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English

2022

Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, Human Rights and Democracy

Title of the lecture : ‘Embracing the Other: Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri‘s approach to Human Rights and Democracy’

In the Western world, the Pakistani politician and Islamic scholar Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri is quite well known. The reason is an extensive fatwa published in March 2010 by which he condemned terrorism and suicide bombing as unjust and evil, and thus un-Islamic.

In his publications Tahir-ul-Qadri tries to show that human rights and democracy by no means are achievements of Western culture and its Jewish-Christian traditions. Instead, he insists on the fact that Muhammad and the first Muslims already established human Rights and democracy.

Very briefly, the paper will present Tahir-ul-Qadri’s concept of human rights and democracy, evaluate it critically, and outline some perspectives for further discussion respecting a shared understanding of human rights and democracy that might benefit from legal Western standards as well as from the moral resources of Islamic tradition.

Lecture given at the 3rd International Congress of the PLURIEL network, 23-27 May 2022 in Beirut.
In partnership with Saint Joseph University of Beirut and La Sagesse University.

Titre de la conférence : “Embrasser l’autre : L’approche de Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri en matière de Droits de l’Homme et de démocratie”

Dans le monde occidental, l’homme politique pakistanais et érudit islamique Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri est assez connu. La raison en est une vaste fatwa publiée en mars 2010, par laquelle il condamne le terrorisme et les attentats-suicides comme étant injustes et mauvais, et donc non islamiques.
Dans ses publications, Tahir-ul-Qadri tente de montrer que les droits de l’homme et la démocratie ne sont en aucun cas des acquis de la culture occidentale et de ses traditions judéo-chrétiennes. Au contraire, il insiste sur le fait que Muhammad et les premiers musulmans avaient déjà établi les droits de l’homme et la démocratie.
Très brièvement, l’article présentera le concept des droits de l’homme et de la démocratie de Tahir-ul-Qadri, l’évaluera de manière critique et esquissera quelques perspectives pour une discussion ultérieure concernant une compréhension commune des droits de l’homme et de la démocratie qui pourrait bénéficier des normes juridiques occidentales ainsi que des ressources morales de la tradition islamique.

Conférence donnée lors du 3è congrès international du réseau PLURIEL, du 23 au 27 mai 2022 à Beyrouth.
En partenariat avec l’Université Saint Joseph de Beyrouth et l’Université La Sagesse.

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