[lbo-talk] Talal Asad on Secularism, Liberalism, and Human Rights

[Rakesh Bhandari]

Non responsive abusive reply, Carrol. No bullshit here. Why haven't 
you proven that liberal democracy makes the person not a religious 
believer first but at the very least a internally divided subject--a 
religious loyalist and a national patriot. I wouldn't shout down the 
incoherence of modern identity, the mutually incompatible demands 
made on subjects by saying that the redefinition of religion smooths 
everything over, makes it all whole.

And even if does...

  Then the liberal democratic nation state can tolerate religions as 
long as they do not overstep their bounds, do not make demands that 
compromise the primarily loyalty to the state. Which means that 
religions are policed by liberalism which is after all also 
nationalism, not simply tolerated. The Western self conception as 
pluralistic and tolerant must be rethought or at least qualified. I 
think your comrade Yoshie would agree.
Rakesh