Uriya Shavit
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Uriya Shavit (
Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
: אוריה שביט; born June 1975) is an Israeli author and Full Professor at
Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University (TAU) is a Public university, public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Located in northwest Tel Aviv, the university is the center of teaching and ...
(TAU). He specializes in research on Islamic law, theology, and politics in modern Islam, Muslim minorities in the West, processes of liberalization and democratization in the world, and the Haredi society in Israel. Between 2016 and 2021, he headed the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies and concurrently led the Religious Studies program at Tel Aviv University. Since 2021, he has been the head of the SDU-TAU Joint Institute for Jewish and Israel Studies. In 2022, he also became the Head of the Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry and the Irwin Cotler Institute for Democracy, Justice, and Human Rights. Since 2022, Shavit has served as the editor-in-chief of the annual report on the state of antisemitism worldwide, published by the Center for Research on Contemporary European Jewryand the Irwin Cotler Institute for Democracy, Justice, and Human Rights at Tel Aviv University. The report has received extensive coverage in global media outlets. In 2021, Shavit initiated an online course for basic Arabic language learning, made freely available to the entire Tel Aviv University community. Hundreds of faculty members and students participated in the course. The book ''"Zionism in Arab Discourses"'' (co-authored with Dr. Ofir Winter) about approaches to Zionism in Arab thought was the first Hebrew book to be published in Arabic translation in the United Arab Emirates after the signing of the Abraham Accords. Four of Shavit's children's books were selected for the Ministry of Education's "Book Parade." Between 1997 and 2008, Shavit held various senior journalistic positions. He served as a foreign news editor and commentator at ''Haaretz'' newspaper, authored the columns "Atlas" and "Kaduri" in ''Haaretz's'' Friday edition, worked as an investigative journalist for ''Haaretz's'' magazine, and was the editor of the weekend supplements for ''Maariv'' and ''Makor Rishon''. He also contributed book reviews for ''Yedioth Ahronoth''.


Biography

Uriya Shavit was born and raised in
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
. He served in an elite IDF intelligence unit and completed his undergraduate degree in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at Tel Aviv University, where he pursued a direct course of doctoral studies. His Ph.D. thesis, “Arab Regimes between the End of History and the Clash of Civilizations”, advised by Prof. Yosef Kostiner and Prof. Eyal Zisser of Tel Aviv University, was approved in 2005.


Research


Islam and Democracy

Shavit studies the development of Islamic approaches to Western
democracy Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...
and
liberalism Liberalism is a Political philosophy, political and moral philosophy based on the Individual rights, rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, the right to private property, and equality before the law. ...
from the mid-19th century to the present. He explored the argument of Muslim theologians – especially those affiliated with the
Muslim Brotherhood The Society of the Muslim Brothers ('' ''), better known as the Muslim Brotherhood ( ', is a transnational Sunni Islamist organization founded in Egypt by Islamic scholar, Imam and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna in 1928. Al-Banna's teachings s ...
– that the origins of Western democracy trace back to the
Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
and Western encounters with Islam, and that there is no contradiction between the “positive” elements of liberal democracy and Islamic norms. His studies emphasize that Islamist thinkers intentionally shy away from determining whether the ultimate authority in an Islamist democracy will be non-elected religious scholars or elected representatives of the people. Thus, according to Shavit, Islamist ideologists paved the way for a theocratic system that pretends to be democratic.


The Religious Law of Muslim Minorities

Shavit is one of the pioneers in the study of the religious law of Muslim minorities (''fiqh al-aqalliyyat al-Muslima''). His research in this field is based on the analysis of thousands of religio-legal decisions ( ''fatwa''s), as well as on field studies conducted in dozens of
mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...
s across
Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
and the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. Shavit suggested that
Arab Arabs (,  , ; , , ) are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in West Asia and North Africa. A significant Arab diaspora is present in various parts of the world. Arabs have been in the Fertile Crescent for thousands of years ...
-
Sunni Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam and the largest religious denomination in the world. It holds that Muhammad did not appoint any successor and that his closest companion Abu Bakr () rightfully succeeded him as the caliph of the Mu ...
jurists have developed since the 1990s two main religio-juristic doctrines for Muslim minorities: The pragmatic ''wasati'', led by the
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
ian
Yusuf al-Qaradawi Yusuf al-Qaradawi (; or ''Yusuf al-Qardawi''; 9 September 1926 – 26 September 2022) was an Egyptian Islamic scholar based in Doha, Qatar, and chairman of the International Union of Muslim Scholars. His influences included Ibn Taymiyya, Ibn ...
and advanced by the
European Council for Fatwa and Research The European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR) is a Dublin-based private foundation, founded in London on 29–30 March 1997 on the initiative of the Federation of Islamic Organizations in Europe. The council is a largely self-selected body, ...
, and the dogmatic ''
salafi The Salafi movement or Salafism () is a fundamentalist revival movement within Sunni Islam, originating in the late 19th century and influential in the Islamic world to this day. The name "''Salafiyya''" is a self-designation, claiming a retu ...
'', led by members of the
Saudi Saudi or Saudi Arabian may refer to: * Saudi Arabia * Saudis, people from Saudi Arabia * Saudi culture, the culture of Saudi Arabia * House of Saud, the ruling family of Saudi Arabia See also *Saud (disambiguation) The House of Saud The H ...
religious establishment and their disciples. Both doctrines legitimize Muslim presence in Europe based on the hope that the Muslim migrants will Islamize the continent. Ironically, ''wasati'' missionary triumphalism legitimizes the suspension of prohibitions and promoted integration to European societies as a means of Islamizing the West. Shavit’s studies in this field emphasize the centrality of the religio-legal mechanism of ''
maslaha ''Maslaha'' or ''maslahah'' (, ) is a concept in Sharia (Islamic divine law) regarded as a basis of law.I. Doi, Abdul Rahman. (1995). "Mașlahah". In John L. Esposito. ''The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World''. Oxford: Oxford Univer ...
'' (safeguarding the primary objectives of the Lawgiver) in modern jurisprudence. Shavit conducted field studies in dozens of European mosques, mainly in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
,
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
,
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
,
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, and
Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
. He demonstrated the flexible ways in which Muslims, including ''salafi''s, negotiate ''fatwa''s, and the limited social impact the European Council for Fatwa and Research has had.


The Muslim Brotherhood's Historiography

Shavit’s studies on this topic stress the centrality of three historiographical concepts in the writings of Muslim Brotherhood affiliates, and their affinity to the worldview of the modernist-apologetic approach that developed mainly in Egypt in the late 19th and early 20th century: * The perception that the origin of Western
Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...
traces back to Western encounters with
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
. * The perception that since the 19th century, the West has been leading a “cultural attack” against the Arab World with the aim of eliminating Muslims’ faith so that Western Powers can dominate the Middle East without resorting to military force. * The perception that the West is undergoing a continuous decline and that Islam will soon take over its hegemony.


Zionism in Arab Discourses

Shavit argued that a two-dimensional approach to
Zionism Zionism is an Ethnic nationalism, ethnocultural nationalist movement that emerged in History of Europe#From revolution to imperialism (1789–1914), Europe in the late 19th century that aimed to establish and maintain a national home for the ...
has developed in Arab thought since the late 19th century: On the one hand, Zionism has been seen as an enemy, and its legitimacy has been rejected. On the other hand, Zionism has been viewed as a role-model. Shavit’s studies emphasized that Arab Islamists contextualized Zionist achievements to prove the need for an Islamic-based political order in Arab societies. Arab liberals, on the other hand, contextualized those achievements as a demonstration of the need for a liberal revolution. Shavit also studied Islamic writings that draw comparisons between the past and present of
Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
in Europe to that of Muslims.


Evolution Theory

Shavit studied approaches to
Darwinism ''Darwinism'' is a term used to describe a theory of biological evolution developed by the English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) and others. The theory states that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural sel ...
as a case study for the broader theme of
scientific freedom Academic freedom is the right of a teacher to instruct and the right of a student to learn in an academic setting unhampered by outside interference. It may also include the right of academics to engage in social and political criticism. Academic ...
in modern Islamic thought. He demonstrated that while in the late 19th century, early modernist-apologist authors did not see a contradiction between evolutionary theory and the Quran, the influence of American
fundamentalists Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that are characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishin ...
has led late 20th-century modernist-apologists to firmly reject Darwinism and describe it as a form of heresy and Western exceptionalism.


Generational Changes in the Leadership of the Arab World

Shavit studied the notions that generational changes in the leaderships of
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
,
Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
,
Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
,
Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...
, and
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
in the late 20th century were the “dawn of a new era”. Based on an analysis of interviews and speeches, he argued that despite its reformist rhetoric, the new generation of leaders prioritized maintaining the status quo.


Theology of Migration

Together with Prof.
Galia Sabar Galia Sabar (; born 1963, Israel) is the President of the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Aviv Yaffo in Jaffa. She entered She is a researcher at the department of Middle Eastern and African History at Tel Aviv University. She was the president of ...
, Shavit comparatively analyzed theological writings legitimizing migration in religious terms. He pointed to similarities between
Chabad Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (; ; ), is a dynasty in Hasidic Judaism. Belonging to the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) branch of Orthodox Judaism, it is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, as well as one of ...
’s justifications for the migration and the continued presence of its leadership in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
and the justifications given by contemporary Muslim theologians for the migration and continued presence of Muslims in Europe and the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.


Violence and Political Legitimacy in Radical Islam

Several of Shavit’s studies examine attitudes to political violence in the doctrines of the Muslim Brotherhood and
al-Qaeda , image = Flag of Jihad.svg , caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions , founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden , leaders = {{Plainlist, * Osama bin Lad ...
. Shavit demonstrated the tremendous influence mainstream Saudi thought had on the development of Bin Laden’s ideology and operational modes. Shavit also demonstrated that the Muslim Brotherhood embraced throughout the 20th-century medieval juristic notions according to which it is permissible to use violence against an Islamic political authority only as a last resort and only if its overthrow is a-priori guaranteed.


Typologies of Migration

Shavit studied the influence of advanced media technologies on migrants in general and on Muslim migrants in particular. He argued that the internet and satellite television allow for the first time in history a separation between the territorial community and the
imagined community An imagined community is a concept developed by Benedict Anderson in his 1983 book '' Imagined Communities'' to analyze nationalism. Anderson depicts a nation as a socially-constructed community, imagined by the people who perceive themselves a ...
and create new typologies of relations between migrants and their countries of origin. Shavit introduced the typology “passive trans-nationals”: people who intensely engage with the homeland through advanced media technologies without maintaining any physical transnational contacts. Shavit’s studies pointed to Islamic satellite TV channels and websites’ relative failure to create a “global imagined Islamic nation”.


Shari‘a and Sports

Shavit analyzed Islamic religio-legal approaches to sports and their reception by Muslim athletes in the West. He pointed out the opposing ''wasati'' and ''salafi'' views on the legitimacy of modern sports and demonstrated how, in many instances, Islamic law proves more flexible than sporting associations’ regulations. His studies on Germany’s first Islamic women-only
gym A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learn ...
and Muslim
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
teams in Germany informed that ethnic rather than religious affiliations are an important motivation for establishing seeming '' shari‘a''-based enclaves.


The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Shavit studied the common notion according to which the
Palestinians Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenou ...
’ approach to the conflict has been consistently irrational and that they “did not miss any opportunity to miss an opportunity”. He suggested that this is not the case and argued that the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict Israelis (; ) are the citizens and nationals of the State of Israel. The country's populace is composed primarily of Jews and Arabs, who respectively account for 75 percent and 20 percent of the national figure, followed by other ethnic and ...
is particularly hard to resolve because of its “double-imbalanced” nature.


Islam in Iceland

Shavit studied the development of Islam in Iceland since the 1970s. He analyzed the rivalry between Reykjavik’s three mosques as a case-study for the dynamics that lead Muslim communities in the West to divide and split.


Journalism

In 1997-2008, Shavit worked as a senior journalist for several Israeli newspapers. He was editor and international affairs analyst for “Haaretz”, a columnist for the Friday edition of “Haaretz”, senior staff writer for the weekend supplement of “Haaretz”, and chief editor of the weekend magazines of “
Maariv ''Maariv'' or ''Maʿariv'' (, ), also known as ''Arvit'', or ''Arbit'' (, ), is a Jewish prayer service held in the evening or at night. It consists primarily of the evening '' Shema'' and ''Amidah''. The service will often begin with two ...
” and “
Makor Rishon ''Makor Rishon'' ( lit. "Firsthand Source") is a semi-major Israeli newspaper associated with Religious Zionism and the educated liberal-conservative right-wing. History ''Makor Rishon'' was founded as a weekly magazine in July 1997 in order ...
”, where he was also a political columnist. He also contributed literary reviews for “
Yediot Aharonot (, ; lit. "Latest News") is an Israeli daily mass market newspaper published in Tel Aviv. Founded in 1939, is Israel's largest paid newspaper by sales and circulation and has been described as "undoubtedly the country's number-one paper."
”.


Public Engagements

Shavit is frequently interviewed in Israeli and international media about Middle Eastern and Islamic affairs. Since 2011, Shavit has organized the Winter Lecture Series at Tel Aviv University in cooperation with the “Friends of TAU” association. The revenues of these series are allocated to scholarships as well as Jewish-Arab social activities.


Academic Books in English

* ''The New Imagined Community: Global Media and the Construction of National and Muslim Identities of Migrants'' (Liverpool University Press, 2009): Advanced media technologies – satellite technology and the Internet – have transformed immigrants’ relations with their departure and arrival societies. The first part of the book – “Imagining Nation States from Afar” – extends
Benedict Anderson Benedict Richard O'Gorman Anderson (August 26, 1936 – December 13, 2015) was an Anglo-Irish political scientist and historian who lived and taught in the United States. Anderson is best known for his 1983 book ''Imagined Communities'', which e ...
’s model of the nation as an imagined community. Discussion focuses on how immigrants can imagine their native national communities from afar, almost as if they never left their homelands. As a result, new typologies of migrants are created, such as the passive trans-national.  A comprehensive analytic framework for the role of advanced media technologies in fostering relations between immigrants and their national communities of origin is presented. This section also explores, through biographical research with immigrants of diverse nationalities, the spectrum of responses imagination of national communities from afar invokes among different types of immigrants. The second part of the book – “Imagining the Muslim Nation State from Afar” – is an exploration of how Muslim-Arab theologians, envisioning the rise of a '' global Muslim nation'', have developed a theory that tasks Muslims living in the West with specific duties within the framework of their anticipated global Muslim nation. These theologians and other advocates quickly discovered the merits of advanced media technologies in enhancing their vision of global Islam. Shavit’s field research was conducted with devout Muslim-Arabs in five mosques in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It demonstrates how the proliferation of these global Muslim media plays a role in shaping the identity of Muslim immigrants. However, it also demonstrates that this role is limited and that an imagined global ''umma'' has not emerged and is unlikely to emerge. * ''Islamism and the West: From “Cultural Attack” to “Missionary Migrant”'' (
Routledge Routledge ( ) is a British multinational corporation, multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, academic journals, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanit ...
, 2014): The book analyzes Islamist conceptions of the West and Western-Muslim historical encounters. It explains how and why Islamists developed a theory according to which “the West” has engaged in a conspiracy to defeat Islam through a “cultural attack”, and why theories on the West’s imminent decline have proliferated in Islamist thought throughout the 20th century, and in particular in recent years. * ''Shari‘a and Muslim Minorities: The Wasati and Salafi Approaches to Fiqh al-Aqalliyyat al-Muslima'' (
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, 2015): Based on a comparative analysis of several hundred religio-juristic treatises and ''fatwas'', the book offers the most systematic and comprehensive study to date of ''fiqh al aqalliyyat al-Muslima'' - the field in Islamic jurisprudence that treats issues that are unique to Muslims living in majority non-Muslim societies. The book argues that two main contesting approaches to ''fiqh al-aqalliyyat al-Muslima'', the ''wasati'' and the ''salafi'', have developed, in part dialectically. While both envision a future Islamizing of the West as a main justification for Muslim residence in the West, the ''wasati'' approach is pragmatic, facilitating, and integration-minded, whereas the ''salafi'' calls for strict application of religious norms and introversion. The book examines diverse and highly-debated juristic issues, including the permissibility of naturalizing in non-Muslim states, participating in their electoral systems and serving in their militaries and police forces; the permissibility of taking mortgages and student loans; the permissibility of congratulating
Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...
on
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a Religion, religious and Culture, cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by coun ...
or receiving Christmas bonuses; and the permissibility of working in professions that involve breaching of religio-legal prohibitions (e.g., serving pork). Discussions highlight the diversity within contemporary Islamic jurisprudence and introduce new nuances to highly-charged concepts such as
proselytizing Proselytism () is the policy of attempting to convert people's religious or political beliefs. Carrying out attempts to instill beliefs can be called proselytization. Proselytism is illegal in some countries. Some draw distinctions between Chris ...
, integration, and
multiculturalism Multiculturalism is the coexistence of multiple cultures. The word is used in sociology, in political philosophy, and colloquially. In sociology and everyday usage, it is usually a synonym for ''Pluralism (political theory), ethnic'' or cultura ...
. * ''Zionism in Arab Discourses''
Manchester University Press
2016): A pioneering study about the Arab-Israeli conflict, this book surveys and analyzes hundreds of texts written by Islamists and Arab liberals from the late 19th century until the “Arab Spring”. It presents a groundbreaking thesis that Arab Islamists and liberals developed a dual approach toward the Zionist project – perceiving it as both an enemy and a source of inspiration. Shavit wrote this book together with Dr. Ofir Winter. * ''Scientific and Political Freedom in Islam: A Critical Reading of the Modernist-Apologetic School'' (Routledge, 2017): The book discusses the philosophy of the modernist-apologetic school in Islam from the late 19th century to the early 21st century. It critically examines the fundamental assumptions of the founders of this school (Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, Muhammad Abduh, Muhammad Rashid Rida, and Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi) and their contemporary successors (including Muhammad al-Ghazali, Yusuf al-Qaradawi, and Muhammad Amara). The first assumption is that the core beliefs of Islam can be proven rationally. The second is that it is possible to accept the Quran and prophetic traditions as binding frameworks for all aspects of life while simultaneously maintaining full scientific and political freedoms akin to those in secular societies.The book highlights the refutations and contradictions inherent in these foundational assumptions through a discussion of the school’s writings on democracy and the theory of evolution, alongside other issues. It concludes that the conventional classifications of the school as either fundamentalist or liberal fail to capture its complexity and uniqueness. * ''Shari'a and Life: Authority, Compromise, and Mission in European Mosques''
University of Toronto Press
2023): Based on five years of field research in mosques with pragmatic and dogmatic tendencies across Europe, involving hundreds of interviews and questionnaires, the book examines how Muslims living in Europe deal with religious-legal challenges, particularly those arising from being a minority in non-Muslim societies. The book analyzes the ways in which Muslims in Europe adopt, reject, reinterpret, or ignore religious rulings, as well as the strategies they employ, beyond the framework of religious discourse, to find pragmatic solutions. Among these strategies are: simple acknowledgment of sinning when necessary, the assertion that Sharia cannot be fully implemented in all aspects of life, and the claim that they do their utmost to minimize sin even when it cannot be completely avoided.The book demonstrates that there is a correlation between the degree of consensus regarding a particular religious ruling and its acceptance among believers, even when they are not well-versed in the ruling itself; that cases where a direct chain exists from posing a religious question, issuing a written ruling, and acting according to it are rare; that written rulings are often distorted or adapted during their social transmission and dissemination; and that, contrary to the rigid categories of written religious discourse, believers shift between pragmatic and dogmatic positions depending on their circumstances. The book also illustrates that the religious discourse justifying migration to Europe as a means of Islamizing the West has had little actual impact and that the "European Council for Fatwa and Research" has failed in its attempt to become the supreme religious authority for all Muslims in Europe. The book has been described as the most comprehensive research of its kind and a groundbreaking work in the sociology of Islamic law in Europe. * ''Islamists in a Zionist Coalition: The Political and Religious Origins''
Rutgers University Press
2025): The book explores the decision made in 2021 by the United Arab List, the political arm of the Southern Branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel (SIM), to join the Israeli Zionist coalition for the first time, and specifically how and why it was possible for an Islamist movement to become the enabler of a Zionist government without losing the support of its religious scholars or political base. Through analyses of hundreds of books, columns, ''fatwas'', media interviews, and posts on social media, as well as interviews conducted by the author with all the living leaders of the SIM and the United Arab List, Uriya Shavit demonstrates that the Islamic premises on which the SIM operates, rather than limit the party's flexibility, made it possible for the United Arab List to advance a pragmatic political agenda. This book argues that while the decision of the United Arab List to join a Zionist coalition led to dramatic consequences, it was grounded in decades of religious writings that prepared the ground for its legitimization, and aligned with a political orientation with which significant segments of the Arab population identified since the founding of the modern state of Israel.


Academic Books in Hebrew

* ''A Dawn of an Old Era, 2003'' (
Keter Keter or Kether (; ) is the first of the ten sefirot in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, symbolizing the divine will and the initial impulse towards creation from the '' Ein Sof'', or infinite source. It represents pure consciousness and transce ...
): The book critically examines the assumption prevalent in Western media at the turn of the century that a new generation of Arab leaders and advanced media technologies will lead to the Middle East’s democratization. * ''Democracy Wars: The West and the Arabs from the Collapse of Communism to the Iraq War, 2008'' ( Dayan Center): This book, partly based on Shavit’s Ph.D. dissertation, examines the polemic surrounding the universality of liberal democracy in Arab societies from the beginning of the 19th century until the Gulf War. It focuses on the anti-liberal discourses that emerged in Saudi Arabia and Syria following the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. * ''Demise of the West, Rise of Islam? Remarks on the Future of Civilization, 2010'' (HaKibbutz HaMeuhad): This book is an edited volume exploring Arab writings about the imminent decline of the West. * ''My Enemy, my Teacher: Zionism and Israel in the Doctrines of Islamists and Arab Liberals, 2013'' (HaKibbutz HaMeuhad): This book is the Hebrew-language version of Zionism in Arab Discourses''.'' * ''The Jewish War, 2025'' (Yediot Books): The book shatters the prevailing perception that the electoral struggle in Israel is primarily between "First Israel," Ashkenazi and left-leaning, and "Second Israel," Mizrahi and right-leaning. Instead, it argues that political preferences are shaped by voters' attitudes toward Judaism. The book contends that the failure to recognize the centrality of religiosity in the coalition formed by Begin in 1977, and the inseparable link between ultra-Orthodoxy and right-wing politics, is the main reason for the Israeli left's failures since then. It warns that the inevitable outcome of these failures will be the emergence of an ultra-Orthodox majority in Israel by the end of the 21st century and the dismantling of the Zionist project. According to the book, the key to the necessary political change in Israel lies in adopting a clear and positive definition of a non-Halakhic Jewish identity—one that does not disregard the spiritual dimension present in the lives of most secular and traditional Jews.


Selected Academic Articles

* Al Qaedaʼs Saudi Roots, ''
Middle East Quarterly The Middle East Forum (MEF) is an American conservative 501(c)(3) think tank founded in 1990 by Daniel Pipes, who now serves as its chairman. Gregg Roman serves as director of the forum. MEF became an independent non-profit organization in 19 ...
'', 13:4 (Fall 2006), pp. 3–13. * The Arab Road to Democracy, ''
Azure Azure may refer to: Color * Azure (color), a hue of blue ** Azure (heraldry) ** Shades of azure, shades and variations Arts and media * ''Azure'' (Art Farmer and Fritz Pauer album), 1987 * Azure (Gary Peacock and Marilyn Crispell album), 2013 * ...
'', No. 26 (Autumn 2006), pp. 30–62. * Should Muslims Integrate into the West? ''Middle East Quarterly'' 14:4 (Fall 2007), pp. 13–21.
Old Fears, New Threats
''Azure,'' No. 30 (Autumn 2007), pp. 64–88. * Sheikh Google: The Role of Advanced Media Technologies in Constructing the Identity of Muslim-Arab Germans, in Jose Brunner and Shai Lavi (eds.), ''Tel Aviver Jahrbuch für Deutsche Geschichte 37 Juden und Muslime in'' Deutschland (Munich: Wallstein Verlag), pp. 255–272. * Muslim Strategies to Convert Western Christians, ''Middle East Quarterly'', 16:2 (Spring 2009), pp. 3–14. With Frederic Wiesenbach.
Is Shura a Muslim Form of Democracy? Roots and Systemization of a Polemic
''
Middle Eastern Studies Middle Eastern studies, sometimes referred to as Near Eastern studies, West Asian Studies or South Western Asian studies, is a name given to a number of academic programs associated with the study of the history, culture, politics, economies, an ...
'', 46:3 (May 2010), pp. 349–374. * Why are They So? The Ideology of Muslim Fundamentalists, in
Thomas Kunze Dr. Thomas Kunze (born February 23, 1963, in Leipzig) is a German contemporary historian and publicist. Career Thomas Kunze studied History, German studies and Pedagogy in Jena and Leipzig. He received his Ph.D. in 1991 and was awarded an Hono ...
and Wolfgang Maier (eds.), ''Einundzwanzig: Jahrundertchanchen – Jahrundertgefahren'' (Berlin: Verlag Finckenstein & Salmuth), pp. 178–187 (in German). * Sports in Contemporary Islamic Law, ''Islamic Law and Society'', 18:2 (Spring 2011), pp. 250–280. With Ofir Winter. * The Muslim Brotherhoodʼs Idea of Democracy, ''Azure'' 45 (Autumn 2011), pp. 29– 51.
An 'Integrating Enclave': The Case of Al-Hayat, Germanyʼs First Islamic Fitness Center for Women in Cologne
''
Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to: *Bullet journal, a method of personal organization *Diary, a record of personal secretive thoughts and as open book to personal therapy or used to feel connected to onesel ...
'', 32:1 (April 2012), pp. 47–61. With Frederic Wiesenbach. * The Wasati and Salafi Approaches to the Religious Law of Muslim Minorities, ''Islamic Law and Society,'' 20:4 (November 2012), pp. 416–457. * The Polemic on al-wala' wal-bara' (Loyalty and Disavowal): Crystallization and Refutation of an Islamic Concept,” ''Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies'', 36:3 (Spring 2013), pp. 24-49. *Muslim Identity in Europe and Israel: Outline for a Comparative Research, in Eli Rekhess and Arik Rudnitzki (eds.), ''Muslim Minorities in non-Muslim Majority Countries: The Islamic Movement in Israel as a Test Case'' (Tel Aviv: Moshe Dayan Center, 2013), 23-29. * Can Muslims Befriend Non-Muslims? Debating al-Wala’ wal-Bara’ in Theory and Practice, ''Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations'', 25:1 (January 2014), pp. 67–88. * A Religious Law for Muslims in the West: The European Council for Fatwa and Research and the Evolution of Fiqh al-Aqalliyyat al-Muslima, in Roberto Tottoli (ed.), Routledge Handbook of Islam in the West (London: Routledge, 2014), pp. 365–377. With Qadi Iyad Zahalka. * The Post-Modern Reconstitution of Islamic Memory: The Case of Yusuf al-Qaradawi and the Virtual ''umma'', in Itzchak Weisman, Mark Sedgwick and Ulrika Martensson (eds.) ''Islam and the Cultural Politics of Globalization'' (London: Ashgate, 2014), pp. 163–184. * The Lesser of Two Evils: Islamic Law and the Emergence of a Broad Agreement on Muslim Participation in Western Political Systems, ''Contemporary Islam'', 8:3 (September 2014), pp. 239–259. * The Evolution of Darwin to a ‘Unique Christian Species’ in Modernist-Apologetic Arab-Islamic Thought, ''Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations'', 26:1 (January 2015), pp. 17–32. * Theology of Migration: Towards a Comparative Conceptualization, ''The Journal of Levantine Studies'', 4:2 (Winter 2014), pp. 9–38. Primary author, with Galia Sabar et al. * Zionism as Told By Rashid Rida, ''The Journal of Israeli History'', 34:1 (January 2015), 23-44. * The Muslim Brothers' Conception of Armed Insurrection against an Unjust Regime, ''Middle Eastern Studies'', 51:4 (July 2015), pp. 610–617. * Ramadan in Iceland: A Tale of Two Mosques, ''Islam and Christian–Muslim Relations'' (March 2016), pp. 1–21. * Muslims are the New Jews' in the West: Reflections on Contemporary Parallelisms, ''Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs'', 36:1 (March 2016), pp. 1–15'. *Global Media and the Emergence of 'Lonely Sojourners' and 'Passive Transnationals', in Kei Martin and Lucia Kraemer (eds.), ''Post-Colonial Studies Meets Media Studies: A Critical Encounter'' (Bielefeld: Transcript Verlag, 2016), pp. 85–102. * Raising Salafi Children in the West, ''Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations'', 28:3 (2017), pp. 333–354.
For Whom the Bell Tolls? Contesting ''Adhan''s in Majority non-Muslim Societies
''Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs'', 36:4 (2017), pp. 447–464. With Fabian Spengler. * Embattled Minority in-Between Minorities: Analysis of British and German Salafi anti-Jihadi Campaigns, ''
Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies The ''Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies'', often abbreviated to ''JAIS'', is an international, peer-reviewed academic journal. It was founded in 1995 by Joseph N. Bell from the University of Bergen, Norway, and Petr Zemánek from Charles Univ ...
'', 17 (2017), pp. 187–203.
Does the European Council for Fatwa and Research Matter? The Case of Muslims in Dortmund, Germany
''Journal of Politics, Religion and Ideology,'' 18:4 (2017), pp. 363–382. With Fabian Spengler. *The Failures of the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process: Balance and Imbalance, ''The Journal for Interdisciplinary Middle Eastern Studies'', 1:2 (Spring 2018), pp. 5–24. *Europe, the New Abyssinia: On the Role of the First Hijra in ''Fiqh al-Aqalliyyat al-Muslima'' Discourse, ''Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations'', 29:3 (2018), pp. 371–391.
'There's Shari‘a and there's Life: a Field Study on the Diffusion, Acceptance and Rejection of Fiqh al-Aqalliyyat al-Muslima at Reykjavik's Grand Mosque
''Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs'', 38:3 (2018), pp. 338–359. With Fabian Spengler. *Can the Metaphysical be Rationally Proven? Islamic Modernism Revisited, in Gert Melville and Carlos Ruta (eds.), ''Experiencing the Beyond'' (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2018), pp. 229–242. * Being a Muslim Football Player in Europe, ''Soccer and Society'', 20:2 (2019), pp. 271–287. * A Fatwa and Its Dialectics: Contextualizing the Permissibility of Mortgages in Stockholm, ''Journal of Muslims in Europe'', 8:3 (May 2019), pp. 335–358. *How Radical is Birmingham’s Salafi Mosque?, ''Democracy and Security'', 17:1 (January 2021), pp. 80–107. With Fabian Spengler. *Converting to Salafiyya: Non-Muslims Path to the ‘Saved Sect’, ''Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs'' 41:2 (2022), pp. 337-354. With Fabian Spengler. *The European Council for Fatwa and Research and the Evolution of Fiqh al-Aqalliyyat al-Muslima, in Roberto Tottoli (ed.), ''Routledge Handbook of Islam in the West, Second Edition'' (London: Routledge, 2022). *Enemy of the State: An Annotated Interview with Rabbi Israel Meir Hirsch, ''Jewish Studies'' 21 (2023), pp. 128-143. *Islamists in a Zionist Coalition: The Political and Religious Origins, ''Politics, Religion and Ideology'' 24:2 (2023), pp. 176-199.


Fiction Books

* ''The Dead Man:'' A best-selling philosophical novel (Keter Publishers, 2013) about Barak Lavie, a lawyer and failed businessman whose marriage is falling apart. He returns to Tel Aviv from a business trip to England and discovers that he is dead. His surreal struggle for survival in his hometown’s snowy streets provides him with an opportunity to re-invent himself. The book won critical acclaim. * ''Meat:'' The book (Yediot Aharonot, 2019) includes two novels. “Meat” is set in Israel in the late 21st century, where the slaughter of animals had been outlawed. A grandmother and her granddaughter travel to an underground carnivorous society, where their journey takes a tragic turn. The second novel, “The Perfect Murder”, recounts the story of a business manager who is dismissed from his job as a marketing director and plans the ultimate vengeance against his former flamboyant and arrogant employer. The book earned critical acclaim and stirred a public debate about the future of the vegetarian movement. *''Veronica:'' The book (Pardes, The Big Meadows series, 2021) tells about 40-year-old Omri, the son of a Mossad agent, who studied in a German high school. He receives a letter from his first girlfriend, Argentinian-German Veronica. More than twenty years after she abandoned him in haste and returned to Argentina, she asks him to meet with her urgently in Frankfur


Books for Young Readers

Shavit authored six books for young readers: Memory Game (2002), Danny and Krembo (2007), The Boy Who Read Minds (2010), Like Magic (2012), The Third Wish (2017), and My Grandmother, the Witch (2020). Four of his books, published by HaKibbutz HaMeuhad, were selected for the Israeli Ministry of Education (Israel), Education Ministry’s annual “Book Parade”.


Guidebooks

Shavit authored “The Guide for University Student”, a guidebook for students that introduces study methods for exams, writing papers, locating books in academic libraries and choosing courses. The guide also includes advice on how to write a CV, master job interviews, and negotiate rent contracts. Since it was first published, the guide has sold some 20,000 copies.


References


External links


Official website
* Zionism in Arab Discourse
interview
* Muslim Integration in Europe:
lecture

Islam and the West, Islam in the West
International conference in honor of the publication of Uriya Shavit's book {{DEFAULTSORT:Shavit, Uriya 1975 births Academic staff of Tel Aviv University Living people