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

Rating:
Summary: This author lacks objectivity
Review: Ahmed unconvincingly dismisses the "envy/jealously" excuse for why there is so much animosity in the Islamic world toward the USA and tries to present an overall cultural reaction to the breakdown of 'asabiyya' or social cohesion and group loyalty as the main culprit.

His unabashed pro-muslim attitudes and opinions kept me wondering when he might ever show a little objectivity. He even seems to accept suicide bombings, which he calls 'martyrdom', as an understandable and perhaps even laudable act as he refers to the poetry of Al-Gossaibi, Saudi ambassador to Britain. He doesn't entertain the idea that the social acceptance of strapping bombs around children to kill a few unsuspecting and innocent civilians may itself be a manifestation of such egregious social disintegration and decline that in and of itself may point to the real problem at hand.

The entire theme of the book comes across as a little ridiculous when in the opening chapter he compares Israel's 'feeling' of being under siege to that of Islam's feeling of being under siege. This when Israel is a single tiny nation surrounded by much larger Islamic nations bent on her destruction and having been militarily attacked and invaded on several occasions by as many as six of those nations simultaneously. Islam on the other hand, thrives in dozens of countries stretching across several continents!.

The book is barely worth reading for the asabiyya education and gaining a broader understanding of viewpoints from the Islamic world.

Rating:
Summary: An insider's perspective
Review: As a student of theology and conflict resolution, I felt privy to an insider's perspective on the religious distortions of a violent few and was encouraged to seek a better tomorrow with newfound understanding and knowledge.

In Islam Under Siege: Living Dangerously in a Post-Honor World Dr. Akbar Ahmed, explores the rise of religiously motivated violence and corresponding notions of honor in the world today. Dr. Ahmed's insights highlight sociological and spiritual factors contributing to such behavior. He interprets the underlying problem as the lost or misinterpreted notion of honor and calls his readers to understand the events surrounding such circumstances. Dr. Ahmed engages the reader in a journey of reflection, criticism, grievance, and exhortation; but most importantly he inspires one hope. This is a definite must read and worth the time in any busy schedule. You will not be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: A ground breaking examination of critical issues
Review: Expertly written by Akbar S. Ahmed (Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies, American University, Washington, DC), Islam Under Siege is a ground breaking examination of critical issues surrounding Islam, the West, and how the two diverse cultures view one another. Ranging down the last few centuries of history, and into the post-modern world of globalization, and now in the wake of the September 11 attacks, Islam Under Siege ranges from such central issues of controversy as the Islamic treatment of women, the failings of Muslim leadership, the quest for Muslim ideals and a global paradigm, and more. Islam Under Siege is a quite sober analysis and a very strongly recommended addition to Islamic Studies reference shelves and reading lists.