Islam and Contemporary Western Thought Islam and Postmodernism

Abstract

The two books recently authored by Ernest Gellner and Akbar Ahmed
on the subject of Islam and postrnodernism have attracted interest among
Muslims and non-Muslims. To me, it is a landmark in the continuing dialogue
between Islam and the West. Has the rise of postmodernism in western
philosophical thought meant an easier accommodation of Islam into contemporary
western society, or is Islam intellectually at odds with the epistemological
foundations of postmodernism? These are some of the important
questions addressed by Gellner and Ahmed. In view of the increasing cultural
and intellectual globalization, not to mention the economic side, taking
place today, the place of Islam in contemporary thought and society can no
longer be safely isolated from "western" thought and culture.
Unlike previous encounters, where victory was decided through military
confrontations, or in times of peace, where coexistence is maintained
through the separation of borders limiting influence and interaction, ours is
a time when cultures and civilizations are interlocked. Hence, it is of the
utmost importance that Muslims define their thought and philosophical position
dearly in relation to the West, if they insist on maintaining their identity
and way of life in a world that is increasingly westernized. Part of the
Muslim ummah's legitimacy derives from the sovereignty of its individual
nations existing in the world community and from the intellectual strength
of its religious and philosophical position. Muslims cannot compromise on
that if they are to maintain their viability as an ummah in the contemporary
world. Recent intellectual dialogues on Islam and the West, therefore,
should acquire an important place in the Musim minds and agenda if they
are not to witness the further erosion of Islamic values and beliefs.
In view of the importance of the discussions on Islam by Gellner and
Ahmed in their recent works, I now tum to an analysis of their books.
Gellner on Islam, Rationalism, and Postmodernism
As opposed to previous binary polarities in history, Gellner believes that
our time is characterized by a competition between three irreducible ...