Publication date:
23 July 2015Length of book:
196 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersISBN-13: 9781442214132
Islam and America argues that the current animosity between the U.S. and Muslim world should be understood through the often-overlooked history between the two. Tracing the genealogy of this conflicted relationship from the Pilgrims to the present, author Anouar Majid weaves personal stories with historical narratives to offer a critical view of both cultures and to suggest a path towards future peace.
The paperback edition features a new preface that connects Majid’s argument with recent events, from the growth of ISIS to the Charlie Hebdo attacks. Islam and America makes a provocative argument against faith-based prejudices and offers inspiring suggestions for the future.
The paperback edition features a new preface that connects Majid’s argument with recent events, from the growth of ISIS to the Charlie Hebdo attacks. Islam and America makes a provocative argument against faith-based prejudices and offers inspiring suggestions for the future.
Most books on Islam these days stress the negative, but Majid builds a highly personal and well documented blueprint for proudly being American and Muslim at the same time. Beneath the media-hyped 'clash of civilizations' there is far too much 'trash talking' and not near enough reasoned exploration of the principles that should unite the best values of both the United States and the Islamic World. As the current 'Arab Spring' demonstrates, the future belongs to those who challenge the status quo rather than pandering to past prejudice and perpetuating the injustice that tarnishes all sides. What makes this book stand out from the rest are both Majid's self reflection as a Muslim from Morocco and his passion for retelling the principles that at one time made the American experiment the envy of the world. As Majid persuasively argues, Americans and Muslims do not straddle a rigid cultural divide but can build on shared values if everyone recognizes that past prejudice is the enemy of future progress.