Description
Book SynopsisIslam is often portrayed, especially in Western media, as an alien, violent, hostile, and monolithic religion, whose adherents are intent upon battling nonbelievers throughout the world. This book demonstrates that these conceptions reflect the bias of Western reporters than they do the realities of contemporary Islam.
Trade Review"Bruce Lawrence's excellent analysis of Islam today brings together socioeconomic, historical, political, and religious elements, and sets these against the backdrop of global capitalism and high technology ... Shattering the Myth is an extremely well argued, well developed and well documented book that serves as a basis for further studies of Islam and the images held about it."--Middle East Journal "In this thought provoking and informative work, the author ... seeks to dispel the misconceptions and fears about Islam which are too often held by those with an incomplete understanding of what Islam is and what its followers believe and seek... Anyone wishing to develop an accurate understanding of the subject should read this book."--Virginia Quarterly Review "In Shattering the Myth, Bruce Lawrence takes us beyond the headlines and CNN broadcasts and shows us an Islam that is not quite as neat and tidy as popularly presented."--Ethnic Conflict "The book makes the commonsense yet often overlooked argument that Islam must be understood, in its variety, as a complex and developing religious system not separated from the everyday and global concerns of Muslims... Insightful analysis."--Religious Studies Review "Shattering the Myth is an important book... It is a brilliant example of applied religious studies."--History of Religions "A timely contribution to an ongoing debate on the relationship between Islam and violence, a debate that has shed more heat than light. It cannot afford to be ignored by anyone interested in the relations between Muslims and people of other faiths."--Islamic Studies
Table of ContentsList of IllustrationsForewordAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Islam across Time and Cultures3Pt. 1European Colonialism and Its Sequels31Ch. 1The Three Phases of Modern-Day Islam33Ch. 2Islamic Revivalism: Anti-Colonial Revolt40Ch. 3Islamic Reform: Secular Nationalism45Ch. 4Islamic Fundamentalism: Religious Nationalism51Pt. 2Muslim Women and Islamic Fundamentalism107Ch. 5The Double Bind Revisited109Ch. 6The Shah Bano Case131Conclusion: Convergent Signposts: Jihad and Corporate Culture157Notes187Bibliography219Index231
