Muslim intellectual and activist Tariq Ramadan came to Meadow Brook Hall March 18 at 6 p.m. to speak about his recently published book, “The Arab Awakening: Islam and the Middle East.”

In his book, Ramadan discusses the various opportunities and challenges across North Africa and the Middle East as they create new, more open societies.

During his lecture, Ramadan argued that debates on issues regarding Muslims in the West can’t be approached with secular/non-secular or traditional/Islamic approaches. Instead, the Arab world could possibly utilize their ability to stop blaming the West “to jettison its victim status,” and create a new more creative approach.

“The polarization between Islamists and Secularists is a problem. Secularists say to Islamists, ‘You are backward, you are fundamentalists. We are progressive,'” Ramadan said. “On the other side, you have the Islamists saying to Secularists, ‘You are westernized, you don’t have a progressive mind. It’s just compromising with our values.’ We are the garden of our principles. The justification between the two isn’t based on political vision; the justification is based on what you position to be part of.”

Ramadan discussed many of his thoughts and solutions indirectly through the emphasis of thinking creatively, to further concoct a unique approach to solve issues Muslims face in the West.

“Democratization means cultural liberation. How you celebrate your language, your culture and your heritage is important,” Ramadan said. “These things need to be talked about, but they’re completely absent from the current discussion because we are obsessed with political structure.”

Tickets for this event were sold out within a few days of the event being publicized.

Following the lecture, Ramadan opened the floor to any questions the audience wished to ask. His book was also on sale for purchase and Ramadan was available for book signing.

“I’m definitely pleased with how wonderfully this event turned out. Dr. Ramadan made some insightful points. He made me reflect on my identity as a Middle Eastern Muslim,” said Muslim Student Association Secretary Ammar Asbahi.

Ramadan is currently a professor of contemporary Islamic studies at Oxford University. Along with “The Arab Awakening”, Ramadan has written several other books, including “The Quest for Meaning,” “What I Believe,” “Radical Reform: Islamic Ethics and Liberation” and “Islam, the West, and the Challenge of Modernity.”