Accessibility statement

You're viewing an archived page from a previous Festival of Ideas. See this year's festival »

Scepticism and Tolerance in pre-modern Islam
Bruce Wannell, Independent scholar, traveller and linguist

Scepticism and Tolerance in Pre-Modern Islam

Accessibility

Wheelchair accessible.

Event details

The theatrical manipulation of violence and terror as a political publicity tool has more to do with the techniques of Maoist insurgency than with traditional Islam. While strained relations with other religious groups, and internecine strife among Islamic groups of varying ideological colouring has been present throughout Islamic history, there has always been a parallel tradition of warm humanity, compassion, hospitality, courtesy, pluralism and even of skepticism and tolerance in traditional societies of the Islamic world, as witnessed in the some literary figures of the past. A tradition worth exploring.

Speaker biography

Bruce Wannell has travelled, lived and worked in a variety of Islamic societies, where he learned to respect and like his hosts and their lived culture

Tickets

Festival tweets