Customer Reviews (2)

Lucid and Insightful
Although the title of the book is misleading this is compensated by the content of the essays that are well thought out and researched.There certainly maybe areas that require further research and study but the same can be said for any area of academic endeavor. Most pleasurable is the style of writing adopted which makes the reading easy and engrossing. The author appears to come to Islam with a sympathetic ear and this is a relief after the hostility created by 9/11.This book is worth a read for those interested in Islam and South Asia.

less than it promises
The title of this book is somewhat misleading since it is not a systematic history of the Muslims of south Asia. Rather, it is a collection of various essays and reviews that the author has written over the last twenty years. Professor Francis Robinson is professor of the history of South Asia at the university of London and the author of Separatism among Indian Muslims: The Politics of the United Provinces' Muslims 1860-1923 (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1974). The ulama of UP and specially the ulama associated with Farangi mahal are his special area of interest. These interests are reflected in the topics he has chosen to address and strongly color his viewpoint. He begins the book with an essay written in response to Samuel Huntington's famous "clash of civilizations" thesis. It is a straightforward account of the rich interaction between Christian and Islamic civilizations and how this interaction has helped to shape them both. The essay is balanced and fair, but breaks no new ground and has surprisingly little to say about Huntington's misguided thesis. The second essay is an attempt to counter suggestions that Indian Islam is more significantly "Indian" than previously suggested. The argument seems to be about matters of degree and while professor Robinson brings to light a number of interesting and arresting facts, his view of Islam and Muslims is determined too heavily by what the Muslim ulama thought and said. At times he almost sounds like a propagandist for the Deoband School rather than an English don! Essays about the impact of printing and about the changes in religious consciousness over the last two centuries are interesting for their little details but the psychological and cultural theorizing fails to impress. It would have been better to put these essays later as some readers may give up on the book at this point without getting to his area of expertise, where his knowledge and insights are much more impressive. But if the reader makes it to chapter six, the book begins to rock and roll. Essays about the UP Muslims, their travails in the mutiny, the development of separatism and the role of congress provide solid historical information and demolish many myths while providing striking new insights. Professor Robinson knows the UP Muslim elite and provides a scrupulously fair and balanced account of some of the most contentious events in their history. He has made a great contribution to historiography by carefully collecting so much new information about their lives and work. the terrifying impact of the events of 1857 and its aftermath are brought vividly to life. He shows how the elite responded to the threat to their position (incidentally, agreeing with Paul Brass that it was not their backward position but the threat to their ADVANCED position that made them such vigorous Muslim nationalists) and discusses the role the British and the Hindu revivalists played in encouraging Muslim separatism. His view that Islamic separatism is more than just a convenient tool for the elite to use and has strong roots in the nature of Islam also has some truth in it, but he may overstate the case. In fact, at times he seems to veer very close to the view that Muslims can never be faithful citizens of any non-Muslim country but must always strive to separate themselves as an Islamic state. This underestimates the malleability of Islam and overestimates the distinctiveness of Islamic society. It also ignores the most serious objection to partition, which is not that Muslims and Hindus are actually one nation, but that whether they were one nation or ten, they happened to live together in one place. Physical separation would necessarily involve transfer of population and the movement of people away from their ancestral homelands. Was the degree of Hindu Muslim divide sufficient to justify such an extreme (and, as it turned out. Bloody) step? It may well be that Hindu-Muslim mistrust in UP was so extreme that separation was desired by one or both parties, but how did the UP elite conceive their own future after partition? Did they intend to migrate? What did they expect the mass of poor Muslims to do? What kind of welcome did they expect in the very different cultures they were headed for? Professor Robinson's work on Muslim separatism seems incomplete without mention of these issues. The book reviews in the second half of the book are uniformly interesting and insightful. The actual mechanics of Sufi penetration into India, the life of sir Syed, Islam in Malabar, Islamic revivalism, the life of Jinnah, the Muslims and congress; all get mentioned and we learn new and provocative things about every subject. Professor Robinson's admiration of Islamic ulama and his disdain of westernized secular Muslims is again on display though and can get a bit jarring. This idealization of Islamic piety may spring from some personal antipathy to the "godless, secular west" or it may just be that Herr Professor feels that the "natives" are best governed by their own quaint rules and are not yet "ready" for such strong spirits as secularism and liberalism. In the humble opinion of this (secularist) reviewer, the professor is well worth reading for his solid historiography but his unbridled enthusiasm for the ulama is best enjoyed in London rather than in the shadow of the Talebaan. ... Read more

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She asks tough questions: "What's with the stubborn streak of anti-Semitism in Islam? Who is the real colonizer of the Muslims—-America or Arabia? Why are we squandering the talents of women, fully half of God's creation?"This is not an anti-Muslim rant. Manji also speaks with passionate love and hope for Islam, believing that democracy is compatible with its purest doctrine. Sure, she's biased and opinionated. But all religions, from Christianity to Buddhism to Islam should be accountable for how their leadership and national allegiances personally affect their followers. One would hope that this honest voice be met with a little more self-scrutiny and a little less anti-personal, anti-feminine, and anti-Western rhetoric. --Gail Hudson ... Read more

Customer Reviews (241)

A Must Read about the real Muslim World
Ms Manji seems to tell the world about the real Muslim world as she sees it.She sort of warns us about being too politically polite because there is some real dangers involved.She tries to explore fixing the situation, but I think it is more difficult than can be imagined.

Captivating Stories Yet Somewhat Unimpressive Writing
This book reads like a Carrie Bradshaw article about Islam. The author takes a very casual, conversational tone with the reader, employing many rhetorical devices and colloquialisms that at times feel contrived. That said, it is entertaining. I found it annoying and unprofessional, however, that there are little to no sources whatsoever to substantiate portions dedicated to direct quotes, etc., despite the fact that the introduction says something akin to "see website for sources." Overall, this piece makes some very interesting points, but the approach is so disorganized and haphazard that the stream-of-consciousness-type writing often seems to completely lack structure, and therefore, loses some of its persuasiveness as far as I am concerned. At the end of the day, though, I must applaud Manji for being an openly lesbian woman, and for bluntly questioning the dogma under which she was raised in a way that most people do not. Her stance is a brave one; her stories are poignant, I just wish the book were a little more analytical and organized in form.

The Wrong Message Does More Harm Than Good
I don't think this woman is bright enough to understand what she's doing.She's trying to convince women to stay in Islam under the ridiculous hope that they will be able to "reform" it.How do you "reform" a Holy Book that was written eight centuries ago, where not a single word in the text can be changed?

The only hope... the ONLY answer... is to run away from Islam and stop calling yourself a "Muslim".Stop saying that you are "submitting" to the evil known as Islam.

I might give her the benefit of the doubt, but I'm still angry over the nonsense in her book.If the words of the Qur'an say that God (not from a human source, but a book that claims to contain statements direct from God) that women can be mistreated, or that Jews are the firewood of Hell.... STOP being a Muslim.

I really dislike a woman who is SELLING the idea of being a Muslim as a good thing, while pretending to raise objections.There is NO WAY to reform this faith.All she can do is FOOL women into remaining Muslims, instead of taking the necessary and more important step of leaving Islam and stop being a "submissive" or Muslim.

so so
She clearly presumes that the reader already knows all about Islam
I don't.
NOt bad, though.

Be ready for a surprise!
Okay, I'm not Muslim, I'm Jewish, but I feel that I understand the Muslim world pretty well. The beginning of the book was a little ranty for my tastes, and I began to think to myself "oh lord, it's just another 'ISLAM IS THE DEVIL!' book," but I was wrong. Once you read though the ranty bit, she gets into a very serious, scholarly, and MATURE discussion of reforms that she feels that the faith needs to go through.

Now, I will say, I don't agree with everything she says, but lord does she present her ideas in an amazing way. She's a great thinker and writer, and I'm really looking forward to reading more of her. ... Read more

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This unique book represents one of the first systematic attempts to explain why thousands of Westerners heed international calls to _jihad_ and join radical Islamic groups. Drawing on his unprecedented access to a radical Islamic group, Quintan Wiktorowicz details the subtle process that can turn seemingly unreligious people into supporters of religious violence. The author's extraordinary fieldwork forms the basis of a detailed case study of al-Muhajiroun, a transnational movement based in London that supports Bin Laden and other Islamic terrorists. Through its rich empirical detail, the case study explains the larger question of why ordinary people join extremist movements. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Academically rigorous study.
Unlike many of the books available today, Wiktorowicz has written a book that is based on social science, not the faddish headlines of the day.The book will invariably divide readers into two camps; those who are interested in extremism and those who truly want to understand the recruitment and radicalization process.

The book is best summarized by looking at his three central questions:
1. How are individuals drawn into the socialization process where they can be exposed to radical, religious education?
2. How do individuals come to accept and adopt the radical Islamic ideology as their own world view?
3. How does socialization overcome "the free rider dilemma?"In other words, convince individuals to do things that are not in their own self interest, and participate in high risk behavior that could lead to arrest, jail or death?

In the end, the author shows how terrorists capitalize, or if necessary create, "cognitive openings," which are periods in which individuals are willing to question their own long held personal beliefs and consider radical new ideas.Once an individual is convinced that the group's radical goals or the rewards for participation in the group's activities (e.g. eternal paradise) are MORE IMPORTANT than their well beings, you have yourself an operative.

This is a great read for those who seriously want to understand the recruitment and radicalization problem, as well as those who are charged to slow the spread of radicalism.

obvious conclusion, but fascinating route
I read this book carefully for a class on crime, immigration and ethnicity. Basically, his whole point can be summed up in one sentence: people who join radical groups are not wide-eyed lunatics, but rational actors operating out of spiritual self-interest. They sacrifice jobs, families and assimilation in the West because they buy into a specific ideology's pathway to heaven. Dude, they want the virgins and this group can offer you the only sure way to get 'em. That's the point of this very academic book. (Seems obvious to me.)

However, it takes you through the sort of the eerie way people come to believe this, which turns out to be interesting. It's very case specific, but also highly applicable to the recruiting methods of all social movements and high-risk activism groups. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (15)

American Muslim Women Testimonies
Essays and poems by women born in America and raised as Muslims.Telling their stories and how they are forging a current identity as Muslims in a modern western secular setting.Many thoughtful ideas on viable Islamic adaptations that reject traditional cultural limitations and abuse of women found in some Islamic cultures.Patriotic, spiritual and dynamic women dealing with the realities facing them, and their positive interpretations of Quranic faith as a liberating force in their lives.This volume will provide rewarding insights into Islam.These essays are not somebody's unconsidered opinion about Islam and how it affects women.This is a set of personal testimonies of Muslim Women.This is the real deal - not just the negative, but the positive.See and learn of here of personal faith, not about a religion.

Another Lousy Reform
This was another book, I just happened to pick up at my local Barnes and Noble, thinking it was a great testament to how wonderful Islam is to women, but rather to my dismay it was really a rag-tag collection of essays and articles written by women who really did not want to follow Islam,but just be rebellious against traditional Islamic orthodoxy. As is always the case, Barnes and Noble has a reputation for carrying rubbish books about Islam, and not the really relevant literature, even about women in Islam that exists.

Basically, when reading this book you come across--if you are not a Muslim--that Muslim women have "hidden" lesbian tendencies; are oppressed by a patriarchal system of domination and oppression; hate their overbearing men. Now, for all of us who actually read that is certainly not the case. The vast majority of Muslim women are not oppressed and are not closet lesbians, but are god-fearing women who want families and want marriage. Yet in this era of globilization, there are some Muslim women who defy that norm and end being teen idols throughout the course of their lives. Who hate their own men and want to make halal, all that is haram--homosexuality, feminism, dating, etc., etc..Living Islam Out Loud: American Muslim Women Speak

In essence, this book is not a book I would recommend to anybody wanting to know about the state of women in Islam. It is misleading and, furthermore, it does not put things in perspective. Gallup polls taken have confirmed the majority of Muslim women in Islamic countries are irate about extremism in their countries and the attitude of their governments to voting rights and what have you, but they do not see themselves as oppressed and they certainly do not want to ape the Western female model, to put it bluntly. One section of the book even spoke about a Muslim woman's bill of rights. On that list was included female gratification in bed, well, fifteen hundred years ago the Prophet spoke about that already. And the early scholarship of Islam that spoke about sex, referred to the fact that women are to be pleased in the sexual relationship. Again, illustrating the misleading attitude of this book.

Voices not ordinarily heard
This book was definitely an eye opener on how Islam is practiced in America. I found it interesting how many of the authors drew points on the strong parallels between how Islam is practiced in other countries based on their respective cultural practices. This parallel is something that I think needs to be brought forth more often, especially with the youth of America who are struggling to find their identiity with their conservative Islamic beliefs in one hand and their "free-living" western culture in the other. There were some aspects of the book that I didn't agree with, but I say to each his/her own. At the end of the day, you do what is best for you. Only God is the true judge.

A normally unseen side of Islam.
This is a collection of essays from a liberal feminist point of view, a side of Islam that isn't normally represented in mainstream media.The women represented are mostly involved in change, whether it be of their religion or society around them (as liberals often are).

This is an important book for those who think all Muslims think the same way to read.Whether you agree with what the women say or not--and I imagine many people will not--at the very least it can show you that there are different views of Islam just like there are of Christianity and Judeism.Just like Christian liberals who think the church must change for its own good, these liberals talk a lot about how their love for Islam makes them want to shape it for the modern age.You don't have to agree with them, but you can feel their devotion to their religion and have to admire their strength.

Living Islam Out Loud is a challenge to pretty much everything--from conservative Islam to the prejudice facing Muslims from mainstream America.Love it or hate it, you can't ignore it, and that is a place to start from.

Not representative of most Muslim women
This book isn't very representative of most Muslim women in America or the issues they face and consider important. I've been a Muslim since I was 10 and have lived in two different cities. Of all the Muslim women I have met, none really cared about being an imam, including Muslim women raised in the US all their lives (that's a majority of the Muslim women I know). None have ever wanted to lead a mixed gender salat. We realize that some brothers do have a rather patriarchial understanding of Islam but we try to change from within the framework of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. That's why we're Muslim. We believe that the Qur'an and Sunnah should be our ultimate guide. Too many of the women in the book seemed to have an utter disregard for the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Fornication is wrong according to the Qur'an and Sunnah and there is no way to justify it as a Muslim. Homosexuality is wrong according to the Qur'an and Sunnah and there is no way to justify it as a Muslim. Hijab is mandated in Qur'an and Sunnah and it is mandated for Muslim women to marry Muslim men in the Qur'an and Sunnah. Somehow the essayists of this book missed these points.

In addition, I didn't find any of their suggestions (which weren't many) to be revolutionary. Asra Nomani says their need to be more women on the board of directors of masjids as if there aren't any masjids in America where there are women on the board. My mother has been on the board of her masjid for quite some time. In addition, she chairs two other committees. Most of the women who my mother has befriended also hold leadership positions and are working, professional women.

Many of the essays seemed like whiny tirades about mistreatment and abuse that may or may not have been the result of a warped interpretation of Islam. Frankly, many of their issues can be seen in any culture, Islamic or not.



... Read more

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Now Available in Paperback!

Leading authorities discuss the past, present and future of Islam.

Islam, the least understood of the world's great religions, is balanced on a precipice between the past and the future, between fanatical fundamentalists and progressives advocating peace. Noted Islamic authority Michael Wolfe moderates 35 expert speakers, writers and leaders, including Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) and Karen Armstrong, the best-selling author of A History of God and Islam.They discuss the future of Islam, tear down false stereotypes, review the historical realities that have shaped the religion, and examine paradoxes and schisms within the faith.

At a time when every Muslim is forced to defend his faith and Americans are curious about Islam's basic tenets, this book answers many questions at the same time that it ponders both the danger and promise of the future.
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Customer Reviews (9)

Going back to Ignorance
Actually, I bought this book thinking it would be a breath of freash air, but realized quickly enough that the book confirmed my worst fears about the progression of Islam in these days. "Taking Back Islam" is not an effort to take Islam back to its pristine beliefs of tolerance, peace, and respect of women, but another failed attempt to alter a religion, that is incapable of being altered. You cannot change a religion.

Many of the writers of this anthology are liberal writers--feminists, "progressives," and others--,who want to remake Islam in their image. A religion that makes dating acceptable within a so-called "Islamic" context, as is advocated by Asma Gull Hasan. A religion that is lenient on many of the vices of the West would consider normal.

Yes, Islam does encourage seeking knowledge and scholarship has always been apart of a religious tradition that preserved literacy in contrast to its neighbors--most notably the Christian West. However,to suggest changes to the religion, even if to make it attractive to the rest of the World is insane and heretical.

In the end analysis, "Taking Back Islam" is a vein and shallow attempt to defend Islam in the eyes of Western criticism. The book is not reflective of the good of Islam, but rather the problems with our so-called scholars and leaders in the American Islamic community, who seek fame over traditional orthodoxy. While Muslims are dying in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Islamic world, the Hamza Yusufs and Omid Safis sip coffee with the very same individuals and leaders who kill and maim Muslims all over the world, what a shame!Taking Back Islam: American Muslims Reclaim Their Faith

Great voices of some American Muslims
Great book, edited by Michael Wolfe. Highly recommended in this post 9/11 world. Contains a chapter by the great Khaled Abou El Fadl. Pushes a pluralistic moderate Islam.

An overview into a Misunderstood American Culture
Taking back Islam is a compilation of different essays on topics about Islam in the Western post 9/11 world and covers different topics in Islam from the western Muslim's perspective. Muslims and non-Muslims alike would benefit from reading some of the writings presented here. From the essay on the American Muslim by the now president of the ISNA Ingrid Mattson to the interesting article by the former Cat Stevens, Yusuf Islam, on "Islam Sings" Most readers can find something in this collection that could draw some insight into the lives of Muslims in a world dominated by other cultures and religions. True, I did not agree with all the positions presents in some of the individual works but this book is like the American Culture, a melting pot of different ideas and attitudes quilted into a harmonious and stimulating stew. A must read!

Excellent for Generating Much Needed Discussion
This book will go nicely on your coffee table to fill those waiting moments or spark conversation with your guests. Composed of over 40 brief entries written by or about Muslims on a variety of subjects pertaining to the Islamic experience in America, it offers views and insights that will challenge the prevailing notions of both Muslim and non-Muslim readers. While I wrestled with some essays that seemed to throw caution to the wind on controversial issues, I could still see the overall benefit in essays that provoke the re-examination of common assumptions. I especially enjoyed the sections on culture, "Vibrant" Islam, and "Why I Love Being Muslim".

The premise of the book is that the silent majority of "moderate" Muslims need to speak up and define themselves, in contrast to the distorted characterization Islam has suffered in the American media since 9/11. One very significant point this book illustrates is that Islam is not a monolith, and while Muslims are able to unite (for the most part) side-by-side in the same mosques for prayer, there are many issues that Muslims hold a variety of opinions on. In fact, in some ways I am afraid this book fails to fully capture the breadth of Muslim opinion. But if it is widely read, it will certainly provoke discussion and important questions for Muslims to consider. For example, I am sure many Muslims will take issue with the new "Progressive Muslim" movement's undertones in a few chapters, though I must reiterate, the questions provoked by Progressives need to be taken seriously. American Muslim youth will certainly ask them and will probably not be satisfied with the "this is what we found our father's doing" type of answers. Instead we need answers that balance our traditions against the continuous need for renewal.

Also, the issue of interfaith acceptance is theologically oversimplified, characterized by a perennial approach to religion. For example, Shaykh Kabir Helminski offers a novel universal reading to the Quranic verses about Islam, stating that properly understood, islam, with a small i, means submission to God, thus being widely applicable to those seeking a state of submission in general. Regardless of the theological debate, the section of essays on this subject do provide excellent examples of the degree of tolerance and allowance in Islam for peaceful co-existence with other faiths.

Similarly, the two separate sections on violence and democracy helped to provide an accurate portrait of the Islamic stance on these two issues - a stance that is strikingly in consonance with American ideals: War becomes morally necessary in defense of justice; Democracy, or rule by consensus, is intrinsic to good government. Yet again, I think many Muslims would take issue with the indictments in this book against Muslims or Muslim groups whose responsibility for the 9-11 attacks were fed to the public by the media and became the unsubstantiated pretext for the way the Bush government responded in Afghanistan and Iraq. These issues were not necessarily within the scope of the book. But I think it is unfortunate that in order to be politically correct, Muslims are indulging in blanket criticisms that gel with the prevailing notions of the day without engaging a more responsible academic inquiry into the conditions and circumstances of groups such as so-called "Wahhabis", the Taliban, or even Al-Qaeda. This is not to say we must endorse them, any more than we must endorse so-called "Progressives". But it is important that we learn from our condition rather than simply go with the crowd in condemning it.

In spite of the above, I think the benefit in this volume definitely lies in the discussion it generates and far outweighs the cautions I offered above. If not taken as a monolithic "progressive" stance, it represents a worthwhile cross-section of American Islam. It should be read and discussed for this reason. I will pinpoint some of my personal highlights:

Among the first chapters is Ingrid Matteson's essay on the special obligation of American Muslims in the world. She discusses some of the ways we need to live up to this obligation better. But certainly, as much as the brain drain has adversely affected Muslim countries that have lost their best-educated and skillful citizens, America has reaped the benefits. America can boast the most highly educated and wealthiest (by average) Muslims in the world. So it is without doubt that American Muslims must uphold their Islamic social values and work against injustice with both foreign and domestic interests in mind.

Karen Armstrong makes at least three different contributions throughout the book, tackling some issues in the opening section, but also addressing the questions of violence and democracy in Islam. She is well known for her contributions to the body of interfaith literature and her writings here lend well in this respect. Shaykh Ahmed Abdur Rashid `s debunking of six common myths about Islam was also insightful. He discussed common misconceptions about Muslims being monolithic, puritanical, evangelical, premodern, militant, and religiously intolerant. It is as important that these false impressions be corrected in both Muslim and non-Muslim arenas.

Speaking of militancy, Khaled Abou El Fadl provides an analysis of comparative views in Islamic jurisprudence on Jihad that is a good primer for much needed discussion on the appropriate place of war in Islam. Unfortunately, the subject has become taboo for Muslims to discuss due to ongoing random cases of trumped-up legal indictments against Muslims who are well known in their communities to have been decent law abiding Americans. This is unfortunate since the best way to prevent extremism is to be able to discuss the issue of Jihad and its rightful place in Islam in an open free-speech environment of academic honesty. Post-9/11 apologetics will not uproot the boiling resentment that tragically festers into attempts at vigilante justice.

I found the interview with Farid Esack to offer a balanced multidimensional view of the politics behind the global tensions we are faced with today. I especially enjoyed his analogy of the older brother used in the last part of the interview to discuss some of the problems Americans have in perceiving themselves in the modern world. Islam aside, the most important question 9/11 should have elicited amongst Americans is - Why do other countries have so much resentment against the US? It is a sad commentary when silly superficial slogans like "They hate us because we are free", pacify our conscience enough that we stop troubling our intellect for meaningful eye opening answers.

Alexander Kronemer's piece on democracy in Muslim countries provokes an even more troubling paradox: If the United States wants democracy to flourish in Muslim lands (or even other struggling nations), then why has/does our government consistently back(ed) authoritarian regimes? Can Americans really be so blind to the fact that it is not just Muslim nations that struggle under dictatorships? Or is it really plausible to believe that there are whole nations of people who do not want freedom or political participation for themselves and their loved ones? And why is it so easy for us to be duped into thinking that religion is to blame when wealth and control of resources has almost always been the root cause of war and human bloodshed?

While these issues are helpful for Americans to better understand Muslims, what I found most relevant were the pieces that help Muslims to better understand themselves, especially as believers in America. Miriam Udel-Lambert's interviews with American Muslim women offered anti-stereotypical vignettes while tackling pertinent issues. Saraji Umm Zaid's further discussion on women in Muslim communities was also notable.

I also enjoyed Precious Rasheeda Muhammad's writing on the African-American contribution to Islam in the US. Unfortunately, this contribution is typically overlooked and Islam in America tends to be defined by immigrant Muslims. This is not something that can be blamed on the media either, since as she shows, the Islamic ideal of racial equality has not been fully achieved. Immigrant Muslims are defining Islam in the US through their own efforts in ignorance of or at least independently of the groundwork laid by African-American Muslim forerunners.

Yahya Emerick also offers insights on competing interpretations of Islam within the Muslim community. Largely oversimplified, perhaps it provides archetypes rather than definitive categories from which American Muslims can reflect and better understand themselves and the competing entities with the mosque.

My favorite part of the book was the section on culture. It is my contention that Puritanism amongst Muslim movements in the past century has seriously eroded the potential of Muslims to contribute culturally to the degree that Islamic civilization did in the past. Art, literature, poetry, and even music have a place in Islam that needs to be rediscovered. Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) discusses his own struggle with the music taboo, while Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore offers perhaps my favorite essay in the book about poetry and literature. The key, I think is toward the development of a new distinct American Islamic culture. As Islam offered something to every other culture it visited in the world, it is exciting to be living in the pioneer stages when Islam's influence on American culture is being forged.

Shaykh Kabir Helminski offers several nice pieces throughout the book. His section on Rumi helps to show how the cultural merge has already begun. I especially liked his reflection on Ramadan and how fasting forces us away from the security blanket that our consumptive habits provide and force us to deal squarely with our spiritual selves. The reflections on Muslim worship continue with Michael Wolfe recounting his Hajj experience. He contributes several writings throughout the book and serves as the editor. I really enjoyed another of his reflections about a Qari (one who recites the Quran) who he met and heard at a home in Chicago. He painted a beautiful image of this tradition being carried on here in the United States, just as it has been in the Muslim civilization for centuries.

This book visits some famous athletes too, like Hakim Olajuwon and Muhammad Ali. These chapters reminded me of an older similar book by Steven Barboza called "American Jihad". That book was published in the early 1990s and offered a diverse range of personal accounts by American Muslims. Barboza offers his own account here in this volume on his "Odyssey to Islam". The last chapter by Ali Asadullah explores the influence of Islam in rap music, a relatively new genre that finds an audience among many Muslim youth. The bulk of this essay discusses one prominent Muslim rapper, Mos Def and the prevailing social message of his music. In this I found an instructive comparison. As the author points out Mos Def's unique positive message in a genre dominated by "the triumvirate of sex, violence, and materialism", so too should American Muslims stand out in a society being overrun with the same false gods. If there is any question about what Muslims can offer to America, it is certainly answered in this example. It is the universal message of all the Prophets and Messengers to turn people away from falsehood and restore them to their natural and elevated alliance with the Creator and Sustainer.

In closing it is important to acknowledge that much of the anti-America rhetoric that so freely echoed from the pulpits of American mosques before 9/11 revolved around a critical error in judgment about shared values. While America ails with and struggles against the encroachment of sex, violence, and materialism these are not the ideals held up by anyone. This is where I think the next volume must begin: discussing and identifying what is right between Islam and America. It is in these shared values that American Muslim will find their identity and their purpose in the generations ahead.

Interesting....
This small collection of essays by various ethnic Muslims reads easy and fast. Most of the stuff they talked about is nothing new. What I did find interesting was the essays relating to black Muslims, which I rarely hear anything about. I recommend this book for non-Muslims who what to read a different side of stories.
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Product Description
From Africa's Atlantic shore, through North Africa, the Middle East, Central, South, and Southeast Asia, to the far-flung Pacific islands of Indonesia, the Islamic world extends over a vast portion of the globe, embracing approximately one-fifth of the planet's population. Yet, despite the presence of substantial Muslim communities in North America and Europe, the Islamic peoples—their lands, history, culture, art, and faith—remain largely unknown, ignored, or misunderstood by much of the Western world.

The wonderful photographs taken by Robin Laurance on his journey through the heart of Islam will do much to dispel such ignorance of the realities of Islam, its extraordinary achievements, and everyday existence. Here are the Bedouin of Oman's deserts and the stockbrokers of Kuwait; the dancers of the Turkish State Ballet and the shadow puppeteers of Java; a group of Friday worshipers in Kuala Lumpur and a solitary but equally faithful roadside worshiper in Saudi Arabia; the privileged blue-turbaned young men of Lahore's leading private school and the less privileged students of the Koran at a hidden madrasa in Karachi.

The architecture shows equally striking contrasts in the grand mosques of Isfahan and Istanbul, the tiny private mosques of Indonesia and Kuwait, and the desert mosques of Arabia. While the high-rise plate-glass structures of the rich Gulf States reflect a newfound wealth, the extraordinary laval cone homes of central Anatolia mirror the ingenuity of a bygone age.

Robin Ostle of Oxford University has written a valuable introduction, explaining the historical background and principles of Islam; the tenets of the faith; its place in law, state, and society; and its relation to the other two great monotheistic religions—Judaism and Christianity—with which it shares so many values. 154 color photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Beautiful photographs with a broad geographic approach
This is a sumptuous portfolio on Islam based on the principle of a picture being worth a thousand words. The book captures the complexity of Islam by looking at the world of Islam in four geographic chapters: North & West Africa, Near & Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.

The photographer has a great eye for color and character. He captures color in backgrounds to set off the rich detail of his pictures. The character is revealed in his portraits of the Islamic people. From children to the elderly, and even in the eyes of the women behind their veils, his camera searches for and finds the character of the people he photographs. Some of the landscapes have a graininess that detracts from their composition, but this does not detract form the overall work.

There is a five page Introduction by Robin Ostle that provides a general background on Islam. Also each chapter starts with a brief half-page discussion of the particular aspects of Islam in the region. Sadly, the author doesn't have a chapter on Islam in the West.

The book will be a welcome addition to any Islamic cultural collection. It is a visual treat for any Westerners wanting a good book that goes beyond the simple stereotypes of Islam. ... Read more

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Focusing on Rabi'a of Basra, a woman of unique personality and a true mystic, Margaret Smith's comprehensive book highlights women's contributions to the rich heritage of Islam.Surveying the female saints of the Muslim world, her authoritative work provides a unique insight into a lesser-known aspect of the development of Islamic mysticism. ... Read more

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powerful sufi mystics
I love any book celebrating women and their strength in spirituality/religion/mysticism. This book is must have for any woman seeking to learn more of these powerful women. These are the feminine "rumi's" ... Read more

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From papers held at a 1999 conference. Contents: The current state of Islam in America / Larry Poston -- Islam's agenda in North America : patterns of Islamization / A. AbDat-Isa -- Islam and the African American community / Carl Ellis -- Muslim women in North America / Janet G. Metzger -- South Asian MBBs / Samuel Naaman -- Iranian MBBs / Abe Ghaffari -- International student MBBs / David Philip -- African-American MBBs / Wilford Darden -- Christ the victor / Roy Oksnevad -- Hospitality / Gerhard Wilch -- Refugees / Milton Clark -- Friendship centers / Samuel Naaman -- International students / David Philip -- Iranis / Ashton T. Stewart, Jr. -- Kurds / Robert Blincoe -- Muslim/Christian dialogue / Jeff Morton -- The Internet / Jochen Katz -- Muslim ministry workers in North America : a database report / Richard M. Bailey -- The call to the church in North America / Richard P. Bailey -- Ministry to Muslims in the third millennium / Roy Oksnevad and Dotsey Welliver -- How to respond to Muslims / Sam Elisha. ... Read more

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Beyond Sharî'a, Jihad and Fatwâs
John Bowen started his career as a specialist of Indonesia, doing fieldwork and writing books about the balance between legal and Islamic norms in Southeast Asia. He has now transformed himself into an astute observer of Islam in modern France. His book on Why the French Don't Like Headscarves remains to date the best study on the public debate that led to the banning of "ostentatious religious signs" --i.e., Islamic head coverings worn by Muslim girls, in the secular space of French public schools (other essays on the same issue, here and here, are more militant in style, but simply don't match his scholarship).

In his writings, Bowen develops an "anthropology of public reasoning", highlighting the ways in which people deliberate and debate in public settings in order to seek areas of broad agreement in a pluralistic society. In Can Islam Be French, he explores the development of mosques and of Islamic schools and institutes and, simultaneously, the Islamic reasoning that sustends and suffuses these institutions. His focus, he writes with tongue-in-cheek humor (considering the moral panic that these Islamic notions elicit in the Western public), is on a "broad middle group of Muslims who do not wish to renounce the possibility of just war (yes, jihad) and do wish to remain true to Islam's norms (yes, sharî'a) and who do tune in to scholarly opinions (yes, fatwâs) and who, all the while, live ordinary, nonterrorizing lives."

Sharî'a, jihad and fatwâs: these heavily loaded terms have entered the public debate in Western societies. Other Islamic notions are more limited to a group of Muslim scholars who are trying to configure a set of norms and institutions that would anchor Islam in France, while contributing to the global Ummah. The classic distinction between the dâr al-islâm and the dâr al-harb as two distinct geographical abodes opposing Islamic and non-Islamic settings, has been complemented by new notions such as the dâr al-da'wa and the dâr ash-shahâda, the realms of predication and of witnessing, more attuned to European societies in which Moslems form a minority.

Bowen particularly insists on what he labels the maqâsid approach--as in al maqâsid ash-sharî'a-- as the overall "objectives of God's revelation", a type of theological and legal reasoning that draws on a long tradition of thinking about the interest and welfare (maslaha) of Muslims that emphasizes the adaptation of norms to broader religious goals. This approach stands as a middle ground between those who suggest that Muslims living in secular places should be exempted from Islamic rules that otherwise would apply, and others who insist on keeping to the letter of the revealed texts. The author sees it as a promising way to reconcile Islamic jurisprudence with modern French society.

Bowen also opposes the "rule-book approach" of Islam, referring to the forbidden and the permitted (the harâm and the halâl) as fixed anchors for good Muslims to follow, and a more scholarly approach that urges Muslims to follow one of several established legal traditions or madhhab. Most Muslims originating from North Africa follow the Mâlikî tradition, named after the great scholar Mâlik ibn Anas (d. 795), but some other also refer to the Hanafî, the Hanbalî and the Shâfi'î schools of thought that are popular in other regions of the Muslim world. A third general approach to teaching Islam in France emphasizes a set of Islamic principles related to one another in a systematic way, borrowing from various traditions and from contemporary scholars such as Yûsuf al-Qaradâwî and the European Council for Fatwa and Research. Most groups, including the Tabligh or so-called Salafi, stay clear of politics. As a matter of fact, Muslim political demands operate within a Republican space, and they pursue the even-handed application of French laws (on schooling, religious freedom, houses of worship) and not for the development of shari`a-based laws.

Because the traditional Islamic institutions that define specific authorities are virtually absent from Europe, religious entrepreneurs have taken the place taken elsewhere by muftis, 'ulamâ and faqîhs. These Islamic public actors have developed various social institutions, particularly religious training centers, mosques, and Islamic associations. They differ along their degree of professionalization, their reliance on the use of Arabic or French as a medium of communication, and their emphasis on religious teaching as opposed to providing an Islam-friendly cultural atmosphere.Of particular relevance is the chapter devoted to an "Islamic Republican school", Ecole La Réussite in Aubervilliers, which provides an interesting case study on how a secular curriculum is being taught and reinterpreted in a Muslim school setting.

Questions that Muslims bring to public debates inevitably raise the issue of whether there should be distinctive Islamic norms for France (and by extension for Western secular societies). How should French Muslims live, work, marry, and sacrifice? And who has authority and legitimacy to comment on these decisions? Bowen explores these issues through particular debates, such as whether Muslims may take home loans at interest, how to negotiate across French laws and Islamic norms in the case of marriage and divorces, or how to provide for halâl food and ritual sacrifice during the festival of Îd al-adhâ.

In his conclusion, Bowen claims that Islamic spheres can coexist and thrive in the Republican space, and that the French secular tradition may be more amenable to religious pluralism than British or U.S. arrangements based on multiculturalism. Despite the social and moral objections wielded in France to the sort of Islamic ideas and institutions developed by Islamic public actors, he sees a potential convergence between the socially pragmatic styles of reasoning advocated by some French legal scholars and the maqâsid approach of religious objectives. These examples of pragmatic legal reasoning make use of accepted French social forms--legally registered associations, divorce by mutual consent, private agreements--to legitimate institutions that may be innovative in specific form (mosques, outdoor abattoirs, talaq divorce) but that legally and morally extend to Muslims those rights already secured by others in France.

In the end, the answer to the question raised in the book's title boils down to whether social pragmatism and value pluralism can prevail in the country of Rousseau and Voltaire. The author is moderately optimistic: "Recent French political rhetoric, he notes, is not promoting a convergence with Islamic norms and ideas", and we are, in a sense, witnessing a "tightening of the value-screw". But one should not grant too much importance to headlines and declarations. The type of Islamic public reasoning that Bowen documents does not attract much media attention, but may be of greater significance than the more visible controversies on veils and minarets. And the "reasonable accommodations" that form the basis of our common life among people living in differing conditions and with different beliefs may guarantee that such a common life endures.
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An interesting, well-informed view
Lawrence Rosen is one of the most thoughtful anthropological voices writing about the Middle East.In "The Culture of Islam" he attempts something which is almost impossible: concisely describe and write about a dogmatically and culturally diverse religion with a depth of understanding that permeates how religion is actually lived.I was sympathetic to much of what he wrote, which comes mainly from Arab examples (and even there from an exceptional case, Morocco), although I did not necessarily agree with all of his conclusions.He is well-versed in Islamic jurisprudence and Arab social organization, and this primer goes farther than most in conveying a palpable understanding of a fascinating system of thought, meaning-making and cosmology.Because his experience is mainly in Morocco, as mentioned before many of the examples come from there.That does not detract from his main points which most definitely have resonance across the entire region.

not what I expected
The opening chapter, in the "look inside this book," is a detailed narrative about a group of men trying to deal with a social situation and to get outside help against the favoritism and bribes being deployed by the opposing side. I was hoping to pursue this narrative to see a micro-history of just how such business does get done, the texture of life, the way things work or don't work. Instead, the narrative ended unfinished at the end of chapter one, and other chapters were much more abstract accounts of sociological issues, including debate with other sociologists; so I was disappointed. Nonetheless, there are some very interesting sections here: on just how different are the ways of thinking about government or the self, or the kinds of marital problems caused (or exacerbated) by migration to the West. In sum, this does offer intriguing anecdotes and insights, but quite different from what the "look inside" seemed to promise.

More trouble than it is worth...
As stated by Timothy R. Furnish, from Georgia Perimeter College: Drawing upon his experiences as an anthropologist in Morocco, Rosen analyzes several facets of modern Muslim society. The elusive thesis of his essays collected here would seem to be that all politics in the Middle East is personal. Power may grow out of the barrel of a gun but is only deemed legitimate when the leader takes into account the primacy of social relationships, especially tribal units.

The chapter on tribes might have been worthwhile reading for U.S. military commanders heading to Iraq in 2003, in that Rosen rejects the idea that tribes are but a stage in political evolution and contends that they can coexist within other types of political systems. While one might find reason for optimism for democracy in Iraq from his view that Middle Eastern rulers are "more like paramount chieftainships than like states" because they "get their power from below-from other chiefs," Rosen also argues that "each leader is by definition legitimate if he succeeds in ... grasp[ing] the reins of power." Might, in other words, does make right.

In this vein, Rosen holds that Daniel Pipes was wrong to assert in his 1983 book, In the Path of God: Islam and Political Power that Islamic expectations for good governance are set so high that no Muslim government is ever truly legitimate.[1] Instead, Rosen sticks to his assertion, acquired in Morocco, that simply seizing power legitimates a ruler.

Rosen's interests take some essays in the direction of strictly cultural issues, such as Moroccans' view of corruption and mixed marriages (a chapter better suited to a legal textbook). Other of his chapters look more broadly at current issues, such as his views on the continuing relevance of Salman Rushdie's Satanic Verses for having allowed a kernel of doubt to nose its way under the smugly righteous ideological tents of ulema and mullahs. Rosen's optimism about a kinder, gentler Islam developing in Europe seems anachronistic after the 2004 Madrid explosions, the ritualistic murder of Theo Van Gogh, and the 2005 London attacks. His contention that "deep cultural change is not going on" in the Islamic world remains to be seen, but it stands out for counter-intuitive boldness. Overall, while The Culture of Islam contains thought-provoking nuggets, finding them amidst the opaque dust of anthropological verbiage makes it often more trouble than it is worth.

1. New York: Basic Books, 1983, p. 55-63.

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Picturing Islam: Art and Ethics in a Muslim Lifeworld explores issues of religion, nationalism, ethnicity, and globalization through the life and work of the prominent contemporary Indonesian artist Abdul Djalil Pirous.

· Presents a unique addition to the anthropology of art and religion

· Demonstrates the impact of Islam, ethnicity, nationalism, and globalization on the work and life of an internationally recognized postcolonial artist

· Weaves together visual and narrative materials to tell an engrossing story of a cosmopolitan Muslim artist

· Looks at contemporary Islamic art and the way it has been produced in the world’s largest Muslim nation, Indonesia ... Read more

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1913. While Europe, century after century, treads the path of progress and development, the abiding characteristic of the numberless tribes that wander with their tents and flocks over the vast and arid deserts of Arabia is their immutability. What they are today, such they were yesterday, and such they will be tomorrow: they know neither advance nor variation: the Bedawy preserves, in all its purity, the spirit which animated his ancestors in the days of Mohammed, and the best commentaries on the history and the poetry of the Pagan Arabs are the descriptions given by modern travelers of the manners, customs, and modes of thought of the Bedawin amongst whom they have sojourned. Contents: Civil Wars; Christians and Renegades; The Khalifate; The Petty Tyrants; Chronological Tables. ... Read more

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Questionable
This was a well writen book,except for the section where Steve talks about Master Fard coming to Detroit in the 1930's and instilling self-pride in the black community.He(steve) made the small mistake of accusing W.D.Fard of instigating hostility of blacks with the police. Quote" after they heard the teachings,they where given new names,and identification cards.Where they paraded out into the streets,throwing it up in every white person's face. I personally dont believe it happened that way. Muslim's are taught to be honorable,and law biding.Why would they go out to provoke harrasment? especially back then,when the FBI wanted them destroyed?

Hate Begot Hate
The Nation ofIslam includes a doctrine that it is the religion for people of darker complexions. White people are the enemy of God. Historic Islam does not teach this. In this book, a vivid picture is presented how hypocrisy within the Christian church created an atmosphere where a segment of the African American populationsought out a philosophy to explain white hatred and meanness towards those with different skin tones. The Nation of Islam was not the first. Marcus Garvey had a following. His teachings sought to separate the African American population from the white race both in geographic area, socially, economically, and in religious thought. Christianity had no part in his vision to improve the lives of the African American population inside the United States. He wanted the population to leave the United States.

Also presented are the ideas of Noble Drew Ali, the founder of the Moorish temple. He also taught the separation of the races: both geographically and in faith. He taught that Jesus really was black. W.D. Fard was a student Noble Drew Ali. After the death of the Moorish temple founder, Fard became the founder of the Nation of Islam. He spread his teaching while being a traveling salesman of silk and raincoats. Soon he had to rent out halls to contain those wanting to learn his teachings. Elijah Mohammad (then known as Elijah Poole) after hearing him speak proclaimed Fard to be Allah. Later this became part of Fard's teachings.Poole became Fard's top student and within two years Poole lead the Nation of Islam. His reign lasted forty years.

Also included in this book is the sketch of Malcolm Little's life that included a childhood of being past from Foster home to Foster home. How he became converted to the Nation of Islam in prison ,through a correspondence with Elijah Muhammad and became known as Malcolm X. In the late fifties he became the spokesman for the Nation of Islam. Due to a 1959 CBS documentary about Malcolm X titled Hate that Hate Produced, NOImembership increased rapidly after the show was televised. This book details why Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam to join Sunni Islam. How aLouis Wolcott became a follower of the Nation of Islam and had his name changed to Louis Farrakan. Included are details of his rise to power. Also included is a discussion about Islam, Christianity, the Bible and the Qur'an.. Tsoukas argues that the Nation of Islam incorporates both the Bible and the Qu'ran in its teachings in a way that neither Islam or Christianity teach.

Outstanding overview of The Nation of Islam ("NOI")
The book, by author Steven Tsoukalas, is outstanding for several reasons.The author documents, with extensive footnotes (thank you for the footnotes!), the history/beliefs of the "NOI."The book is written in about as "neutral" a tone as Tsoukalas, a Christian, could have written it.It is NOT sarcastic.He does NOT "make fun" of the "NOI."The book is also succinct and avoids going into unnecessary details.Tsoukalas uses vocabulary that most readers will understand (that is, he does not try to impress readers with big words, etc.).

If you want an introduction to the history/beliefs of the "NOI," this is the book for you.

probably the best way to approach the NOI belief system
If you are wondering about the Black Muslims, but only interested knowing the basics about thier belief system, this book is definatly for you.Tsoukalas has a wonderful gift for writing and telling history.Unlike most books about the NOI, Tsoukalas takes the right approach in describing thier history and belifs.The only book that might do a better job is C. Eric Lincolns book 'The Black Muslims in America' but that book goes into extreme detail within the black Muslim history.Tsoukalas's book is much more basic and to the point. He does what should be done, he tells the facts about the Blacks Muslims without totally bashing them.In his last chapter, he does give a Christian response to the black Muslims, but it is in no way a bashing of their belief system.I would definatly recomend this book to anyone who wants a short but well written explaination of the Black Muslims.

Well Done Overview of Subject Most Uneducated On
Tsoukalas provides well-written, brief background and Christian evaluation of Nation of Islam, which most of us Americans hear much about and little understand.

He disbands the myths that it is Muslim.It differs as he carefully points out in its basic disagreement that W.D. Fard is Allah (God), and that he is a man, a black man.As anyone familiar with Islam is aware, this is totally against their view of Allah.

In a procession of messengers, beginning with Elihah Muhammed, continuing to Malcom X, then to Louis Farrakan, the author provides intro to this development and its implications.

Also, he provides advice on how a Christian can witness, given God provides the opportunity.This is very useful, as well as the accompanying discussion on a Christian evaluation of NOI.He is lacking on an understanding of the communication of Chrsit's two natures, which would alleviate the problems in this evaluation.

A good introductory read to the subject. ... Read more

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PREFACE IX I desire also to acknowledge my obligations to Sir Sayyid AJ:!mad Khan Bahadur, R.C.S.I., LL.D.; to my learned friend and colleague, Shamsu-l 'Ulama' Mawlawi Muhammad Shibli Nu'mani, who has assisted me most generously out of the abundance of his knowledge of early Muhammadan history; and to my former pupil, Mawlawi Bahadur 'Ali, M.A. Lastly, and above all, must I thank my dear wife, but for whom this work would never have emerged out of a chaos of incoherent materials, and whose sympathy and approval are the best reward of my labours. A ligarh , I896. Professor Wensinck), and the l!cole des Langues Orientales Vivantes, Paris ;-to Mr. J. A. Oldham, editor of The International Review of Missions, I am indebted for the loan of volumes of the Allgemeine Missions-Zeitschrift, a set of which I have been unable to find in London; my thanks are specially due to Dr. F. W. Thomas, who has allowed me to study for lengthy periods (along with other books from the

Table of Contents

CONTENTS; CHAPTER 1; INTRODUCTION; A mIssIOnary religion defined Islam a missionary religion; its; extent The Qur'an enjoins preaching and persuasion, and; forbids violence and force in the conversion of unbelievers; The present work a history of missions, not of persecutions; CHAPTER II; STUDY OF THE LIFE OF MUl;IAMMAD CONSIDERED AS A; PREACHER OF ISLAM; Mul)ammad the type of the Muslim missionary Account of his; early efforts at propagating Islam, and of the conversions made; in Mecca before the Hijrah Persecution of the converts, and; migration to Medina Condition of the Muslims in Medina:; beginning of the national life of Islam Islam offered (a) to the; Arabs, (b) to the whole world Islam declared in the Qur'an to '; be a universal religion,-as being the primitive faith delivered; to Abraham Mul)ammad as the founder of a political organisation; The spread of Islam and the efforts made to convert the v; Arabs after the Hijrah Th ... Read more

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Concise Summary of Islam
Great reading for a very concise summary of Islam from a native scholar of the Middle East.Very clear and very easy light reading.

What Do Muslim's Believe
This has to be a book many more Americans need to read. While a faithful Muslim, Sardar gives a very enlightened view of his faith and points out that in a sense Islam is not much different from Jewish and Christian faiths. I have always been told that the Koran is violent and preaches violence. Having read The Bible and The Koran, one might make the same argument for the Old Testament.

The three faiths have the same founder, Abraham, yet went off in different directions...but at heart never leaving behind their belief in God, someone greater than themselves and that it is the duty of all followers to help their fellow man. Read this book. Hopefully he and others that believe like him will lead the faith to a Renaissance of new thought. Not one based on revenge but on one that tries to help the condition of all men (and women) and achieve what we all want in this world - peace and a modicum of prosperity.

A good starting point for learning about Islam
In this short and very readable introduction, Sardar covers all the well-known traditions of the Muslim faith (praying, fasting, etc) but also offers an overview of more complex issues like Islamic philosophy, Islamic attitudes to science, and the origins of fundamentalism. This book would be a great starting point to a general reader who just wants to see what islam and Muslims are all about-- and the book especially shines in its discussion of key concepts like khalifa (guardianship of the earth) and the driving force of social justice and fairness that lie behind many Muslim practices. (For example, who knew that early Muslims established zoning laws in their cities to protect the environment?)

But Muslims have often failed Muslim values, and Sardar is not afraid to admit it. It sounds ironic at best to talk of fairness and social justice when we see images of jailed dissidents in Iran, or of the Taliban's gruesome tactics in Afghanistan. But, Sardar argues, the faith itself is not at fault, nor are those images representative of Islam as a whole. He points to a liberal Muslim network in Indonesia or to the work of female Muslim theologians who are able to reread the holy texts in a different light. And really he'd only need to point to the vast Muslim majority, who might be more or less orthodox, but who only want to live in peace. Muslims now are asking critical questions, Sardar argues, and breaking with some of the fossilized traditions to create a way of living that's more in tune with how Islam was originally intended: "Liberal humanism is not a Western invention; rather it has deep roots in Islamic history."

At barely 120 pages, you can't expect this book to go too deeply into the complex issues it discusses. I understand that. Still, no matter how much I liked Sardar's message, I felt frustrated at times by the lack of source material: no footnotes, no sources cited, nothing except a very short suggested-reading list at the end of the book. This seems like a shortcoming to me, and it means that if you really want to learn about any of the topics he discusses, you'll have to do some further study. But maybe that's the point of a short introduction like this: to give just a little bit of background and then encourage the reader to look deeper.

Concise overview of Islam
A very good introduction to Islam.This book, or another on Islam, should be required reading for all high school students.Clears up many misconceptions of what Muslims believe. ... Read more

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Excellent Anthology
This anthology on Islamic education has been an invaluable source for my senior research paper. The articles of Jonathan Berkey, Muhammad Qasim Zaman, Barbara Metcalf, and Malika Zeghal have each been particularly useful.

Though published in 2007, many of the authors begin their chapter with reference to the western media's new found fascination with the Muslim world following the terrorist attacks of 9/11/2001.While this fascination has indeed started many discussions and contributed to the formulation of many opinions among the American populous, my hope is that the scholarly discourse on Muslim education will look beyond the popular media for sources of inspiration in the years ahead. ... Read more

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