Description
Book SynopsisFrom life along the Tigris River in the 1970s to the ongoing Arab Spring uprisings, Phil Karber has witnessed decades of change throughout the Middle East. Fear and Faith in Paradise draws on his wealth of experience to sketch a timely and compelling portrait of the region throughout history. Going beyond the endless images of terrorism and war, he challenges pervasive stereotypes of Muslims and delves into the living history and cultures of Arabs, Turks, Kurds, Persians, Jews, Tunisians, Moroccans, Armenians, and others. Seamlessly moving between past and present, Karber skillfully develops two overarching themes: How America's footprint can be shifted from a military to a humanitarian emphasis and how fear is used as a cudgel by today's monotheistic leaders to sacrifice the faithful. Whether Christian, Muslim, or Jewish, they all invoke their own vision of paradise, often as incentive, in hopeless conflicts that seem doomed to be repeated. Karber's down-to-earth writing vividly con
Trade ReviewCounter to the homogeneous portrayal of the Middle East and North Africa in American media, Karber reveals the kaleidoscope of cultures, ethnic identities, and belief systems that comprise the region. Beginning in 2006 in Syria and concluding in 2011 in Tunisia, Karber traveled through the Middle East, witnessing critical periods of humanitarian distress and political foment from the 2006 Lebanon War to the postwar development of Kurdistan to the birth of Arab Spring. He shows genuine enthusiasm and curiosity for the people and places he visits as well as an understanding of, and sensitivity to, the diverse cultures of the region. Throughout his travels, Karber engaged locals in discussions on their perceptions of the U.S. and on the political climate in their own country. He couches these conversations in the wider history of the region, weaving in historical events dating back to BCE. A fascinating travel memoir and a revealing look at the devastating toll that war has taken on the Middle East. * Booklist *
Karber, a travel writer whose previous books have explored Africa and Indochina, now turns his focus to the Middle East and parts of Muslim North Africa, chronicling for the reader his travels through Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Morocco, and Tunisia, where he attempts to understand the history and the culture of the region as a lens through which to view the turbulent political climate of the past decade. Karber is intrepid and inquisitive, with a lyrical prose style and a commendable eye for detail, and he has done copious background research, which makes the book rich with historical context. . . . The book is well worth reading, since it offers a fascinating glimpse into some underexplored countries and adds valuable color and context to the headlines. * Publishers Weekly *
It will be a huge mistake if Karber's Fear and Faith in Paradise gets labeled merely a travel book. While his vivid and entertaining descriptions of his travels among the people of the Middle East, North Africa, and beyond paint for us a clear understanding of their communities, cultures, politics (or lack thereof), and beliefs, the book's real strength is the insight it provides into the lack of understanding and trust our leaders and we, as Americans, have of the Muslim world—and theirs of the United States. In this turbulent and uncertain Arab Spring and post-9/11 era, it is a must read for our leaders and policy makers and all of us who put them in power. -- John Lancaster, board of directors of the United States Institute of Peace
Phil Karber is part scholar, part seeker and full-on adventurer, a boots-on-the-ground writer who has regularly been drawn to some of the world's most complex and turbulent places. He began exploring North Africa and the Middle East years ago—sleeping rough, eating local, hitching rides. And now, with Fear and Faith in Paradise, he has delivered a riveting, poignant and up-to-the-minute account of the region, from its history, peoples and cultures to its modern politics and recent upheavals. This book is a guide, a compass, a marvel. -- Mark McDonald, foreign correspondent for the International Herald Tribune and New York Times
Fear and Faith in Paradise comes to us from Phil Karber as everyman . . . on the road. Not a historian, nor a development worker. Not a sociologue, nor a novelist. But rather, he invites, 'Come with me, America, and sit by my side,' as this incorrigible native son moves among foreign people. -- David Holdridge, founder and president, Bridging the Divide
Table of ContentsPrologue: A Moment of Opportunity Introduction: Terror in the Name of God Part I: Wars of Choice Chapter 1: Be Nice to Americans Chapter 2: Refugees from Iraq and Lebanon Flee to Syria Chapter 3: Holy Fools and the Red Crescent Chapter 4: Made in America Chapter 5: Warlords and a Lebanese Prophet Chapter 6: Poppy Fields, McDonalds, Armageddon, and the Loire Valley Chapter 7: Hezbollah and U.S. Cluster Bombs Chapter 8: Istanbul, Ground Zero in the Clash of Civilizations Chapter 9: Bombs Away on the PKK Chapter 10: Peshmerga and Mercy Corps Chapter 11: Refugees, Water, Schools, Clinics, and Wheelchairs Chapter 12: It’s the Oil, Habibi, the Oil Chapter 13: The Sunshine Peddler’s Parlor Game Chapter 14: Saying Boo! to the Bogeyman Part II: A Theocracy Chapter 15: A Wall of Mistrust Chapter 16: Coca-Cola and KFC in Tehran Chapter 17: Desert Gardens, Imam Hussein, and the Eternal Flame Chapter 18: King of Kings in Wine Country Chapter 19: Fear and Faith in Paradise Part III: Shadow and Light, an Arab Spring Chapter 20: Morocco and the February 20th Movement Chapter 21: The Jasmine Revolution Selected Bibliography
