American Muslims and Religious Pluralism

Abstract

The issue of whether or not Islam as a religion allows for pluralism, or whether the Qur’an is a pluralistic scripture, seems to have taken on new urgency for some American Muslim scholars in light of 9/11 and reactions to Islam from other Americans. In this article I look at some of the ways these scholars have interpreted pluralism, grouping their responses into the general categories of concern for justice, internal critique of current realities within Islam, and the question of whether or not the Qur’an is truly open to the truth of religions other than Islam.