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Islam vs. Islamism: The Dilemma of the Muslim World
Islam vs. Islamism introduces the Islamic world's diversity, conflicts, and dilemmas―its origins, extraordinary creativity, and current crisis, the result of its unhappy encounter with Western modernity. Particular attention is given to Islamism, Islam's radically antimodern and often violent revision that is causing turmoil in the Middle East and beyond.
Islam vs. Islamism introduces the reader to the Islamic world, to its diversity and conflicts, and to possible solutions to those conflicts. Steering clear of either Islamophilia or Muslim-bashing, yet avoiding blandness, Demant explains the origins of Islam, its history, and its position in today's world. After a period of extraordinary expansion and creativity, and a long sequel of decline, the Islamic world is now in deep crisis, caused by Islam's unhappy encounter with the West and its modernity. Islamic societies have tried a variety of approaches to escape from their predicament, but the result has only been to deepen Muslim powerlessness and Muslims' feelings of frustration.
Then came Islamism (Islamic fundamentalism) with its revolutionary but antimodern proposal to refashion Muslim society after the Prophet's original model. Islamism has had unsettling results, first in Islam's heartlands, then along its multiple frontiers, and finally in confrontation with the West itself. Among the outcomes has been an ascending wave of terrorism. But violence is not the whole story. Extremism represents no more than a minority within Islam. Although co-existence with violent fundamentalists is a hopeless task, the questions Islamists raise are serious and evoke echoes in the hearts of many more Muslims. To prevent a war of civilizations, dialogue with the moderate majority of Muslims is more urgent than ever. This book is one step on that long road.
Islam vs. Islamism introduces the reader to the Islamic world, to its diversity and conflicts, and to possible solutions to those conflicts. Steering clear of either Islamophilia or Muslim-bashing, yet avoiding blandness, Demant explains the origins of Islam, its history, and its position in today's world. After a period of extraordinary expansion and creativity, and a long sequel of decline, the Islamic world is now in deep crisis, caused by Islam's unhappy encounter with the West and its modernity. Islamic societies have tried a variety of approaches to escape from their predicament, but the result has only been to deepen Muslim powerlessness and Muslims' feelings of frustration.
Then came Islamism (Islamic fundamentalism) with its revolutionary but antimodern proposal to refashion Muslim society after the Prophet's original model. Islamism has had unsettling results, first in Islam's heartlands, then along its multiple frontiers, and finally in confrontation with the West itself. Among the outcomes has been an ascending wave of terrorism. But violence is not the whole story. Extremism represents no more than a minority within Islam. Although co-existence with violent fundamentalists is a hopeless task, the questions Islamists raise are serious and evoke echoes in the hearts of many more Muslims. To prevent a war of civilizations, dialogue with the moderate majority of Muslims is more urgent than ever. This book is one step on that long road.
- GenresIslam
312 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 21, 2011
Demant's is an attempt to provide a broad, global view of Islam from its origins to the present, particularly the various political manifestations of Islam and its engagement with the West. I'd recommend this as an efficient way to obtain 'the big picture' before delving deeper into specific situations and figures. He has a critical eye towards recent developments, yet refrains from the over-the-top polemics of other "experts" on Islam churning out tirade after tirade in a post-9/11 cottage industry.
March 20, 2022
Livro essencial para entender a dinâmica do mundo muçulmano. O autor, de forma muito completa, apresenta os contextos históricos, políticos, religiosos, culturais e econômicos do mundo muçulmano, além de tratar da relação deste com o mundo ocidental e os desafios de uma convivência entre os mundos, levando em contas as diferenças, sobretudo as diferenças religiosas. Na parte histórica ele aborda bem a questão do surgimento do islã e nas suas diversas ramificações ou denominações. O autor fala ainda sobre a expansão dos islamismo pelo mundo, fala dos diversos povos que compõem o mundo islâmico, árabes, persas, drusos, egípcios, africanos, turcos, etc.. Vale muito a pena a leitura, principalmente pra quem quer ser introduzido no assunto.
January 13, 2021
Esse livro é uma ótima introdução para aqueles que, como eu, pretendem compreender melhor as questões médio orientais. Eu, particularmente, gostei muito da escrita sofisticada e leve do autor, bem como da divisão dos capítulos entre "Ontem", "Hoje" e "Amanhā". Sem dúvidas uma obra que revela e suscita muitas problemáticas da relação dual do Oriente com o Ocidente.
March 25, 2017
desisti no meio do caminho..
April 30, 2019
Neste livro você terá a chance de entender a essência do islamismo,da história de Maomé até os dias de hoje e sua influência sobre os países a quais essa religião foi adquirido,poderá ver o que há além dos grupos extremistas que nos são mostrados em atentados terroristas.
Basicamente é um livro sobre curiosidades e fará com que você saia do senso comum sobre o mundo muçulmano
Basicamente é um livro sobre curiosidades e fará com que você saia do senso comum sobre o mundo muçulmano
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews