Washington, DC – On September 14, 2009, WFPG members and friends recently attended an evening reception and program at the Embassy of Slovenia with Dr. John R. Bowen, author of the recently published book, Can Islam be French? Pluralism and Pragmatism in a Secularist State. In his talk he examined how Muslims are responding to the conditions of life in France and how they are fashioning new Islamic institutions, developing a specifically French approach to religious norms, reasoning, and teaching. He also responded to the recent debates over how – and how far – Muslims should adapt their religious traditions to these new social conditions.
Bowen is the Dunbar-Van Cleve Professor of Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis and is a 2005 Carnegie Scholar for his project, Shaping French Islam.
Introductions by Miriam Mozgan, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Slovenia
Speaker, Dr. John R. Bowen
WFPG Board Member Donna Constantinople and audience
