Tariq Ramadan is very much a public figure, and has a large following around the world. However, he has also been a lightning rod for controversy. In 2004, he was prevented from entering the US by the Bush administration and, despite two appeals, he was barred from the country until the spring of 2010, when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton finally lifted the ban.

In Al–Islam Wa Al-horriya, Ramadan attempts to set the record straight, laying out the basic ideas he stands for in clear and accessible prose. He describes the book as a work of clarification, directed at ordinary citizens, politicians, journalists, and others who are curious (or sceptical) about his positions. Aware that that he is dealing with emotional issues, Ramadan tries to get past the barriers of prejudice and misunderstanding to speak directly, from the heart, to his Muslim and non-
Muslim readers alike. His vision is of a future in which a shared and confident pluralism becomes a reality at last.