Social groups: religious groups and communities Books

Book SynopsisIn Jewish Radical Ultra-Orthodoxy Confronts Modernity, Zionism and Women''s Equality, Motti Inbari undertakes a study of the culture and leadership of Jewish radical ultra-Orthodoxy in Hungary, Jerusalem and New York. He reviews the history, ideology and gender relations of prominent ultra-Orthodox leaders Amram Blau (18941974), founder of the anti-Zionist Jerusalemite Neturei Karta, and Yoel Teitelbaum (18871979), head of the Satmar Hasidic movement in New York. Focussing on the rabbis'' biographies, the author analyzes their enclave building methods, their attitude to women and modesty, and their eschatological perspectives. The research is based on newly discovered archival materials, covering many unique and remarkable findings. The author concludes with a discussion of contemporary trends in Jewish religious radicalization. Inbari highlights the resilience of the current generations'' sense of community cohesion and their capacity to adapt and overcome challenges such as rehabilitTrade Review'… Inbari's book stands as a major contribution to the literature on ultra-Orthodoxy and Jewish fundamentalism, an excellent introduction to and overview of a fascinating corner of the Jewish world.' Hadas Fischer, H-Net 'Inbari's book gives us a comprehensive and fascinating account of the ideological origins of some of the most significant radical ultra-Orthodox anti-Zionist movements, shedding new light on their fraught battle with modernity. Particularly illuminating is his use of new documents from Rabbi Amram Blau's personal archive.' Lihi Ben Shitrit, Politics and Religion'There is nothing in this book that is not extremely interesting.' Reuven Firestone, Journal of Religion and Violence'This is an important introductory work that serves to revive the sociological interest in Haredi society both in Israel and abroad. It joins Motti Inbari's other important studies, devoted to Rabbi Uzi Meshulam and his followers, the Temple Mount groups, and ultra-Orthodox radicals. Collectively, these works show Inbari to be an important scholar of the radical fringes of religious Jewish society and the ideologies supporting them.' Nissim Leon, Israel Studies Review'His new book … will interest all students of modern Jewish religious history …' Marc Shapiro, AJS Review'The book's strength is in the breadth of its vision, encompassing several significant developments in Haredi Judaism over the past century. … the book is a useful study of an important phenomenon and could be readily adopted by course instructors wishing to include accessible material on an important contemporary phenomenon in Judaism.' Ira Robinson, Nova ReligioTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. The de Haan assassination and the background to the formation of Neturei Karta; 2. Rabbi Amram Blau, founder of the Neturei Karta movement; 3. The modesty campaigns of Rabbi Amram Blau and the Neturei Karta movement, 1938–74; 4. Messianic activism in the work and thought of Rabbi Chaim Elazar Shapira (the Munkacser Rebbe) in the interwar period; 5. The life and work of Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, founder of the Satmar Hasidic court in New York; 6. Eschatology, dualism, and the decline of the generations - the world view of radical ultra-orthodoxy; 7. Jewish zealotry - past and present; Epilogue. Contemporary trends in radical ultra-orthodoxy.

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Book SynopsisThis book brings together for the first time in English internationally-recognized specialists who seek to identify what is ''living'' and what is ''dead'' in the great German social scientist Max Weber''s analyses of China, India and Ancient Israel found in his massive, unfinished Economic Ethic of the World Religions. In so doing, the volume offers a powerful new perspective on the current debate concerning the timing of and deeper roots of the ''Great Divergence'' - and more recent convergence - in the economic and political development of the West on the one hand, and the great civilizations of Asia on the other. At the same time, this volume also rebalances our understanding of Weber''s entire intellectual output by returning The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism to its proper place within Economic Ethic of the World Religions and establishing that work as the equal of the similarly unfinished Economy and Society.Table of ContentsPart I. Introduction: 1. Max Weber's Economic Ethic of the World Religions: a neglected social science classic? Thomas Ertman; Part II. Weber's Economic Ethic of the World Religions in the Context of his Overall Intellectual Project: 2. Max Weber's Sociology of Religion: a project in comparison and developmental history Wolfgang Schluchter; 3. Introductory remarks on Max Weber's Economic Ethic of the World Religions Hartmann Tyrell; Part III. Reassessing Weber on China: 4. Weber's religion of China Timothy Brook; 5. The Chinese state, social order and economic change R. Bin Wong; 6. Max Weber and patterns of Chinese history Dingxin Zhao; Part IV. Reassessing Max Weber on India: 7. Max Weber and Indian religions David Lorenzen; 8. Politics, state and empire in Weber's The Religions of India Philip Stern; 9. India in comparison: Max Weber's analytical agenda Martin Fuchs; Part V. Reassessing Max Weber on Ancient Israel: 10. Max Weber's sociological approach and ancient Israel: an archaeological critique William Dever; 11. Weber's Ancient Judaism: how well has it worn? Ziony Zevit; 12. Max Weber's sociology of Ancient Judaism as part of his project on the economic ethics of the world religions Eckart Otto; Part VI. Conclusion: 13. Living and dead in Max Weber's Economic Ethic of the World Religions Thomas Ertman; Index.

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Book SynopsisFrom the Nuremberg Trials onwards, Jews figure prominently in international legal history. Yet ties between Jewish identity and legal thought rarely receive critical analysis. Here, fourteen historians and legal scholars employ interdisciplinary methods and new sources to reconsider the lives and ideas of seven famous international Jewish lawyers.Trade Review'We thought this an intriguing book giving us a concise statement in the following areas: the presentation of engaging biographical case studies that expand knowledge of key historical figures while contributing to larger questions about Jews and law; engaging legal specialists, historians, and other scholars interested in the questions of religion, ethnicity, politics, and international law; and illuminating the state of the field, and the emerging new directions in legal history, international law, and society studies.' Elizabeth Robson and Phillip Taylor, The Barrister'… this book has to be welcomed by historians as well as by jurists and scholars of international law, representing for all of them a priceless source of inspiration for further research in such an important field.' G. Motta, European History QuarterlyTable of Contents1. Introduction: the law of strangers James Loeffler and Moria Paz; Part I. Hersch Zvi Lauterpacht: 2. The 'natural right of the Jewish people': Zionism, international law, and the paradox of Hersch Lauterpacht James Loeffler; 3. A closet positivist: Lauterpacht between law and diplomacy Martti Koskeniemmi; Part II. Hans Kelsen: 4. Assimilation through law: Hans Kelsen and the Jewish experience Eliav Lieblich; 5. Philosophy beyond historicism: reflections on Hans Kelsen and the Jewish experience Leora Batnitzky; Part III. Louis Henkin: 6. Louis Henkin, human rights, and American-Jewish constitutional patriotism Samuel Moyn; 7. Louis Henkin and the genealogy of Jewish/American liberalism William Forbath; Part IV. Egon Schwelb: 8. Egon Schwelb and the human rights legal activism within borders Mira Siegelberg; 9. 'Emotional restraint' as legalist internationalism: Egon Schwelb's liberalism after the fall Umut Özsu; Part V. René Cassin: 10. A most inglorious right: René Cassin, freedom of movement, Jews and Palestinians Moria Paz; 11. There's no place like home: domicile, René Cassin, and the Aporias of modern international law Nathaniel Berman; Part VI. Shabtai Rosenne: 12. Shabtai Rosenne: the transformation of Sefton Rowson Rotem Giladi; 13. Shabtai Rosenne: a personal aspect Philippe Sands; Part VII. Julius Stone: 14. Enablement and constraint: Julius Stone and the contradictions of the sociological path to international law Jacqueline Mowbray; 15. An axionormative dissenter: reflections on Julius Stone David N. Myers; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book is an urban ethnographic study of several Muslim women''s organisations in northern India. These organisations work to carve out spaces that allow for the articulation of alternative experiences and conceptions of religion and justice that challenge Islamic orthodoxy as well as the monopoly of the Indian state in the domain of family law. While most analyses on reform efforts within Muslim family law in India have focused on women''s protection within the state legal system, this book offers the rare opportunity to understand how organised groups of Muslim women''s rights activists contest marginalising forces present in the family and criminal courts, Shariat courts, local mosques, workplace, legislature and legal documents. It pushes against troubling assumptions that Islam is incompatible with ideas of women''s rights and that the State is the only dispenser of justice, and offers new directions for studies on the dispersed nature of women''s identities in Islamic family law.Trade Review'Muslim Women's Quest for Justice is a highly significant, timely, and rigorous intervention that challenges modernist accounts of law and liberal categories of women's rights and justice through a nuanced and sophisticated ethnographic analysis of gender justice. The study not only challenges the dichotomy between state and non-state law, but also how Islam is invariably set up as an obstacle to the pursuit of gender justice in liberal accounts. Hong Tschalaer uncovers the layered and polycentric legal landscape that structure Muslim women's activist's pursuit of socio-legal reform outside of state legal systems and in the process fragments and pluralises the categories of Islam and gender justice. This book marks a vital contribution to critical feminist and anthropological literature that examines the complex and contradictory terrain of justice, law and rights in a ideologically and political fragmented world.' Ratna Kapur, Queen Mary University of London'Mengia Hong Tschalaer's book presents a very rich and unique ethnographic account of Muslim women's activist organizations in urban north India that provide informal dispute resolution options for women experiencing domestic violence, dowry harassment, spousal neglect or desertion and other marital problems. One strength lies in its many extended case studies of litigants who were interviewed personally and/or observed while seeking justice, not only in such venues but also in a local qazi's court and in the official Family and Magistrates Courts. But equally impressive is the way in which the author places her empirical research findings within a theoretical context, showing their relevance to current debates in India over whether non-state quasi-judicial institutions are beneficial or harmful for Muslim women or should even be permitted to continue to operate. Her work will be required reading for anyone concerned with issues of gender and the law, not only with respect to Indian Muslim women but for those living in other countries characterized by pluralistic legal systems.' Sylvia Vatuk, University of Illinois, Chicago'A timely, sophisticated, and refreshing intervention in debates about the uniform civil code in India. This richly detailed ethnography of legal spaces in Lucknow provides a multidimensional account of Muslim women's activism, captures the constraining and transformative aspects of litigants' quest for justice, and powerfully illuminates the significance of legal pluralism as a resource for gender equality in Muslim family law.' Gopika Solanki, Carleton University, Canada'Carefully historicized and brimming with nuanced analysis, this book shows the discursive and political strategies through which overlapping and at times competing women's organizations navigate a contested and complicated public sphere, as they seek to curate a gender emancipatory understanding of Islam. The major strength of this book is the way it presents a vivid picture of the quest for gender justice on the ground, leavened by such critical processes as the composition of gender-just nikah-namas. This important book will engage the interests of a range of scholars and courses on Islam, gender, South Asia, and Islamic law and society.' SherAli Tareen, New Books Network (www.newbooksnetwork.com)Table of ContentsPreface; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; 1. From legal binaries to configurations: Muslim women's rights activism in South Asia; 2. A multidimensional approach to Muslim women's activism: mapping the legal landscape in the city of Lucknow; 3. Destabilising gendered proprieties: Muslim women's visibility within the public space; 4. Vying for a gender just Islamic marriage contract: women's legal spaces; 5. Legal realities: doing gender justice from below; 6. Muslim women's quest for justice: theoretical implications and policy suggestions; Appendices: model-nikahnamas; Glossary; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisThe Jewish Family: Between Family Law and Contract Law examines Jewish family law in the light of new attitudes concerning the role of women, assisted reproduction technologies, and prenuptial agreements. It will appeal to practitioners, activists, academic researchers and laymen readers interested in the fields of law, theology and social science.Table of Contents1. Regulating marital relations between spouses by consent; 2. 'Freedom of contract' in Jewish family law - the differences between the Babylonian and Palestinian Talmuds; 3. Is there really no conditional marriage?; 4. Temporary marriage - a possible solution to the problem of the Agunah?; 5. Towards establishing Halakhic parenthood by agreement?; Index; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisHow do we understand the multitude of faith movements in our post-secular world? Faith and Social Movements explores this question by analyzing the theology and practice as well as the transformation of two discrepant religious movements in contemporary India. The research opens up a conversation between the sociology of religion and social movements. Using a comparative lens, two different movements - a Hindu and an Islamic reform movement - have been studied in ethnographic detail. The book is divided into two parts. The first part dwells on Svadhyaya, a Hindu reform movement, and the second part on the Tablighi Jamaat, an Islamic reform movement. Focusing on the internal dynamics of these movements and the 'unintended consequences' of piety, the author argues that it is only by raising new questions vis-Ã-vis religion, secularity and civil society that their entanglement could be uncovered. This book aims to raise some of these questions.Table of ContentsList of figures; Preface; Acknowledgments; Introduction: dissent, religion and civil society; Part I. Svadhyaya Ethics and the Spirit of Voluntarism: 1. Theologies of self-reform: what transforms the cross?; 2. Praxis of an emergent congregation: metaphysics of reform and rebirth; 3. The structure of Lokasamgraha: volunteers, networks and training; 4. Succession, routinization of charisma and judicial religion; Part II. The Tablighi Jamaat's Call for Self-reform: 5. Pedagogy of Tablighi reform: the mission and the messenger; 6. 'Unintended consequences' of piety and discourses of Islamic reform; Conclusion: religion, movements and secularity; Glossary; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisSocial scientists who study religion generally believe that social networks play a central role in religious life. However, most studies draw on measures that are relatively poor proxies for capturing the effects of social networks. This book illustrates how researchers can draw on formal social network analysis methods to explore the interplay of networks and religion. The book''s introductory chapters provide overviews of the social scientific study of religion and social network analysis. The remaining chapters explore a variety of topics current in the social scientific study of religion, as well as introducing a variety of social network theories and methods, such as balance theory, ego-network analysis, exponential random graph models, and stochastic actor-oriented models. By embedding social network analysis within a social scientific study of religion framework, Networks and Religion offers an array of approaches for studying the role that social networks play in religious beliTrade Review'Although most social scientists who study religion agree that social networks play a central role in religious life, few studies draw on measures that adequately capture the effects of social networks. This book illustrates how researchers can draw on formal [Social Network Analysis] methods to explore the interplay of networks and religion.' American Sociological Association Section on Religion NewsletterTable of ContentsPart I. Introduction: 1. The surprising (at least to some) persistence of religion; 2. Social network analysis: a brief introduction; Part II. Ties that Bind: 3. Recruitment and conversion; 4. Commitment and conformity; Part III. Ties that Loose: 5. Diffusion and innovation; 6. Politics and community; Part IV. Ties that Build-Up: 7. Networks and tradition; 8. Health and happiness; Part V. Ties that Tear Down: 9. Conflict and cohesion; 10. Radicalization and violence; Part VI. Conclusion: 11. Conclusion; Appendices; References; Index.

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Book SynopsisTo allow or restrict hate speech is a hotly debated issue in many societies. While the right to freedom of speech is fundamental to liberal democracies, most countries have accepted that hate speech causes significant harm and ought to be regulated. Richard Moon examines the application of hate speech laws when religion is either the source or target of such speech. Moon describes the various legal restrictions on hate speech, religious insult, and blasphemy in Canada, Europe and elsewhere, and uses cases from different jurisdictions to illustrate the particular challenges raised by religious hate speech. The issues addressed are highly topical: speech that attacks religious communities, specifically anti-Muslim rhetoric, and hateful speech that is based on religious doctrine or scripture, such as anti-gay speech. The book draws on a rich understanding of freedom of expression, the harms of hate speech, and the role of religion in public life.Trade Review'There may be no greater challenge to freedom theory today than the triangulation of hate, speech, and religion. Professor Moon is Canada's foremost authority on religious and expressive freedom, and his newest book, Putting Faith in Hate, is at the forefront of timely and critical scholarship on the intersection of these values.' Jamie Cameron, Osgoode Hall Law School, Ontario'Moon is an outstanding scholar. His work displays a powerful analytic mind, thorough analysis, a dominant command of the literature, and a wise pragmatic approach to the subjects he discusses. Moon's book will be of considerable interest to scholars across a range of disciplines. It certainly will be a must read for anyone who wants to understand the issues involved in hate speech regulation. And it provides an illuminating survey of the case law that would be accessible and of interest to journalists and other lay readers.' Steve Shiffrin, Charles Frank Reavis, Sr Professor of Law Emeritus at Cornell Law School'An insightful and accessible examination of the role of religion in the application of hate speech laws, by a leading scholar in the field.' Nadine Strossen, New York Law SchoolTable of Contents1. Introduction; 2. Freedom of expression and the regulation of hate speech; 3. When religious groups are the target of hate speech: Islamophobia and the Muslim tide; 4. The ridicule and insult of the sacred; 5. When religion is the source of hate speech; 6. Conclusion: free speech, religious speech, hate speech.

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Book SynopsisAll religions describe spiritual experience as pleasant, and the goal of the religious pursuit as profoundly joyful. But many religions also condemn sensory pleasures and the desire for objects of pleasure. In this book, Ariel Glucklich resolves this apparent contradiction by showing how religious practices that instill self-control and discipline transform one type of pleasure into the pleasures of mastery and play. Using historical data and psychological analysis, he details how the rituals, mystical practices, moral teachings, and sacred texts of the world''s religions act as psychological instruments that induce well-being. Glucklich also shows that in promoting joy and pleasure, religion also strengthens social bonds and enhances an individual''s pursuit of meaning.Table of ContentsIntroduction: religion, pleasure and evolution; 1. The variety and mystery of religious pleasure; 2. The nature and cultivation of complex pleasure; 3. The discovery of mastery pleasure; 4. Philo's mastery, Plotinus' play and the mystic's joy; 5. Pleasure, play and magical thinking; 6. Church-sect theory and pleasure; 7. Narratives and rituals of pleasure; 8. A scholar's Shabbat in central Virginia; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisAll religions describe spiritual experience as pleasant, and the goal of the religious pursuit as profoundly joyful. But many religions also condemn sensory pleasures and the desire for objects of pleasure. In this book, Ariel Glucklich resolves this apparent contradiction by showing how religious practices that instill self-control and discipline transform one type of pleasure into the pleasures of mastery and play. Using historical data and psychological analysis, he details how the rituals, mystical practices, moral teachings, and sacred texts of the world''s religions act as psychological instruments that induce well-being. Glucklich also shows that in promoting joy and pleasure, religion also strengthens social bonds and enhances an individual''s pursuit of meaning.Table of ContentsIntroduction: religion, pleasure and evolution; 1. The variety and mystery of religious pleasure; 2. The nature and cultivation of complex pleasure; 3. The discovery of mastery pleasure; 4. Philo's mastery, Plotinus' play and the mystic's joy; 5. Pleasure, play and magical thinking; 6. Church-sect theory and pleasure; 7. Narratives and rituals of pleasure; 8. A scholar's Shabbat in central Virginia; Conclusion.

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Book SynopsisFollowing the ideological disappointment of the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, an Islamic revival arose in Egypt. Yet, far from a mechanical reaction to the decline of secular nationalism, this religious shift was the product of impassioned competition among Muslim Brothers, Salafis and state institutions and their varied efforts to mobilize Egyptians to their respective projects. By pulling together the linked stories of these diverse claimants to religious authority and tracing the social and intellectual history of everyday practices of piety, Aaron Rock-Singer shows how Islamic activists and institutions across the political spectrum reshaped daily practices in an effort to persuade followers to adopt novel models of religiosity. In so doing, he reveals how Egypt''s Islamic revival emerged, who it involved, and why it continues to shape Egypt today.Trade Review'Aaron Rock-Singer tells the story of the Islamic revival in Egypt during and after the 1970s in a way that is sufficiently subtle and new that it will lead even specialists to understand Egypt differently. The state appears, for instance, not in the guise of an authoritarian regime or repressive security services but as a set of religious actors and arenas that are very much entwined with the revival. A wide variety of other actors are not merely presented but their ideas and interactions probed in fresh and fruitful ways.' Nathan Brown, George Washington University, Washington DC'Practicing Islam in Egypt offers a riveting account of how state religious institutions, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Salafi movements competed for influence over everyday practice and public space in Egypt from the 1970s to the present. Rock-Singer's close reading of widely distributed texts and periodicals in the immediate pre-Internet era offers a rock-solid analysis that challenges conventional assumptions about the currents and counter-currents of local religious mobilization and state control, and their continuing influence on daily life and public space.' Dale F. Eickelman, Dartmouth College, New Hampshire'Upending scholarly claims of Islam's discursive continuity against secular modernity, Rock-Singer keenly details postcolonial Egyptian Islamic movements' profound contemporaneity - their affinities with the postcolonial state and non-Muslim revivals, their immersion in mass media, and much more. In reframing Islam and politics, Practicing Islam in Egypt illuminates the late modern 'return of religion' more broadly.' Emilio Ibrahim Spadola, Tufts University, MassachusettsTable of ContentsAcknowledgments; A note on transliteration and spelling; Introduction; 1. Mind before matter: visions of religious change in post-colonial Egypt; 2. Currents of religious change: ideological transmission and local mobilization; 3. Could the state serve Islam? The rise and fall of Islamist educational reform; 4. Prayer and the Islamic revival: a timely challenge; 5. Beyond fitna: the emergence of Islamic norms of comportment; 6. The ambiguous legacy of the Islamic revival: how women emerged as a barometer of public morality; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisIn 1914, seven million Jews across Eastern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean were caught in the crossfire of warring empires in a disaster of stupendous, unprecedented proportions. In response, American Jews developed a new model of humanitarian relief for their suffering brethren abroad, wandering into American foreign policy as they navigated a wartime political landscape. The effort continued into peacetime, touching every interwar Jewish community in these troubled regions through long-term refugee, child welfare, public health, and poverty alleviation projects. Against the backdrop of war, revolution, and reconstruction, this is the story of American Jews who went abroad in solidarity to rescue and rebuild Jewish lives in Jewish homelands. As they constructed a new form of humanitarianism and re-drew the map of modern philanthropy, they rebuilt the Jewish Diaspora itself in the image of the modern social welfare state.Trade Review'The Great War was a pivotal moment in the evolution of humanitarian activism. Granick's landmark study breaks new ground by recognizing the central place of Jews and Jewish causes at this critical juncture: it represents essential reading not just for Jewish historians, but for historians of US foreign policy, humanitarian activism and global civil society.' Abigail Green, author of Moses Montefiore: Jewish Liberator, Imperial Hero'Jaclyn Granick's book is a pathbreaking study. Within the growing research on the history of the aid sector's formative period after the First World War it fills an important gap. It will serve as an invaluable reference with regard to the distinct role of American Jewish organizations.' Daniel Maul, author of The International Labour Organization: 100 Years of Global Social Policy'This is a pioneering monograph on global Jewish social policy from the First World War through the 1920s. Granick deftly illustrates the synergy between American-Jewish funders and administrative experts in Europe, their Herculean efforts to assist Jews in war-torn regions, and the challenges they faced as trans-national actors in a world increasingly defined by nation-states.' Derek Penslar, author of Shylock's Children: Economics and Jewish Identity in Modern Europe'Overall, Granick tells an important story that contextualizes the relative positions of European, Palestinian, and American Jewish communities between the world wars … Recommended.' A. Lieberman Colgan, Choice Magazine'Jaclyn Granick illustrates how the destruction wreaked by World War I was transformative, not only in the annals of Jewish history, but also in the history of humanitarian activism. Mining archives in places as dis­parate as New York, Washington, Geneva, Cincinnati, and Jerusalem and sift­ing through doc­u­ments in numer­ous lan­guages, Granick shows how the war and its devastation created 'a long-lasting systemic change across the Jewish world.' This change was wrought by a group of actors, who Granick painstak­ing­ly brings to life with her nuanced understanding of archival documents as well as their silences.' The Jewish Book Council'The history and the memory of the Great War, named after its enormous, unsurpassed scale, is often overshadowed by the horrors of the Holocaust. Granick addresses this frequently under-appreciated and overlooked historical event with compelling arguments concerning the (dis)continuity of humanitarian practices … Her innovative study is a powerful account of intricacies and ramifications of the war that mobilized communities all around the world.' Joanna Zofia Spyra, Jewish History'Jaclyn Granick's meticulous and compelling monograph is an important contribution to contemporary Jewish history and to the international history of World War I and the postwar era … This critical, wide-ranging analysis enables us to think anew about Jewish international humanitarianism during a pivotal decade and to revise our understanding of its reach and effectiveness.' Carole Fink, American Jewish History'Granick, in writing of the American ascendancy during and after World War I and, with it, that of American Jews, shows how, among epic political transformations on the world stage, the conflict created both a new type of refugee-one with no home to return to-and a new type of international private relief organization that had to work in concert with governmental agencies … The stories Bemporad, Granick, and Veidlinger tell in their very different books remind us how much our world is an heir to the violent legacy of World War I. Yet they also show, as the war in Ukraine underscores, that perhaps we do not have to be trapped in this past.' Magda Teter, New York Review of Books'The book is ambitious and covers a lot of ground, both in terms of territory and the types of programs it considers. By considering the broad range of American Jewish humanitarian work, however, Granick is able to offer readers a deeper understanding of the profound impact of World War I and its often-underappreciated role in reshaping the structures of the Jewish world.' Jessica Cooperman, Journal of Jewish Identities'Spending time with Granick's Jewish humanitarians has been a thrilling adventure … this beautiful book, a meticulous, essential, and gorgeous cartography of Jewish humanitarianism at the time of the Great War.' Ilse Josepha Lazaroms, Journal of the Fondazione'Jaclyn Granick's impressively researched study … sheds much light on the politics of relief in this era.' Eugene M. Avrutin, The Journal of Modern History'Granick's study is … geographically wide-ranging, consistently addresses gender issues, and focuses on unique topics such as food relief, health and medical concerns, children, and credit as a form of reconstruc-tion.' Shannon L. Fogg, European Journal of Jewish StudiesTable of ContentsPreface; Terms, Acronyms, and Abbreviations; Introduction; 1. War Sufferers: Moving Money in War; 2. The Hungry: Establishing In-Kind Relief in the Field; 3. Refugee: Solutions without Resolution; 4. The Sick: Jewish Fitness through Jewish Health; 5. Child: Welfare for a Contested Jewish Future; 6. The Impoverished: Credit as Reconstruction; Epilogue; Bibliography; Index.

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Book SynopsisFollowing the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the founding of the Republic in 1923 under the rule of Atatürk and his Republican People''s Party, Turkey embarked on extensive social, economic, cultural and administrative modernization programs which would lay the foundations for modern day Turkey. The Power of the People shows that the ordinary people shaped the social and political change of Turkey as much as Atatürk''s strong spurt of modernization. Adopting a broader conception of politics, focusing on daily interactions between the state and society and using untapped archival sources, Murat Metinsoy reveals how rural and urban people coped with the state policies, local oppression, exploitation, and adverse conditions wrought by the Great Depression through diverse everyday survival and resistance strategies. Showing how the people''s daily practices and beliefs survived and outweighed the modernizing elite''s projects, this book gives new insights into the social and historicalTrade Review'Metinsoy has produced here a fascinating account of popular politics in the new Turkish republic, writing 'ordinary people', in all their individual and collective complexity, back in to the centre of the national narrative. Highly original, it will transform scholarly understanding of early Kemalist Turkey.' Stephanie Cronin, University of Oxford'In this meticulously researched book, Metinsoy shows that the informal politics of the urban and rural poor played an important part in Turkey's modernization. Far from being passive objects of an elite project as they are usually portrayed, peasants, tribal members, workers, and other poor and marginalized groups appear in these pages as active participants in a history that determined the shape of modern Turkey. This important book fills a major gap in our understanding of Turkey's recent history.' Reşat Kasaba, Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies'Most narratives of Turkey's secularizing reforms and socioeconomic changes portray them as the uncontested project of elites and the state. In contrast, Metinsoy makes creative use of a variety of new sources and presents a convincing account of every day resistance from ordinary peasants and workers. This well-written book also offers major insights into society and politics including Islamist politics in contemporary Turkey.' Şevket Pamuk'Metinsoy challenges the top-down narratives of early Turkish Republic state imposition and acquiescence from its 'hapless' populace. Tax evasion, smuggling, banditry, and public complaint from the village coffeehouse to the factory floor weave a rich tapestry of everyday resistance, providing a superb alla Turca sequel to James Scott's classic work.' Michael Wuthrich, University of Kansas'… this is a must-read book … Essential.' B. A. Yesilada, ChoiceTable of ContentsIntroduction. Toward an infrahistory of Republican Turkey; Part I. Everyday Politics of Peasants: 1. The price of the Republic for the peasants; 2. Raising voice and rural discontent; 3. Resisting the agricultural taxes; 4. Social smuggling: resistance to the monopolies; 5. Theft, violence and banditry; Concluding remarks; Part II. Everyday Politics of Urban Labor: 6. The price of the republic for the working class; 7. Labor discontent; 8. Survival struggles and everyday resistance; 9. Violence, protests and walkouts; Concluding remarks; Part III: The Power of Popular Culture: 10. Hotbeds of opposition to secularism: mosques, coffehouses and homes; 11. Informal media vs. official discourse: word of mouth, rumors and placards; 14. Neither fez, nor hat: contesting the hat reform; 13. Negotiating anti-veiling campaigns; 15. Old habits die hard: tenacity of old lifestyles in new times; Concluding remarks; Epilogue. Infrastructure of Turkey's modernization; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisThis book lends a fresh, psychological approach to identity and Jewishness in the Caribbean. It explores the ways in which individuals in the islands have maintained their connections to Judaism as lineage, as a religion and as a culture. Transported overseas from Spain and Portugal in the 1500s while fleeing the Inquisition, and later during the second wave of exodus from Europe under threat of World War II, the Caribbean provided safe harbours for a number of Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews. There is no doubt that their presence in the Caribbean and Latin America over the last 500 years has had a tremendous impact on the growth and development of industry, modern commerce and culture. Their contribution to their new island homelands has been a lasting one. From the technology for the cultivation of sugar and the development of trade and commerce across the Atlantic, to the arts and education, Jewish life within the region has left and continues to leave an indelible mark. For the author, there have been many stops along the way in completing this book. She has travelled and interacted with Jews across the globe, and these encounters were the genesis of the questions she asked herself about Jews of all descriptions. Indeed, many of the questions and their answers arise from an existential need to rationalise her own thoughts about her personal identity. This is a pattern that the author has noted among a number of the theorists included in this work. From Erickson with his Danish-Jewish background and the subsequent elaboration of his psychosocial theory; to Stuart Halls cultural theory, born out of his own mixed heritage and later inter-ethnic marriage; and Nathan Blumenthal, who changes his rather Jewish name to Nathaniel Branden as he becomes known for his psychology of self-esteem. Of course, it is impossible to speak of identity without acknowledging the seminal contribution of Freuds psychoanalytic theory as a way of making meaning for ourselves in the world. Common to these theorist and many others, readers will encounter their own struggle with national, personal and ethnic identities while exploring the pages of this book. Claiming an identity suggests an autonomous act of loyalty to chosen identity, and for some this can mean the abandonment of previous ways of seeing themselves. This is the central threat of acts of identity; it signals, I am with them and equally, I have no allegiance to you. These are the sentiments over which battles are waged, causing people who appear indistinguishable from each other to obliterate neighbouring nations. This book is a story of the survival of a people, practice, culture, and religion.

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Book SynopsisOutlines of Jewish History from B.C. 586 to C.E. 1885 traces Jewish history from Biblical times to 1885. This book presents a fair and impartial narrative that makes Jewish history interesting to the reader.

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Book SynopsisReligion and contemporary society are intermingled since the latter is an offspring of the former. The connection, however, has been and continues to be under fire from many sides. This book examines important issues in a battlefield where the MIA''s may be more significant issues than the survivors.

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Book SynopsisThe essays in A Modern Jew in Search of Soul are a compassionate and intellectual composite of Jewish voices, sharing their personal ideas, beliefs and experiences from many perspectives. Among the authors are several rabbis: orthodox, conservative, reform and even, as one described himself, rebellious. Still other authors are psychologists and physicians, Jungian Analysts and professors, artists, as well as other contributing Jewish community members. Although many are American, we also include several contributors with extensive experience in Israel and Europe. The cohesive thread running through the writing and the diversity of ideas about A Modern Jew in Search of Soul is fascinating. The essays within this book are informative, inspiring and illuminating.

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Book SynopsisExploring the response and contributions of Muslims and Turkish Muslims to globalization?including areas such as democratization, scientific revolution, changing gender roles, and religious diversity?this study identifies the common values and visions of peace Muslims share. This study places specific analysis on the Glen movement?a growing approach to the reunification of faith and reason with hopes for a peaceful coexistence between liberal democracies and the religiously diverse.

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Book SynopsisThis collection of articles by artists, philosophers, psychologists, and social scientists explores the Sufi tradition and its best-known teacher, Rumi, a 13th-century poet, jurist, and philosopher. Setting aside the standard account of Rumi as a poet of mystic love, these contributors view his writings in a historical context, investigating Sufism''s ties to Islam and the teachings of the Prophet Mohammad and tracing Rumi''s influence on Persian and Turkish literature. The reasons why Sufism has transcended national boundaries and sectarian strife so successfully are also debated, and several contributors recommend the Sufi message of faith, love, and tolerance as a useful common ground for dialogue between religious groups.

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Book SynopsisDelving deeper into the soul of Islam and the definition of spirituality, this third volume examines the mainstream path that seekers are expected to follow in order to learn the fundamental concepts of Sufism and the essentials of the Islamic faith. Concepts central to Sufism, such as unity and multiplicity, silence, privacy and company, and sainthood, are thoroughly discussed.

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Book SynopsisConcluding a textually long but spiritually endless journey toward insan al-kamil?the perfect human?this fourth volume approaches Sufism through the middle way, an approach that revives the legacy of the Prophet Muhammad. With an awareness of the social realities of the 21st century, concepts such as tranquility, the truth of divinity, life beyond the physical realm, the preserved tablet, the glorified attributes, and the beautiful names are delicately explained.

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Book SynopsisEmphasizing the esthetic concerns of the Islamic civilization as well as underlining the true nature of the religion, this insightful opus contains a collection of essays on the art of language from a revered contemporary scholar of Islam. Written separately as lead articles for the Turkish literary magazine, Yagmur, the volume eloquently articulates the author?s approach to speech as well as his definitions of poetry, history, and beauty, all of which are deeply embroidered around the lacework of Islam. With powerful emphasis on belief in God, each essay addresses an important matter of language that aptly relates to the current state of affairs in the Muslim world and the nature of human existence in the 21st century as a whole.

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Book SynopsisFrom the heartland of Islam arise poems of fiery love and peace, composed by a modern-day female poet descended from a long line of Meccan (from Mecca) scholars. Reflecting the pulsing, indivisible bridge of the works of great Sufi mystics and poets to modern times, these spiritual pieces recall the beloved works of Rabi‘ah Al ‘Adawiyyah, Rumi and Hafiz. Drawing on a rich religious legacy and led by the Sufi tradition seeking Unity, the poems cover aspects related to spirituality and present-day challenges. The inspiring combination of the traditional and modern in these compositions will touch the inner souls and captivate the hearts of those interested in Higher Love in these turbulent times of transition and frantic search for peace

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Book SynopsisAn Introduction to Qur''anic Exegesis: Tafsir is a comprehensive textbook for the Qur''anic studies. It provides an academic introduction to Tafsir methodology for intermediate level of study. In addition to theoretical information, the commentaries for the short chapters of the Qur''an will enrich the students'' knowledge, and nurture their curiosity for further studies. This book can be used for self-study or with the guidance of a teacher at Islamic schools and colleges as well as theology faculties.

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Book SynopsisGod, Man, Mortality is a collection of essays written both by seasoned and by up and coming scholars working the field known as Nursi studies. The aim of these essays is to hold a mirror up to Nursi's teachings on a number of issues, just as Nursi held a mirror up to the teachings of the Qur'an. The scope is broad covering subjects such as Divine immanence and transcendence, human spirituality and man's role as Divine vicegerent. Divine determining and free will, and human conscience as evidence of the existence of God. The topics presented by the authors are unashamedly theocentric in nature: discussions on politics and legal theory are conspicuous by their absence. We benefit from the depth of awareness that the contributors clearly have of Nursi's teachings and his place in the Muslim academe, as well as from their lucid expository styles and strong authorial voices.

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Book SynopsisThere are about one billion Muslims in the world, concentrated primarily in North Africa, the Middle East, and South and Southeast Asia. Islam teaches that Allah selected Muhammad, a merchant from Mecca, as the last of the prophets following Adam, Moses, Jesus, and others, to deliver God''s message to mankind. Islam has a long and complicated history as do most established religions. Islam is in the focus of world attention because of the actions of Islamic extremists, such as Osama bin Laden. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 and numerous other attacks have drawn particular attention to Muslims and the Islamic faith. This book examines some of the different sects of Islam and how their practices fit within contemporary times.

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Book SynopsisWhile there is a never-ending debate on Islamism, Islamist terrorism and the identity of Europe vis-á-vis growing Muslim communities in Europe, there are hardly any solid cross-national data being presented on the real extent of the Islamist threat facing Europe, and on the social conditions that lead to Islamist radicalism. By and large, our rigorous quantitative results, based on the first systematic use of the Muslim community data contained in the ''European Social Survey'' (ESS) all support a socio-liberal view of "migration" and "integration", compatible with much of the rest of current European political economic thinking regarding the future alternatives for the European Union, and contradict the very extended current alarmist political discourse in Western Europe.

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Book SynopsisIslam is the second most common faith in the world with over a billion adherents. Understanding Islam as a twenty-first century faith has potential to address one of the contemporary world''s sorest points, and, at the same time, to release the energies of one of the world''s most potent forces. Moreover, overcoming suspicion of Islam is a pertinent 21st century challenge facing the U.S. as its attempts to mend a decade of deteriorating ties with Muslim peoples world-wide. This book explores suspicion of Islamic education in the U.S., analysing the extent to which such a sentiment is based on verifiable data. The agreement between general broad principles of research ethics and Islamic teachings concerning life are discussed as well. Other chapters address the two controversial issues concerning women''s rights and age of consent for children in Muslim communities. How media representations of Islam can contradict and re-interpret the sanctity of life upheld in the holy book are also analyzed. In addition, this book explores the importance of new Islamic presences in Europe, and the authors address the relationship between the state and Islamic religion, the integration of Muslims in Europe and the role of Islam inside European society.

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Book SynopsisAshrati's book is a study of intellectual framework laid out by Fethullah Gulen in his call for the revival of humanity's changing power. Gulen, a prominent scholar of Islam and a social activist, is the inspiration behind the global network of education, charity and interfaith dialogue. This book is an attempt to show how significant Gulen's layout for reconstruction is to Islam and to the rest of the world.In his analysis of Gulen's thought of reconstruction, Ashrati looks at concepts including the strategy of nonviolence, spiritual dimension of revival, foundations of humanism in Islam, intellectual and spiritual leadership, men of service, and integration of science and religion. His analogy of construction and architectural work comes handy in understanding both the complexity and openness of the call for revival by Gulen.

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Book SynopsisAl Rashid Mosque, Canada's first and one of the earliest in North America, was erected in Edmonton in the depth of the Depression of the 1930s. Over time, the story of this first mosque, which served as a magnet for more Lebanese Muslim immigrants to Edmonton, was woven into the folklore of the local community. Baha Abu-Laban, ForewordEdmonton's Al Rashid Mosque has played a key role in Islam's Canadian development. Founded by Muslims from Lebanon, it has grown into a vibrant community fully integrated into Canada's cultural mosaic. The mosque continues to be a concrete expression of social good, a symbol of a proud Muslim Canadian identity. Al Rashid Mosque provides a welcome introduction to the ethics and values of homegrown Muslims. The book traces the mosque's role in education and community leadership and celebrates the numerous contributions of Muslim Canadians in Edmonton and across Canada. Al Rashid Mosque is a timely and important volume of Islamic and Canadian history."Forty years ago, as a young scholar in Islamic Studies at the University of Alberta, Al Rashid's Muslims welcomed my queries, tolerated my ignorance, and joyfully opened their homes and their hearts." Earle H. WaughEarle H. Waugh has studied Islam in Canada and the Middle East for most of his adult life. He is Professor Emeritus at the University of Alberta and a senior scholar in the areas of religious studies, health and culture, and Indigenous language maintenance.

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Book SynopsisAl Rashid Mosque, Canada's first and one of the earliest in North America, was erected in Edmonton in the depth of the Depression of the 1930s. Over time, the story of this first mosque, which served as a magnet for more Lebanese Muslim immigrants to Edmonton, was woven into the folklore of the local community. Baha Abu-Laban, ForewordEdmonton's Al Rashid Mosque has played a key role in Islam's Canadian development. Founded by Muslims from Lebanon, it has grown into a vibrant community fully integrated into Canada's cultural mosaic. The mosque continues to be a concrete expression of social good, a symbol of a proud Muslim Canadian identity. Al Rashid Mosque provides a welcome introduction to the ethics and values of homegrown Muslims. The book traces the mosque's role in education and community leadership and celebrates the numerous contributions of Muslim Canadians in Edmonton and across Canada. Al Rashid Mosque is a timely and important volume of Islamic and Canadian history."Forty years ago, as a young scholar in Islamic Studies at the University of Alberta, Al Rashid's Muslims welcomed my queries, tolerated my ignorance, and joyfully opened their homes and their hearts." Earle H. WaughEarle H. Waugh has studied Islam in Canada and the Middle East for most of his adult life. He is Professor Emeritus at the University of Alberta and a senior scholar in the areas of religious studies, health and culture, and Indigenous language maintenance.

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Book SynopsisThis collection challenges misconceptions that rural Canada is a bastion of intolerance. While examining the extent and nature of contemporary cultural and religious discrimination in rural Canadian communities, the editors and contributors explore the many efforts by rural citizens, community groups, and municipalities to counter intolerance, build inclusive communities, and become better neighbours. Throughout, scholars and community leaders focus on building new understandings, language, and ways of thinking about diversity and inclusion that will resonate with rural people. Scholars of rural studies will find this book useful as will rural community leaders and community organizers. Contributors: Clark Banack, Ray Bollman, Claudine Bonner, Corina Borri-Anadon, Jen Budney, Michael Corbett, Roger Epp, Murray Fulton, Stacey Haugen, Phil Henderson, Sivane Hirsch, Michelle Lam, Coleen Lynch, Aasa Marshall, Darcy Overland, Trista Pewapisconias, Dionne Pohler, Samuel Reimer, Jennifer Tinkham, Kyle WhiteTrade Review“The contributors to Building Inclusive Communities in Rural Canada refuse to fall back on simple, misleading stereotypes about rural place—as uniquely friendly and welcoming or as places of entrenched racism and xenophobia—and instead do the difficult work of recognizing the heterogeneity of rural places, people, and practices." —Karen Foster, Dalhousie University"This collection by scholars and practitioners is an important contribution to countering stereotypes about rural communities. It explores the complexity and diversity of attitudes and the work against intolerance taking place in groups and institutions in rural communities and offers helpful practical tools to foster inclusivity." Belinda Leach, University of Guelph"Clark Banack and Dionne Pohler’s essay collection, Building Inclusive Communities in Rural Canada, plants some critical seeds in a research field relatively ­barren of sustained inquiry. To what extent, their ­contributors ask, does racial intolerance prevail in rural Canada, and how do we create more inclusive rural communities in this country? The co-editor Clark Banack’s standout ­chapter on attitudes toward cultural and religious ­minorities is a must-read for anyone who picks up this volume.... His fascinating answers should be required reading for federal policy makers and community educators alike." Julie McGonegal, Literary Review of Canada, July-August 2023Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction Clark Banack and Dionne Pohler I Rural Demographics and Diversity 1 The Demographic Context of Rural Canada: The Size of the Indigenous and Visible Minority Populations Ray D. Bollman 2 Making Diversity in Rural Areas Visible: A Changing Perspective for Rural Schools in Québec Sivane Hirsch and Corina Borri-Anadon II Understanding Rural Attitudes toward Inclusivity 3 Partisanship, Patriarchy, and Prejudice: Inclusivity among Evangelicals, Albertans, and Rural Canadians Samuel Reimer 4 Understanding Rural Attitudes toward Cultural and Religious Minorities via Political Ethnography: The Case of Rural Alberta Clark Banack 5 Driving into Nowhere: Refugee Resettlement and Integration in Rural Canada Stacey Haugen III Practical Tools for Building Inclusive Rural Communities 6 A Noisy Silence: Challenges for Rural Teacher Education Michael Corbett, Jennifer Tinkham, and Claudine Bonner 7 Promoting Understanding and Equity in Rural Canada: The Role of Community Education Michelle Lam 8 Contextual Bible Study: An Effective Practice to Promote Inclusivity in Rural Communities and Faith Groups Coleen Lynch IV A Rural Approach to Anti-racism and Settler-Indigenous Relations: Co-operation and Neighbourliness 9 Co-operative Development Possibilities in Rural Settler and Indigenous Communities: Lessons from the Co-operative Innovation Project and Co-operatives First Dionne Pohler, Jen Budney, Murray Fulton, Darcy Overland, Aasa Marshall, Trista Pewapisconias, and Kyle White 10 Inclusion on Whose Grounds? Against Liberal Essentialisms and toward Radical Neighbourliness in Rural Anti-racism Phil Henderson 11 The Work of Neighbours: A Rural Ethos for Reconciliation Roger Epp Conclusion Clark Banack and Dionne Pohler Contributors

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Book SynopsisIn 1940, Rav Yehuda Ashlag published the first, and only copy of the paper, The Nation. After WWII, he wrote The Writings of the Last Generation, contemplating the causes and solutions to anti-Semitism. This book contains these writings, as well as The Nation. These writings are bold, inspiring, and make you wonder what our lives would be like had we known about them earlier, or if we would adopt some of his ideas henceforth.

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Book SynopsisMargaret Thatcher’s premiership changed the face of modern Britain. Yet few people know of the critical role played by Jews in sparking and sustaining her revolution. Was this chance, choice, or simply a reflection of the fact that, as the Iron Lady herself said: `I just wanted a Cabinet of clever, energetic people and frequently that turned out to be the same thing’? In this book, the first to explore Mrs Thatcher’s relationship with Britain’s Jewish community, Robert Philpot shows that her regard did not come simply from representing a constituency with more Jewish voters than any other, but stretched back to her childhood. She saw her own philosophical beliefs expressed in the values of Judaism – and in it, too, she saw elements of her beloved father’s Methodist teachings. Margaret Thatcher: The Honorary Jew explores Mrs Thatcher’s complex and fascinating relationship with the Jewish community and draws on archives and a wide range of memoirs and exclusive interviews, ranging from former Cabinet ministers to political opponents. It reveals how Immanuel Jakobovits, the Chief Rabbi, assisted her fight with the Church of England and how her attachment to Israel led her to internal battles as a member of Edward Heath’s government and as Prime Minister, as well as examining her relationships with various Israeli leaders.Trade Review"Meticulously researched and skilfully written, this book delivers something that's very difficult to do these days - namely to provide a genuinely fresh perspective on one of Britain's, indeed the world's, most talked-about political icons." - Tim Bale, Professor of Politics at Queen Mary University of London; "We all think we know about Maggie - and especially her relationship with the Jewish community and Israel. Robert Philpot's brilliantly readable book shows just how superficial the received wisdom is. Anyone who wants to understand what made Baroness Thatcher tick needs to read this." - Stephen Pollard , Editor of the Jewish Chronicle; "An original and important contribution to works on Thatcherism. This well-researched book is filled with fresh insights into the rapport the Prime Minister had with her circle of energetic Cabinet Ministers and No. 10 advisors from Jewish backgrounds. Philpot's revealing portraits of Keith Joseph, Nigel Lawson, Malcolm Rifkind, David Young, Alfred Sherman, Stephen Sherbourne and other key figures are particularly perceptive." - Jonathan Aitken

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Book SynopsisThe Arab revolutions of 2011 were a transformative moment in the modern history of the Middle East, as people rose up against long-standing autocrats throughout the region to call for 'bread, freedom and dignity'. With the passage of time, results have been decidedly mixed, with initial success stories like Tunisia contrasting with the emergence of even more repressive dictatorships in places like Egypt, with the backing of several Gulf states. Focusing primarily on Egypt, this book considers a relatively understudied dimension of these revolutions: the role of prominent religious scholars. While pro-revolutionary ulama have justified activism against authoritarian regimes, counter-revolutionary scholars have provided religious backing for repression, and in some cases the mass murder of unarmed protestors. Usaama al-Azami traces the public engagements and religious pronouncements of several prominent ulama in the region, including Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Ali Gomaa and Abdullah bin Bayyah, to explore their role in either championing the Arab revolutions or supporting their repression. He concludes that while a minority of noted scholars have enthusiastically endorsed the counter-revolutions, their approach is attributable less to premodern theology and more to their distinctly modern commitment to the authoritarian state.Trade Review‘[An] important study, the first comprehensive account of its kind’ -- Asian Affairs‘Compelling.’ -- Middle East Policy'Ten years after the Arab Spring, little attention has been given to the important role of religious scholars. Al-Azami's excellent book provides an extensive analysis of a myriad of discourses and political alliances. A must-read for researchers of modern Islam and Middle East studies.' -- Heba Raouf Ezzat, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Ibn Haldun University'Literature on the Arab Spring is vast, but a novel perspective and original dimension is rare. Al-Azami's book accomplishes both. He succinctly illustrates that the Arab Revolutions were also an epistemological battle, in which the ulama played a pivotal role. A quintessential read.' -- Wadah Khanfar, former director general of Al Jazeera Media Network and President of the Al Sharq Forum'A comprehensive account and analysis of how the events of the Arab Spring unfolded among the ranks of the ulama. Indispensable for anyone wanting to understand the fault lines which will dominate the Muslim world for years to come.' -- Jonathan A. C. Brown, Professor of Islamic Civilization, Georgetown University

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Book SynopsisThe flowering of the 'Abbasid caliphate between 750 and 1258 CE is often considered the classical age of Islamic civilization. In the preceding 120 years the Arabs had conquered much of the known world of antiquity and established a vast empire stretching from Spain to China. But was this empire really so very different, as has sometimes been claimed, from what it superseded? The Great Caliphs creatively explores the immense achievements of the 'Abbasid age through the lens of Mediterranean history. When the Umayyad caliphs were replaced by the 'Abbasids in 750, and the Arab capital moved to Baghdad, Iraq quickly became the centre not only of an imperium but also of a culture built on the foundations of the great civilizations of antiquity: Greece, Rome, Byzantium and Persia. Debunking popular misconceptions about the Arab conquests, Amira Bennison shows that, far from seeing themselves as purging the 'occidental' culture of the ancient world with a 'pure' and 'oriental' Islamic doctrine, the 'Abbasids perceived themselves to be as much within the tradition of Mediterranean and Near Eastern empire as any of their predecessors. Like other outsiders who inherited the Roman Empire, the Arabs had as much interest in preserving as in destroying, even while they were challenged by the paganism of the past. Indebted to that past while building creatively on its foundations, the 'Abbasids and their rulers inculcated and nurtured precisely the 'civilized' values which western civilization so often claims to represent.Trade Review'An engaging synthesis of much recent scholarship on medieval Islamic society and culture which fills a significant gap in a literature dominated by histories of politics and religion.' - Times Literary Supplement; 'Offers a compelling yet nuanced understanding of the civilization of the 'Abbasid Empire. A wonderful book.' - Miri Rubin, Professor of Medieval and Early Modern History, Queen Mary, University of London; 'Bennison fashions a smooth, expository narrative, drawing back the curtain on medieval Islamic society by a mix of lively anecdotes, illuminating references to modern practices, striking comparisons with the more familiar medieval West, well-judged and pithy generalizations and gobbets of medieval texts that instantly bring long-dead people to life. There really is something here for everyone.' - Robert Hillenbrand writing in The Middle East in LondonTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Note on transliteration List of Maps List of Figures Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 A Stormy Sea: the politics of the ‘Abbasid caliphate The making of an empire The Umayyads: Islam’s first caliphal dynasty The rise of the ‘Abbasids The early ‘Abbasid caliphate The Samarran interlude The Shi‘i century The Saljuq sultanate and the ‘Sunni revival’ The Crusades and the twilight of the caliphate Chapter 3 From Baghdad to Cordoba: the cities of classical Islam Arab urbanism at the dawn of Islam The first Muslim towns Umayyad urbanism ‘Abbasid imperial cities and their imitators Provincial cities in the ‘Abbasid age Chapter 4 Princes and Beggars: life and society in the ‘Abbasid Age Peasants and countryfolk The people of the city Women and children The religious minorities Beggars and tricksters Chapter 5 The Life Blood of Empire: trade and traders in ‘Abbasid times Routes and commodities Merchants and pilgrims Trade facilities Chapter 6 Baghdad’s ‘Golden Age’: Islam’s scientific renaissance The foundations of Islamic learning The flowering of knowledge under the ‘Abbasids The ‘Abbasid translation movement Translations, translators and scientists Knowledge and science after the translation movement Chapter 7 The ‘Abbasid Legacy Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis topic divides people - and it will divide readers of this book too. Many Muslims worldwide either support or adopt religious veiling, and those who argue against it are often criticised, or worse. But, according to Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, the veil throws up a number of concerns, from questions of health and freedom of choice to issues of gender and personal identity. She argues that veiling conceals abuse, propagates eating disorders and restricts access to sunlight and exercise. It is imposed on babies and young girls, allows women to be shamed for not covering up, and has become associated with extremist factions. It demonises men, oppresses feminism and presents obstacles to performance and success. It even encourages racism, distorts Muslim values and strips women of autonomy and individuality. Written from a unique perspective and packed with personal experiences as well as public examples, Yasmin addresses the ultimate question of why Muslim women everywhere should refuse the veil. Provocations is a groundbreaking new series of short polemics composed by some of the most intriguing voices in contemporary culture and edited by Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.Sharp, intelligent and controversial, Provocations provides insightful contributions to the most vital discussions in society today.Trade Review"An ambitious new series that tackles the controversy of the topics explored with a mixture of intelligence and forthright argument from some excellent writers." The Observer

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