SEARCHING FOR ISLAMIC ETHICAL AGENCY IN POST-APARTHEID CAPE TOWN, an anthology

108pp., paperback, Beyers Naudé Centre on Public Theology Series, Volume XIII, Stellenbosch, 209

"How do we live contemporaneously as Muslims - not accidentally or reluctantly, but consciously, critically, courageously and faithfully? This anthology by Professor Aslam Fataar is an extraordinary response to this challenge. His work is an invigorating contribution to the discourse of an Islam that is simultaneously local and global, that speaks movingly to our inner spiritual selves as well as our critical senses, an Islam that may be located inside the minority condition but refuses to be on the margins of broader social and political debates. While the backdrop of Fataar's anthology is South African, the lessons, reflections and inspiration - particularly in societies where Muslims are struggling with questions of identity, marginality, and belonging - are utterly universal." Professor Farid Esack, University of Johannesburg

"For a quarter of a century, Aslam Fataar has penned a set of essays, now collated here, that provides a fascinating insight into the dynamics and challenges of a Cape Muslim community rooted at the tip of Africa. In microcosm it demonstrates how the rapid changes in South Africa and across the world have impacted on the thinking and practice of Muslims in this corner of the globe. It strips away the pretence that there are simple answers to life's challenges. Instead, it will force the reader to put aside old solutions and consider the need for new conversations to make sense of the complexity of our lives in a fast-changing world. This book is an essential read for anyone grappling with both the social and spiritual demands of our times." Zubeida Jaffer, journalist and author of Love in the Time of Treason

Aslam Fataar was born in District Six and grew up in Grassy Park, Cape Town. He is Distinguished Professor in the Department of Education Policy Studies at Stellenbosch University, the Outgoing President of the South African Education Research Association and former Editor-in-Chief of the Southern African Review of Education.