Secular Muslims who embrace various aspects of their heritage are often overlooked – both as social and as intellectual actors in modern Islamic societies, said Prof. Richard C. Martin, one of the key speakers at a symposium on contemporary Islam held 26 October at De Rode Hoed in Amsterdam. The question of who secular Muslims are and why they need to be part of future research in religious studies was the focus of discussion at the scientific meeting. The symposium, called ‘Beyond the Stereotypes’, was organized to help establish a new field of research – contemporary Islam. Prof. Martin: “The modern Muslim identity is far more complex and dynamic than most people are aware of.”…
