"The 21st century will be the century of Islam," writes Ahmed, who holds a chair in Islamic Studies at American University in Washington, D.C. Moreover, the 21st century may be "a time of war between Islam and... other world civilizations." Ahmed resists easy characterizations of Islam, always striving to offer a balanced depiction: Islam is both exclusivist and inclusivist, respectful of women but also mired in some cultural traditions that oppress them. Some portions of the book are dry and theoretical, and the academic jargon makes for slow reading. Other sections are fascinating and engaging--particularly Ahmed's ethnographic explorations of different pockets of Muslim life. He shares his difficult personal experiences as a scholar who spearheaded a controversial film study of Pakistan founder M.A. Jinnah, and concludes: "Looking at the breakdown of society for a Muslim scholar is like staring into the face of despair." In the next section, however, he communicates his optimism after visiting the inclusive, tolerant Muslim community in Toledo, Ohio.
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"Above all, this is a courageous book. Ahmed uses his knowledge of the Koran and anthropology to confront his co-religionists with uncomfortable truths about women, honour, social cohesion and leadership at a time when Islam is confronting all major world religions"
Times Higher Education Supplement
"In my view there surely cannot be a more relevant book ... one of the most distinguished Muslim scholars today, Professor Akbar Ahmed offers us a clear vision that has the potential to unite us in common action and purpose. It is one of the most hopeful books as well as one of the most challenging I have read in recent years."
Washington Times
"Ahmed paints a frightening picture of a world reverting to a more primitive state. This is an honest attempt to describe the problems Muslims face. without absolving them entirely from blame. Western readers should reciprocate in kind."
Karen Armstrong, Modern Asian Studies
"This new book is written in a language that is understood in the West and is readily accessible...Ahmed explains convincingly the moral collapse of societies in what he calls our "Post-Honor World"..."
Houston Chronicle
"Bold and provocative, its penetrating cultural analysis will challenge Muslims and Westerners, demanding a more sophisticated consideration of what is occurring in the world"
Christian Science Monitor
"Ahmed's book is an immense contribution to understanding a contemporary, dangerous world. No course on contemporary Islam or global studies should be deemed complete without this work. Both the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds owe Ahmed a great debt for this piece of honest, hard-hitting scholarship."
Islamic Studies
"It is rare to find a book this is so theoretically sophisticated and yet to readable ... It is a book that one can give to a friend or neighbor who wants to make sense of Islam and the world today as well as assign to graduate students in Islamic Studies and political science ... If there is a better book about our post-9/11 world, this reviewer has not yet seen it. Hopefully, it will receive the widest possible readership."
Middle East Journal
"Islam Under Siege should be required reading for policy makers in Washington, Europe and the Islamic World. It deserves to be translated into all of the major languages of the Middle East and South Asia."
Middle East Policy
"It is a pleasure to read Ahmed's Islam Under Siege. One need not agree with every sentence and every phrase of any author. But if the author has been honest to his profession and made readers think, his contribution is seminal. Ahmed succeeds in doing precisely that."
Seminar (New Delhi)
"This is the most important book to date on life in the post 9/11 world. Islam Under Siege goes beyond assigning guilt, to understanding the world that has produced such hatred and misunderstanding. In this sometimes personal and consistently courageous meditation on the uncertainties of our time, Akbar Ahmed offers hope by focusing on shared notions of honor and human dignity.”
Tamara Sonn, American Council for the Study of Islamic Societies
“Akbar Ahmed is one of the wisest and bravest writers on Islam. This work confirms his reputation as a savant in the field.”
Chris Rojek, Nottingham Trent University
“Akbar Ahmed’s understanding of the relationship between politics and culture sets him apart from other analysts of contemporary Islam.”
Louis W. Goodman, American University
"Islam Under Siege is an honorable quest to capture and analyze the dishonorable conduct of human society in a post honor world. Just like an alarm clock that rings in your head it forces you to wake up from the pretentious slumber we are so used to. In fact this book keeps you awake long after you are done reading it."
Faizan Haq, State University of New York at Buffalo
