitious attemptto resolve the most pressing issues at the turn of the
21st century. Editor.
These papers have been published to widen discourse, stimulate debate, and hopefully pave the
way for further research. Doubtless readers may agree with some of the issues raised, and disagree
with others, but it is hoped that overall both general and specialised readers will benefit from the
perspectives offered and some of the more focused issues examined in the book.
About the author
Wanda Krause is Program Head of the MA in Global Leadership and Assistant Professor in the School of Leadership Studies, at Royal Roads University, Canada. She has taught politics at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), UK and has a doctorate in Politics from the University of Exeter, UK. Her research dealt with civil society development, gender politics, and Islamism. Her background studies, which she conducted in Canada, Germany, Egypt, and the UAE, include international relations, linguistics, social-psychology, and Arabic studies. She is author of Civil Society and Women Activists in the Middle East: Islamic and Secular Organizations in Egypt (I.B. Tauris, 2012). Her research also focuses on the relationship between politics and spirituality.