Ample Religious Freedom and the Fear of Islam

Abstract

The reviewer presents the main theses of Martha Nussbaum's latest book (The New Religious Intolerance: Overcoming the Politics of Fear in an Anxious Age) and enters into discussion with it. Although the reviewer does not object to Nussbaum's thesis on the important role of religion in the individual's life, she nevertheless believes that what may arouse controversy is Nussbaum's failure to distinguish between a religious community and sects that may be dangerous to their members. Next, since Nussbaum defends Islam by saying that it is compatible with women's rights, the reviewer challenges this statement by pointing out that Nussbaum's charge against European governments (the pursuit of assimilation and homogeneity) may also be levelled against Muslims themselves. The reviewer also charges Nussbaum with not following, on numerous occasions, the very principles she introduces (among other things, she is not objective about the attitudes of Poles to the Holocaust during World War II, forgetting about issues such as Jan Karski's contribution to spreading information in the West about the extermination of the Jews taking place in occupied Poland or the participation of over 6,000 Poles in saving Jews, for which they were awarded the Righteous Among the Nations medal).