Through Middle Eastern Eyes (Eyes Books Series)

By Leon E. Clark and Robert P. Pearson

Book Overview

This book provides an avenue for Americans in all walks of life to deepen their understanding of Middle Eastern peoples and their attitudes toward the United States and each other. The book creates contexts for readers struggling to understand current conflicts in the region- Iraq, Israel/Palestine as well as the dilemma of the Kurds. It is one of the few books containing an overview of contemporary Middle East culture and politics with balanced views from Jews and Muslims rarely contained in one volume, including:
Transcripts of Bin Laden's videotaped messagesPost-9/11 transcript of the Saudi Arabian ambassador's interview on Meet the PressA round-up of Arab-American responses with self-criticism by a Muslim and an Israeli scholarSince September 11, 2001, much of the world has turned its attention to the Middle East, mostly with a string of questions. Who were these 19 terrorist hijackers all from the Middle East? Why did they attack the U.S - the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington DC.? What is there about the Middle East, if anything, that would lead these terrorists to believe they were martyrs in a holy war and would be given a special place in heaven?
Through Middle Eastern Eyes attempts to answer these questions -- and many more. The last five selections in the book deal specifically with 9/11 by presenting the views of Osama bin Laden, the relations to 9/11 throughout the Middle East, the agenda of radical Islamic fundamentalists and the response to this agenda by moderate Muslims. In addition, several other selections in the book deal with the tenets of Islam, its influence on people's daily lives, and the tug of war between traditional and Westernized values in the region. First published almost three decades ago, Through Middle Eastern Eyes attempts to bring to life the Middle East-a seedbed of history and religion, a hotbed of ethnic and religious conflict. Sources range from speeches and historical documents to autobiography, traditional and modern literature, and economic and political analysis.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0938960482
• ISBN13: 9780938960485
• Release Date: November 2002
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Incorporated
• Length: 413 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.1" x 1.0" x 6.1"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

A broad source reference

Now in an fully updated edition to take the 9/11 attacks and their repercussions into account, Through Middle Eastern Eyes by academician Robert P. Person (who is also an experienced Peace Corps worker in Afghanistan, Morocco and Libya) and Leon E. Clark (Professor Emeritus of Sociology, American University and consultant to the Ministry of Agriculture in Egypt and the Ministry of Education in Pakistan), provides the reader with a superbly presented history and compelling examination of Middle Eastern culture, ethnic clashes, faiths and evolution. A broad source reference offering particular focus on both ancient and modern wars, Through Middle Eastern Eyes is an excellent and highly recommended contribution to contemporary Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies reference collections and reading lists.