Resolving the Free Speech Tensions between Secular and Religious Higher Education by Prof. Alison Scott-Baumann

Empirical research analysing the lived experiences of Muslims often shows a one-sided narrative about gender relations, intra and inter-faith relations, and societal relations. In seeking to reduce the impact of such discourse I speak from a secular position, and also with understanding of the Islamic seminary but with full awareness of the limitations of both epistemological approaches. Accusations are often brought against the reputed hegemony of such approaches by the ‘other’ side and this adversarial position creates an unfortunate and self-defeating binary. Antagonisms are created between social conservatism and social liberalism, each exaggerated by use of decontextualized argument.

This situation is exacerbated by current right wing populist debates around free speech: freedom of expression is often presented in another counterproductive binary as either a libertarian right or as an extreme risk (Scott-Baumann and Perfect 2021). In order to break the hegemony of this secular device, it is necessary to consult Islamic thinkers and ethical experts, such as Kamali and Rabb and El Fadl. Yet immediately we are faced with different approaches to free speech within modern Islamic thought.