Tariq Ramadan - Reformist or Islamist? / MEMRI, 17 Feb 2006

http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=IA26606
A. Dankowitz
"Tariq Ramadan is a controversial figure in the West. He was banned from France for a time, and the U.S. refuses to issue him a visa because he is suspected of supporting terrorist operations. However, the British Home Secretary invited him, in August 2005, to join 13 Muslim shapers of public opinion in a task force aimed at 'examining ways to prevent young Muslims in Britain from deteriorating into violent extremism'; he was also invited to lecture at OxfordUniversity. Examines whether Ramadan is a reformist ( islahi) or an Islamist (salafi) who clings to the admired path of the first Muslims. Is he encouraging dialogue or a clash of civilizations? Is he preaching for the integration of the Muslim minority in the West, or for its self-isolation? Does he support or condemn terrorism? Is he a Muslim Brotherhood member, or is he unconnected to them? "