Ouafae Said, about the book Muslims and Modernity

Since the attacks of September 2001 in the United States, a vast outpouring of new publications on Islam has reflected interest in that faith in the West. Bennett’s book provides an introduction to Muslim thinking on gender equality, minority and human rights, the nature of the Islamic state, peace and war. Morris M. Mottale said that  "Clinton Bennett's Muslims and Modernity contributes to the themes by introducing the reader to the ideological debates among Muslim intellectuals in Europe and the Islamic world, addressing the relationship between Islam and its response toward Western civilization, minorities, secularization and the separation between religion and state.

Interestingly, Bennett aims to be a "virtual insider", allowing Muslim voices to speak for themselves without intermediate interpreter. The writer takes an outsider’s perspective, looking into Islam and analyzing what things in diverse Muslim statements and actions. Bennett acknowledges planning for takeover by some Muslim groups, but sees them as on the fringe of the broader Muslim community.

Another area where this work diverges is in its impact on the reader. A sense of alarm is likely to arise from reading the book. Bennett’s volume will probably induce a sense that problems in the Christian-Muslim relationship are not insurmountable, and that we can move ahead with measured confidence. It is imperative that Christians and Muslims find ways of living together in friendship and peace. 

Work Cited:

Bennett, Clinton, "Muslims and Modernity : An Introduction to the Issues and Debates  Continuum International Publishing; 1 edition (January 1, 2005)