Dr. Hedieh Mirahmadi

On March 3, Hudson Institute hosted a successful event to launch the new book, “The Other Muslims: Moderate and Secular.” This compilation is edited by Senior Fellow and Director of the Center for Eurasian Policy Zeyno Baran. “The Other Muslims” is a unique collection of essays by moderate Muslims from Europe and the United States, with varied backgrounds in academia, theology, performing arts, and civic activism. They write convincingly that by ignoring the politico-ideological threat Islamists pose, with their narrow interpretation of Islam, Westerners place democracy and universal human rights at grave risk.

Read Dr. Mirahmadi’s chapter entitled “Navigating Islam in America”

Synopsis:
“The struggle for ideological primacy within Islam is a fight that only Muslims themselves can wage, but the moderates are struggling for access to the public square. Muslim societies the world over have been intimidated, oppressed and manipulated by extremist ideologues and financiers for almost a half century. The only surviving civic culture you see today is the corrupt networks of government leaders and/or the Islamist infrastructure. In our quest for “liberty for all”, we must level the playing field for mainstream Muslims who have no means to effectively contribute in the “marketplace of ideas.” This conference in Jakarta provided leading Muslim voices of change their chance to assert that modern day applications of Islamic doctrine are not incompatible with democracy and the development of vibrant, effective civil society institutions.”An attorney by profession, Hedieh Mirahmadi has spent the past decade assisting moderate Muslim communities around the world to resist the ideological onslaught of Islamic extremism. She advises both government and civic leaders on the threat posed by the extremists, as well as on policies to transform stifled Muslim societies into progressive participants of a free society.

Download the ebook version
* Edited by Hedieh Mirahmadi, Islam and Civil Society, is a compilation of some of the speeches given at the International Conference of Islamic Scholars (Jakarta, Indonesia).

Synopsis:
This book is the most detailed and authentic book ever written about a Sufi order in English. It provides a comprehensive history of the Naqshbandi Tradition, tracing the lives of its foremost teachers from Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) to the present. Their life stories are intimately woven with landmark events of history.
However, the book also contains much more. It details the fundamental principles of the Sufi path and the primary teachings of the Naqshbandi Order, exploring the doctrines and philosophy behind this important current in spiritual thinking.