Omid Safi

Omid Safi is Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill where he specializes on Islamic mysticism (Sufism), contemporary Islamic thought and medieval Islamic history. He served as the Chair for the Study of Islam Section at the American Academy of Religion from 2002-2009.^{[citation needed]} In addition, he has served on the board of the Pluralism project at Harvard University.^[1]

In 2009, Omid Safi published a new biography of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. This work, Memories of Muhammad: Why the Prophet Matters, has been called a groundbreaking biography of Muhammad for Muslims and non-Muslims alike.^{[citation needed]}

Progressive Islam

Professor Safi is recognized as a leader of the progressive Muslim debate.^[2] Professor Safi's book Progressive Muslims (2003) contains a diverse collection of essays by and about "progressive" Muslims. Professor Safi was one of the co-founders of the Progressive Muslim Union (PMU-NA). He resigned from PMU in 2005, but he continues to support progressive interpretations of Islam outside of PMU.

References

1. ^ Biography, Omid Safi, The Pluralism Project at Harvard University
2. ^ Jones, Robert P. (July 25, 2008). Progressive & Religious: How Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist Leaders are Moving Beyond the Culture Wars and Transforming American Public Life. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 224. ISBN 978-0742562301. "Omid Safi is the most widely recognized leader of the progressive Muslim movement" 

Books

• Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender, and Pluralism. Edited by Omid Safi (Oxford: Oneworld, 2003)
• The Politics of Knowledge in Premodern Islam. (Chapel Hill: UNC Press, 2006)
• Voices of Change (Vol. 5 in the 5 vol series: Voices of Islam), edited by Omid Safi. (Praeger, 2006)
• Memories of Muhammad: Why the Prophet Matters. (HarperOne, 2009)
• Voices of American Muslims. (New York: Hippocrene Books, Inc., 2005) By Linda Brandi Caetura with introductory essay and interview with Omid Safi

External links

• Omid Safi's website & blog
• Interview with Omid Safi on "Memories of Muhammad: Why the Prophet Matters" at ReadTheSpirit.com

Persondata
Name	Safi, Omid
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth
Place of birth
Date of death
Place of death