Islamic Liberalism: Real or False Hope?

Shirazi Foundation attended an event hosted by Cato Institute titled Islamic Liberalism: Real or False Hope?. An expert panel convened to discuss the perspective of Islam through a liberalism lens. Expert remarks included a brief look into liberalism through comparative religions and those who were said to be past reformers. Experts suggested that liberalism tends to flourish in an aristocratic society throughout history. The Idea was presented that Islam and Christianity cannot be viewed through the same lens in terms of liberalism because Prophet Muhammad (s) was not only a religious figure like Jesus, he was also a head of state and had to deal with matters of governance. The question was debated whether or not Prophet Muhamad  (s) was a politician. The questions were also asked why does Islam have to be liberalized in the first place, and what if it is that many Muslims in any given Islamic society proclaim that they don’t necessarily want to be liberal and would like to express their illiberalism through a democratic process peacefully within a legal framework.