Customer Reviews

Competing Visions of Islam in the United States: A Study of Los Angeles (Contributions to the Study of Religion)

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By reading this book one can get a clear, well researched, and 'real life' picture about Islam/muslims in the United States. Where there are so many unfortunate misleading information about Islam and Muslims in our community, Mr. GhaneaBassiri puts forth a true and dignified perspective about the religion and muslims' experience. This is a well written and thorough book.

This book is excellent for at least two reasons. Unlike other books on Islam in America, it considers all Muslims: immigrants, converts, black Muslims, and NOI. Second, Ghaneabassiri shows a human side to his subject, one which is lacking in other books. It is a shame the book is not in paperback.

An insightful portrayal of the second largest religious community in the United States. A must read for all who are interested in American pluralism and the future of this country's religious landscape

I am a moslem and I think there are more things that any researcher about Islam must tell the people and I think this book is very useful for all the people in all contries. I like to thanks Kambiz Gh. for this book. I wish to have more books from him about Islam.

I remember the day that Kambiz received his book in the mail, "hot from the press," so to speak. We were studying in Middlebury, Vermont, and I had the honor to be a classmate of Kambiz. I flipped through the book, and though i didn't read it, it was obvious from the accuracy of his data on MSA-UCLA that he had done a considerable amount of fieldwork.

adambenwang@hotmail.com

GhaneaBassiri, an Iranian 174 doctoral student at Harvard, read widely, sent out a questionnaire, and talked to American Muslims. The result is perhaps the most sophisticated study to date of Muslim attitudes in the United States. He reaches two main conclusions.

First, immigrant and convert Muslims alike share a deeply ambivalent attitude toward American culture. They find immorality rampant in the country ("culturally retarded" is one interviewee's colorful term) 44 but see it as an exciting place of opportunity-not just for economic gain, but as a place "to live Islam." 44 This ambivalence, GhaneaBassiri finds, has direct political implications: "a significant number of Muslims, particularly immigrant Muslims, do not have close ties or loyalty to the United States." 47 Indeed, his questionnaire shows that 12 out of 15 immigrants and even 5 out of 15 converts feel more allegiance to a foreign country than to the United States. 45 Second, GhaneaBassiri finds that Muslims in the United States "are undecided about what Islam is and requires." 50 Taking advantage of America's unique religious freedom, they insist on exploring their Islamic identity and are bouyantly self-confident about their potential to lead the Muslim world. 57 This attitude, when coupled with the enormous ethnic and sectarian diversity of American Islam, translates into a disunity that has prevented American Muslims from influencing American politics. 101

Middle East Quarterly, Islam in the United States December 1998