Tariq Ramadan
How can the growing gap between Western Muslims and secular society be bridged?
With millions of Muslims living throughout Europe and North America has Islam become a Western religion?
Tariq Ramadan, a controversial Islamic writer and commentator, says Western Islam is a reality and argues that the faith includes a variety of interpretations and integrates into many cultures.
As one of the most sought-after Islamic commentators in the West today, Ramadan rejects the notion that Islam and the West must be at opposite ends.
He encourages Muslims to participate fully in the civic life of Western secular societies and urges Muslims to avoid living in religious ghettos.
But how can Islam and secular society truly co-exist as governments in Europe move to ban Islamic face-coverings or the construction of traditional minarets?
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Despite Ramadan’s talk of Muslim integration, he himself was banned from entering the US for six years because of a contribution he made to a Hamas-linked charity.
His opponents claim he is an extremist in sheep’s clothing whose real mission is to advance a Muslim agenda in Europe.
On Tuesday’s Riz Khan we speak with Tariq Ramadan and ask: How can the growing gap between Western Muslims and secular society be bridged?
This episode of the Riz Khan show aired on Tuesday, April 27, 2010.