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In a book of first-rate investigative reporting, Geneive Abdo uncovers the hidden side of Egypt's so-called Islamic threat. The Arab world's only secular state, Egypt is the West's trophy in the area's power politics, yet insurgent Islamism has been a constant threat to this status. While the West and Egypt's own government have focused on the importance of exterminating Islamic militants, a quiet revolution has transformed the general population. Abdo, news correspondent for British publications, dons her veil and interviews the varying faces of Egypt's newly devout Muslims. By the time Abdo has traipsed from Cairo slums to elite college campuses, from influential professional organizations to a den of militant activities, it is clear to anyone willing to see that Islamic organizations have been good to the majority of Egyptians, who have been locked out of Egypt's corrupt government. Yet Abdo also questions the implications of Islam as a political solution, and the answers can be disturbing. With Egypt viewed as a vanguard of the Middle East,
No God but God cannot be ignored.
--Brian Bruya
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Despite recent efforts by historians and journalists, Islam still remains a subject that is misconstrued and often reviled by the West. Many books have tried to explain that all adherents of the prophet Mohammed are not terrorists, warmongers, empire builders, and anti-American. This most recent effort shows the peaceful nature of Islam and is a fascinating look at an Islamic subculture mostly unknown to the Western non-Muslim. Abdo, a Middle East correspondent for the
Guardian and the
Economist, has delved into the grassroots Islamic movement in Egypt to show how that country is accepting modern secularism, yet at the same time rediscovering Islamic religious devotion, and doing it peacefully. Abdo was able to break through the walls of mistrust felt toward the Western press by donning full Islamic dress and was allowed into a world that has little before been seen by outsiders. Through her interactions with Muslims of all social structures and classes in Egypt (thereby showing that Islamic revivalism is not a matter for just the poor), Abdo presents fruitful cross-cultural undercurrents that provide hope for peace and understanding between secularism and religion.
Michael SpinellaCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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