The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality?

By John L. Esposito

Book Overview

Are Islam and the West on an inevitable collision course? Are Islamic fundamentalists medieval fanatics--a threat to stability in the Muslim world and to American interests in the region? Does a clash of world views loom on the horizon? From the Ayatollah Khomeini to Saddam Hussein, the image of Islam as a militant, expansionist, and rabidly anti-American religion has gripped the minds of Western governments and the media. But these questions and perceptions, John Esposito writes, stem from a long history of mutual distrust, criticism, and condemnation--and they are far too simplistic to help us understand one of the most important issues of our times.
In The Islamic Threat, Esposito places the challenge of Islam in critical perspective, exploring the vitality of Islam as a global force and the history of its relations with the western world. He offers a systematic assessment of Islamic politics in several key nations (including Iran, Libya, Lebanon, Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, and Algeria) and in particular Islamic movements (from moderates to radicals), demonstrating the diversity of the Islamic resurgence--and the mistakes western analysts make in assuming a hostile, monolithic Islam. Esposito examines the potential challenge or threat of Islam in light of the Rushdie affair, the Gulf War of 1990-91, the New World Order, and the pressure for democratization in the Muslim world. He goes on to explore the issues facing Islam and the West in the 1990s, such as pluralism, human rights, the status of women and minorities in the context of Islamic revivalism.
John Esposito is one of the foremost authorities on the Islamic world, widely acclaimed in both Muslim nations and the West. His most recent work, Islam: The Straight Path, was praised as "lucid and comprehensive" (Washington Post Book World) and "probably the best one-volume introduction" (Voice Literary Supplement). In this incisive and important new study, he throws fresh light on one of the most critical issues in world politics today.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195071840
• ISBN13: 9780195071849
• Release Date: October 1992
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.0" x 6.4"

Customer Reviews

Well balanced book

I had to read this for my Islamic Civilization II class and it worked out well. The time and research that went into this book was very thourough and I praise Esposito for once again writing a book on the facts of the Middle East/West relations. If you are reading this, you already have some interest I take it. There are not too many books on this subject, but if you are interested in learning about the different groups in different nations since the time of Hasaan al-Bana, then this is your book.

Balanced and Objective

I can't believe that many of those reviewing this book actually read it. For one thing, they miss the whole point of this book, which is this: though of course there are wackos out there like bin Laden, Islam does not sanction them. The attack on the Twin Towers was not "Islamic," as people persist in believing, any more than McVeigh's attack in Oklahoma City was Christian, even though McVeigh acted in the name of the Christian Identity Christian fundamentalist group and was raised a Catholic.The author is trying to put things in perspective -- we do not view people who base their violent actions on the Bible (like the Ku Klux Klan) as representative of Christianity, so why do we view terrorists who base their violent actions on the Qur'an as representative of Islam? For people who wish to stay secure in their stereotypes of Islam, this book will not be useful. But Esposito, a Catholic and a professor of Islamic Studies at Georgetown, has no pro-Islamic agenda. It's his academic field. And he tries to put the record straight and explain the Islamic world in this book. (Simply the fact that Saudi Arabia is described by some reviewers as a "moderate" Islamic state when its version of Islam is actually an extremist fundamentalist one clearly shows the total lack of understanding that most people have of the Islamic world.)Do yourself a favor and get this book. It tries to clarify the media stereotypes, tries to foster understanding, is not pro-Islam (it's actually more critical of Islam than Muslims might wish), and is extremely balanced and objective. It presents a bigger picture, and if you truly want to educate yourself about the world with respect to Islam, then this is a great book.

A must read

I disagree with the reviewers that looked at it as an apology to "fundamentalistic violence". As a matter of fact I don't agree with some of the author's views (only almost all of them). But you don't have to. He presents his case very well and if you read it you'll get a wider and better look at the world.Something that is badly needed right now.

At Least there are people, who can see beyond Media Hype

****** - Six Stars This book is an excellent and un-biased coverage of the topic. It shows the maturity in authors thinking. This is not only the author's view but also a indication next wave.We in Europe were brain-washed by media and biased litrature... now we are coming out of fog, slowly and gradually.Author has done great effort... A job Well Done.

A very correct account

I have travelled the countries of east with overwhelming muslim population and also have a good understanding of Islamic teachings. I believe Dr. Esposito has done a wonderful job at analysing the problem of muslim uprising and I believe his knowledge is also based on his first hand experience with muslim leaders. He has painted an accurate picture of the diversity of muslim uprisings and its equally varied reasons (which I acknowledge from my experience of the muslim world). This book is in stark contrast to the fast-food styled research that most authors do by basing their work on a few CNN reports and historically polemical rumors. It is truly a book worth its money. A must read for the muslim and non-muslim alike.