Review of Holy Ignorance: When Religion and Culture Part Ways
Olivier Roy argues that the separation of culture and faith—by secular as well as religious actors—has fuelled a "holy ignorance" which paves the way for fundamentalist claims as "authentic." This review draws attention to the consequences for human rights in the Muslim world, especially with regard to gender and religious freedom. While agreeing with Roy's overall thesis, the review finds it too sweeping in its assumption that religious traditions can be grounded at all outside of some cultural foundations. Further, both secular and religious forces have much to gain from—as well as contribute to—a pluralism that offers the strongest prospects for the cultural legitimacy that human rights needs as universalist project.
©2012 Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Article
- A Victim's Claim of Being Raped is Neither a Confession to Zina nor Committing Qadhf (Making False Accusation of Zina)
- Cultural Legitimacy and Human Rights in Bangladesh: Strategies for Effective Advocacy
- The Judicial Protection of Religious Symbols in Europe's Public Educational Institutions: Thank God for Canada and South Africa
- Trampling Democracy: Islamism, Violent Secularism, and Human Rights Violations in Bangladesh
- Does the Covenant on the Rights of the Child in Islam Provide Adequate Protection for Children Affected by Armed Conflicts?
- Book Review
- Review of The Rights of God: Islam, Human Rights, and Comparative Ethics
- Review of Holy Ignorance: When Religion and Culture Part Ways
- From the Field
- Ideas Can Also Kill: Five Assumptions that Uprisings in the Arab World have Disproved
Articles in the same Issue
- Article
- A Victim's Claim of Being Raped is Neither a Confession to Zina nor Committing Qadhf (Making False Accusation of Zina)
- Cultural Legitimacy and Human Rights in Bangladesh: Strategies for Effective Advocacy
- The Judicial Protection of Religious Symbols in Europe's Public Educational Institutions: Thank God for Canada and South Africa
- Trampling Democracy: Islamism, Violent Secularism, and Human Rights Violations in Bangladesh
- Does the Covenant on the Rights of the Child in Islam Provide Adequate Protection for Children Affected by Armed Conflicts?
- Book Review
- Review of The Rights of God: Islam, Human Rights, and Comparative Ethics
- Review of Holy Ignorance: When Religion and Culture Part Ways
- From the Field
- Ideas Can Also Kill: Five Assumptions that Uprisings in the Arab World have Disproved
