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French Laïcité: What Does It Stand for?

March 5, 2013 / Lectures Live

The French notion of laïcité, which regulates ostentatious public displays or expressions of religion, is one of the classical models. Even so, it is misunderstood both in France and outside of it. In this interview, two of the preeminent architects of modern laïcité, Jean Baubérot and Henri Peña-Ruiz, discuss how they understand this complex concept with Dr. Sarah Fainberg as part of the February 2013 “Secularism on the Edge” conference. Their conversation ranges from explorations of the theoretical to practical, [...]

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Tawfik Hamid on the Jamaa Islamiya and the Arab Spring

December 5, 2012 / Faith Complex

Last year’s Egyptian revolution and ouster of Hosni Mubarak has created new political opportunities for previously marginalized groups. Among these is the radical Islamist Jamaa Islamiya (literally “Islamic Group”), which has been accused of ties to Al-Qaeda and is treated as a terrorist group by American and European governments. As Egypt moves forward, a power struggle between secular and religious factions, including hardline Salafis, is becoming increasingly significant. In this Faith Complex, Dr. Tawfik Hamid discusses his history with the [...]

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Jerusha Lamptey on Wearing the Hijab in the USA

December 5, 2012 / Faith Complex

On March 21, 2012, Shaima Alawadi, an Iraqi-American mother of five, was found savagely beaten in her California home, and died three days later. Next to the body, according to her son, was a note reading: “This is my country. Go back to yours, terrorist.” Understandably, the killing has been viewed by many as an Islamophobic hate crime. Although the circumstances of the crime remain unclear, the tragedy does raise many questions about religious tolerance, especially towards Muslim-American women who [...]

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Asra Nomani Analyzes the Egyptian Blue Bra Revolution

December 5, 2012 / Faith Complex

During the Tahrir Square uprisings in Cairo, onlookers captured this extremely disturbing video of Egyptian military police brutalizing a female protester, dragging her along the street so that her blue bra becomes visible in the course of the beating. The incident sparked a wave of solidarity across Egypt and the unnamed “blue bra girl” has become an icon and rallying cry. Crucially, the Blue Bra Revolution also turns the spotlight on what the role of women will be in the [...]

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Andrew Tabler Tackles Syrian Secularism

June 30, 2010 / Faith Complex

In light of the Arab Spring revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, the future of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has become a pressing question. Unlike many of its neighbors, the minority Alawite ruling party in Syria has preserved an ostensibly secular society in order to suppress Islamist movements. The Hama massacre of 1982 and current rebellions in the country, however, bring to light the brutal underbelly of the secular system. Analyst and journalist Andrew Tabler is a Next Generation fellow [...]

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Neil MacFarquhar on the Future of the Arab World

June 9, 2010 / Faith Complex

Raised in Libya and a veteran of Middle East media coverage, The New York Times‘ UN Bureau Chief Neil MacFarquhar joins PJC Director Jacques Berlinerblau to mull over democratization in the Middle East. MacFarquhar is author of two books: The Sand Café, a satiric fiction about foreign correspondents trapped in a Saudi hotel, and The Media Relations Department of Hizbollah Wishes You a Happy Birthday: Unexpected Encounters in the Changing Middle East, an examination of less-covered aspects of the region. [...]

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Melanie Adrian on France and the Headscarf

April 27, 2010 / Faith Complex

Where does the boundary lie between personal choice and obligation to the social contract? Should Muslim women be allowed to veil under French law? In this Faith Complex, Dr. Sarah Fainberg interviews law professor Melanie Adrian about laïcité, the limits of religious freedom, and veiling in France. Dr. Adrian specializes in studying the rights of religious minorities in Europe, their issue of identity and self-expression, and the general intersection of multiculturalism and law. Read more about Melanie Adrian [...]

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Fathali Moghaddam Decodes Suicide Bombers

March 24, 2010 / Faith Complex

“Why are art majors never suicide bombers?” asks Jacques Berlinerblau in this Faith Complex. In the video above, Professor Fathali Moghaddam discusses the context of Islamic terrorism and what he calls the “collective identity crisis” of Islam. The interview ends with a call for a unified, non-partisan, long-term American strategy to address the underlying triggers for radical activity. Fathali Moghaddam is Professor of Psychology and Government at Georgetown University as well as Director of the Conflict Resolution Program He is [...]

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Asra Nomani Explains Islamic Feminism

February 14, 2010 / Faith Complex

Following a surprise pregnancy and the murder of her best friend, journalist Daniel Pearl, in Pakistan, Ms. Nomani wrote Standing Alone in Mecca, a moving tale about her realizations as a Muslim feminist during her hajj. The story of her efforts to combat extremist viewpoints in her hometown mosque feature in the 2009 PBS documentary, “The Mosque in Morgantown.” In this Faith Complex, Asra Nomani joins Jacques Berlinerblau to talk about the conundrum of Muslim feminism and the original bad [...]

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