Zaid Shakir - Where Islam And Nationalism Collide

About this lecture

In this interview for Renovatio: The Journal of Zaytuna College, Imam Zaid Shakir joins editor Safir Ahmed to explore the relationship between Islam and nationalism. Imam Zaid argues that while Islam affirms cultural distinction and national identity, it stands firmly against the kind of nationalist ideology that fosters fear, division, and the exploitation of difference — and that Islam's historical ability to unite diverse peoples under a universal political culture offers vital lessons for a world struggling to move beyond the nation state. The conversation spans the historical origins of the nation state, the misattribution of war to religion, the proper place of patriotism, and the hopeful signs of transnational cooperation emerging today.