badges.  Militant preachers proclaim that women who fail to wear the veil are 'waging war against God'.     "But this Islam of intolerance and violence is not the religion of my father and grandfather.  It is not the Islam that inspires more than a billion people around the world to pray, to fast, to give to the poor, to make the pilgrimage to Mecca.  My Islam is a religion of tolerance and brotherhood."--Sa'id al-'Ashmawy"A welcome addition to the discourse on Islamic fundamentalism and its efforts to politicize Islam."--Aljadid"Offers a coherent testimonial to al-'Ashmawy's insight and bravery. . . . The translation is highly readable."--Choice "Helps to build a more balanced and accurate awareness of the full spectrum of Muslim thought. . . . An important contribution."--John O. Voll, Georgetown UniversityOne of the Islamic world's leading voices in the struggle against extremism, Sa'id al-'Ashmawy was trained as a specialist in Islamic law and comparative law at Cairo University and served as judge, chief prosecutor, chief justice of the High Criminal Court, chief justice of the High Court for Security of State as well as chief justice of the High Court Assizes in Egypt. The author of 15 books on Islam and the law, he has been consistently critical of Islamic extremism and opposes the very notion of an Islamic state, on both scriptural and historical grounds.Facing death threats for apostasy since 1979 and under continuous government protection since 1980, he articulates an opposition to the ideology and practice of Islamic extremists in Egypt that has applicability throughout the Middle East and North Africa.  This volume conveys the range of his reformist message from the similarities of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, to the dangers of politicizing Islamic religion, to the place of Islamic law in contemporary politics and society.ContentsIntroducting Muhammad Sa'id al-'Ashmawy to an English-language Audience, by Carolyn Fluehr-LobbanPart I. Islam, Judaism, Christianity: One Religion, One Vision, Many PathsThe Development of ReligionA Framework for the Coexistence of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Common Thread of SalvationPart II. Islamic Religion and PoliticsThe Relationship between Religion and PoliticsThe Caliphate Government in Islamic HistoryThe Call for an Islamic GovernmentThe Call for an Islamic Constitution in the State of EgyptPart III. Islamic Law and Contemporary Politics and SocietyThe Interpretation of Texts in Egyptian Law and IslamIslamic JurisprudenceTaxes, Zakat, and SadaqaThe Veil in Egyptian Law and IslamMilitant Doctrine in IslamJihad or Holy War in IslamReforming Islam and LawIslamic Law and Human RightsCarolyn Fluehr-Lobban, professor of anthropology at Rhode Island College, is the author of six books, including Islamic Society in Practice (UPF, 1994) and Islamic Law and Society in the Sudan.

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