Source: Boston Globe
During the Middle Ages, Muslim scholars played a key role in the development of the encyclopedia, attempting to pool all knowledge in one accessible place. Among others, the Brethren of Purity, a group of scholars in what is modern Iraq, compiled an encyclopedia of Greek and Arabic learning in the 900s.
Over the past two years several Harvard-based scholars have been working on a modern American version. Their recently published two-volume "Encyclopedia of Islam in the United States" is the product of a wide scope of contributors - professors and graduate students, Muslim and non-Muslims - from around the country.
"American Islam is built on these two threads: Islam and America. And you need people who know both," says Jocelyne Cesari, the encyclopedia's editor.
The Sept. 11 terror attacks resulted in some highly publicized anti-Muslim intolerance, in general, but "being in America is a wonderful occasion to be free," Cesari says. "They come from countries where democracy and freedom of expression are not so common." Here, topics taboo in some Muslim countries -- homosexuality, the status of women -- are accepted.
"All these can be said and discussed outside the control of states or radical groups," Cesari says. "If you write a book today that would look at the Koran as a historical document" rather than God's inspired word, "you can end up in jail" in certain countries.
On "sexuality," the encyclopedia notes that most Muslims, following the Koran, believe homosexuality is a sin. But the entry also notes that gay, bisexual, and transgender Muslims "find themselves torn between Muslim communities that reject homosexuality and [their own sexual] communities that criticize traditional Islam."
One thing is clear to Cesari from studying American Islam. As potent as any religious doctrine is the power of American culture to shape a religion into a distinctively US brand.
Here, lay people rather than clergy lead and manage Muslim congregations -- "They hire the imam, like any congregation hires a pastor," Cesari says -- and Muslim mosques are no longer just houses of worship, but often nerve centers of community social programs. Muslims also aggressively participate in interfaith activities.
Last modified: 3 Nov 07 09:09