Talal Asad on the History of the Idea of Humanity

For more on this event: http://bit.ly/92IULo
For a full-length video of this event: http://vimeo.com/15336110
For more on the Berkley Center: http://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu

September 29, 2009 | This video has been excerpted from the Berkley Center's event Islam, Human Rights, and the Secular: A Conversation with Talal Asad and Abdullahi An-Naim.

Can one ground universal human rights in the Islamic tradition? How do secular notions of human rights -- and those derived from other religious traditions -- compare with Islamic perspectives? Does the secular and democratic state pose a threat to Islam? Or might it in fact provide the best possible gurantee of the rights of Muslim citizens?. Two leading Muslim scholars, Talal Asad and Abdullahi An-Naim, discussed these questions with Jose Casanova, Professor of Sociology and Senior Fellow in the Berkley Center.