Understanding the uses of history: How does each of these authors use history to make his or her arguments? To what different historical contexts do they appeal?
Comparing Islamic modernists: How do you think Kemal Atatürk would respond to later Islamic modernists such as Sheikh Kabir? Consider also his reaction to Benazir Bhutto in Document 23.4.
Imagining a conversation: What issue might arise in a conversation among the four authors represented here? Can you identify any areas of agreement? On which points would they probably never agree?
Explaining variations: What historical circumstances might help to account for the very different understandings of Islam that are reflected in these documents?