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Islam and the discovery of freedom

Date: May 04, 2003 | 2 Rabi al-Awwal 1424 Hijriah
Blog: veiled4allah
Subjects: libertarianism, islam
When I was a kid, I loved the "Little House on the Prairie" books by Laura Ingalls Wilder and read them over and over again. I knew that Laura Ingalls Wilder had a daughter named Rose Wilder Lane, but I didn't know much about her.

As it turns out, Rose Wilder Lane was a well-known journalist and author. Here's a biography. Lane's book "The Discovery of Freedom" has had a profound influence on the modern libertarian movement, as this tribute by the Cato Institute acknowledges.

Lane's thesis in the book is that there have been three attempts during history to establish civilizations based on liberty. She identifies the first attempt with the development of monotheism by the prophet Abraham (peace be upon him). The second attempt is the establishment of Islam (!). The third attempt is the American Revolution.

Muslim scholar Imad ad-Dean Ahmad reprinted Lane's chapter on Islam and added an introduction and notes and commentary throughout. The result is Islam and the Discovery of Freedom. An excerpt is available here.

Thanks to Kenneth Gregg at the ifeminists.com forum for putting me on to this.
~ Posted by Al-Muhajabah, a member of the reality-based community, at 12:04 PM

Comments

natasha said: Total comments: 19   gold star

Thanks for an interesting link. I certainly seems to me that where the implementation of these ideas go wrong is in spiritual compulsion. But many in the west ignore the fact that it's every bit as unfair to forbid the veil (or any other personal spiritual practice) as to require it.

This is kind of a tangent, but do you have any recommendations for specific books on the history of civil society in Islamic culture? This is something I keep meaning to look into, but I have no idea where to start.

~ Posted at May 6, 2003 05:33 PM | Comment Permalink
moderator Al-Munaqabah said: Total comments: 996   gold stargold stargold stargold stargold star

I'm not sure if this is the type of book you're looking for, but A History of the Arab Peoples by Albert Hourani has a lot of information about the development of Islamic society in the Arab world including chapters such as The Formation of a Society", "The Countryside" and "Cities and Their Rulers", "The Culture of the Ulama" (scholars) and "The Culture of Courts and People" which cover the classical period. I've found this book to be an excellent resource.

~ Posted at May 6, 2003 10:58 PM | Comment Permalink
natasha said: Total comments: 19   gold star

That's exactly the kind of thing I had in mind. Thank you.

Now to find time to read it... wink

~ Posted at May 7, 2003 10:09 AM | Comment Permalink

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