Diversity Lecture 2004

Prof. Khaled Abou El Fadl
UCLA School of Law and Visiting Professor at the Yale Law School

"Tolerating Differences in Islamic Law"

March 18, 2004

One of the world's most prominent scholars of Islamic law, Khaled Abou El Fadl, spoke to a packed Bennett Lecture Hall this March 18 on the controversial topic of "Tolerating Differences in Islamic Law." A professor of law at UCLA and Visiting Professor at Yale law school, El Fadl addressed modernist interpretations of the Koran and how these views impact current political agendas of various governments throughout the world. El Fadl's many books include Democracy and Islam in the New Constitution of Afghanistan (2003) and Speaking in God's Name (2001), and are considered some of the most thought-provoking understandings about how Islamic traditions and inter-faith relationships work. During his often poignant talk, El Fadl warned against "clinging" to one specific part of any religion, culture or legal system, arguing that such orthodoxy does not permit us to see flaws in systems or open our minds to different perspectives. His comments on fundamentalism spurred great discussion during the question and answer session that followed.