Islam Under Siege: Living Dangerously in a Post- Honor World (Themes for the 21st Century Series) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Anthropology has much for which to thank bin Laden..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, Ibn Khaldun, Islamic Center (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"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.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"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...written by one of the most distinguished Muslim scholars today...In truth, I cannot think of a more relevant book...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

"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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Polity; 1 edition (August 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0745622100
• ISBN-13: 978-0745622101
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #755,690 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Muslim Perspective, July 14, 2003

By A Customer

If you read Bernard Lewis and Karen Armstrong's books on Islam, you'll enjoy Dr. Akbar Ahmed's Muslim perspective on what's going on in the Muslim world. This book answered many of my questions about Islam after Sept. 11: why is Islam, a peaceful religion, in conflict with every major religion in the world? How are the media contributing to a sensationalist view of Islam? What are Muslims around the world doing to reclaim their religion from fanatics? I highly recommend reading Dr. Ahmed's books. His emphasis on dialogue and tolerance help me better understand how most Muslims feel about the state of their religion and its place in the world.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thoughtful essay on Muslim predicament, March 10, 2005

By	L. F Sherman "dikw" (Wiscasset, ME United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

For those who reflect on the mess in much of the Islamic World Ahmed's uncompromising essay is worthwhile reading. Mature reflections by an Anthropologist, former Ambassador and Muslim intellectual provide perspective and ideas all but absent in Western media.

Neither `Occidentalist' blaming the west nor `Orientalist' blaming Islam, Ahmed considers the witches brew of tribal, dynastic, European, and Islamic factors in times of great pressure, rapid change, and social imbalance. He is hard on Muslim leaders and countries - this is no apology. He also attempts to understand and analyze these difficult times. The application of the idea of a "post-Honor" world (including Muslim views of Clinton) may speak more to readers than the chapter on Ibn Khaldun and asabiyya perhaps.

At times personal, even idiosyncratic, the essay is always provocative. For those with some background and serious about understanding who want more than the typically polemic or hidden agenda multitude of books promoted in the U.S. - read this. Muslims frustrated by hving disaster after disaster in the media and public attention on what they see as exceptional, even un Islamic, presented as `typical' - read this.

Three other books are strongly suggested: for recent events and a Muslim `take' on the news "The War on Islam" by Enver Masud would complement this essay. Also Michael Sells and Emran Qureshi have edited a valuable collection "The New Crusades: constructing the Muslim Enemy". Another insightful book has three studies of how the purposeful fiction of the "Axis of Evil" has been promoted and manipulated (Inventing the Axis of Evil: The Truth About North Korea, Iran, and Syria
by Bruce Cumings, et al.)

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book with refreshing ideas, May 17, 2006

By	Vahit Sametoglu (Pittsburgh, PA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Islam Under Siege: Living Dangerously in a Post- Honor World (Themes for the 21st Century Series) (Paperback)

This is a must-read book written by a broad-minded, knowledgeable and experienced author, if you are interested in current World events and the notions behind them.

The author, in no way, condones suicide missions or terrorist activities or any other kind of violence. He lays down the terrorists' mindset in plain language.

He also mentions the reasons why the Muslim youth in some Muslim-majority countries react very harshly and aggressively against the West or anything represents the Western civilization.

He argues that some of the violent acts of some Muslims, under no circumstances, represent the compassionate and peaceful aspects of Islam. Therefore, they cause great trouble for non-Muslims as well as Muslims. Especially, Muslims living in Europe and North America are exposed to threats, harassments, discrimination and isolation. This acts as an impetus to push Muslims to further estrangement, and possibly to marginalization.

He also presents very meaningful and sensible propositions for Westerners as to how they approach and treat Muslims and receive positive feedbacks and reactions. There are also very constructive and sound suggestions for Muslims, especially Muslim leaders as to how they should act and govern their countries in order to make long-lasting progress.

In conclusion, a broad-minded, tolerant, and knowledge and compassion-based attitude for Muslims is promoted throughout the book. When Muslims regain the genuine Islamic sense of justice, compassion, care and scholarship and live up to these principles, they will have a good chance of gaining their old glory back.