Reading the Qur'an

Is Islam necessarily against women's rights? Is Islam at odds with liberal ideals? Dr Alicia Lie argues that neither is true, through a carefully argued textual discussion of the Qur'an. The aim of READING THE QUR'AN is to rethink Islam and to fight extremism. Dr Lie argues against literal interpretations of the Qur'an and puts forward a methodology for the interpretation of this key religious text. She argues that the main criterion for being a Muslim should be moral action rather than a confession of faith. The gist of her argument is that many of the Muslims who follow doctrines derived from the Qur'an and the Hadiths have not given enough consideration to the issues involved in interpreting these texts. She gives textual evidence that Qur'anic passages were not intended to be perfect guidance suitable for all places and all times, and argues for the importance of independent thinking in following Islam.

DR ALICIA LIE was born in Hong Kong, read philosophy, and now teaches subjects investigating the interaction of cultures and communities. She has studied Arabic for many years and considers Egypt her second home. She is drawn to the spirituality of Islam but repulsed by the way women are treated in many Muslim communities. She hopes that her book can bring about some small changes which may in turn bring about more changes, ad infinitum.

"An important contribution to the modern debate."
-The Rt Rev. and the Rt Hon. the Lord Carey of Clifton

"Any fair reader of Lie's Reading the Qur'an cannot but agree with her that contemporary Muslims do not only need to think of peace with the cultural other - they need to think of their own 'peace of mind', which is, to the writer, the very root of the word 'Islam' itself."
-Ahmed Elbeshlawy, independent scholar, author, and poet