Call for Submissions — Special Issue, The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences (AJISS)
CALL FOR PAPERS
THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ISLAMIC SOCIAL SCIENCES (AJISS)
SPECIAL ISSUE
Applying Wasatiyyah (Moderation) in Contemporary Muslim Societies
GUEST EDITORS
Prof. Ahmad Yousif • Prof. Abdulaziz Sachedina • Dr. Ermin Sinanovic
Religious tolerance and mutual respect among members of different religious communities is vital in today’s global context. Citizens must learn to develop em- pathy by recognizing and understanding the religious and cultural “other” living among them. This tolerance, an imperative in today’s multifaith and multicultural societies, also calls for intrafaith tolerance and respect within Muslim communi- ties. Can the Qur’anic concept of ummatan wasata become the source of overall wasatiyyah (moderation and equilibrium) promoted by Islam from its very early days? The classical notion of wasatiyyah can serve as a critical religious instrument to both further and maintain social cohesion founded upon the twin principles of justice and peaceful coexistence. From Islam’s early days, this notion has been of paramount importance to many Muslim thinkers. Contemporary social scientists, intellectuals, policymakers, and religious leaders who are aware of minority reli- gious groups’ increasing calls for greater political autonomy and participation in shaping their own destiny are once again demanding lasting solutions to discrim- ination and mutual dehumanization of the “other” in our midst.
