Islam Obscured

Islam Obscured PDF Author: D. Varisco
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1403973423
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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Book Description
Ethnographers have observed Muslims nearly everywhere Islam is practiced. This study analyzes four seminal texts that have been read widely outside anthropology. Two are by distinguished anthropologists on either side of the Atlantic, Islam Observed (by Clifford Geertz in 1968) and Muslim Society (by Ernest Gellner in 1981). Two other texts are by Muslim scholars, Beyond the Veil (Fatima Mernissi in 1975) and Discovering Islam (by Akbar Ahmed in 1988). Varisco argues that each of these four authors approaches Islam as an essentialized organic unity rather than letting 'Islams' found in the field speak to the diversity of practice. The textual truths engendered, and far too often engineered, in these idealized representations of Islam have found their way unscrutinized into an endless stream of scholarly works and textbooks. Varisco's analysis goes beyond the rhetoric over what Islam is to the information from ethnographic research about what Muslims say they do and actually are observed to do. The issues covered include Islam as a cultural phenomenon, representation of 'the other', Muslim gender roles, politics of ethnographic authority, and Orientalist discourse.

Islam Obscured

Islam Obscured PDF Author: D. Varisco
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1403973423
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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Book Description
Ethnographers have observed Muslims nearly everywhere Islam is practiced. This study analyzes four seminal texts that have been read widely outside anthropology. Two are by distinguished anthropologists on either side of the Atlantic, Islam Observed (by Clifford Geertz in 1968) and Muslim Society (by Ernest Gellner in 1981). Two other texts are by Muslim scholars, Beyond the Veil (Fatima Mernissi in 1975) and Discovering Islam (by Akbar Ahmed in 1988). Varisco argues that each of these four authors approaches Islam as an essentialized organic unity rather than letting 'Islams' found in the field speak to the diversity of practice. The textual truths engendered, and far too often engineered, in these idealized representations of Islam have found their way unscrutinized into an endless stream of scholarly works and textbooks. Varisco's analysis goes beyond the rhetoric over what Islam is to the information from ethnographic research about what Muslims say they do and actually are observed to do. The issues covered include Islam as a cultural phenomenon, representation of 'the other', Muslim gender roles, politics of ethnographic authority, and Orientalist discourse.

The Crescent Obscured

The Crescent Obscured PDF Author: Robert J. Allison
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022630857X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 295

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Book Description
From the beginning of the colonial period to the recent conflicts in the Middle East, encounters with the Muslim world have helped Americans define national identity and purpose. Focusing on America's encounter with the Barbary states of North Africa from 1776 to 1815, Robert Allison traces the perceptions and mis-perceptions of Islam in the American mind as the new nation constructed its ideology and system of government. "A powerful ending that explains how the experience with the Barbary states compelled many Americans to look inward . . . with increasing doubts about the institution of slavery." —David W. Lesch, Middle East Journal "Allison's incisive and informative account of the fledgling republic's encounter with the Muslim world is a revelation with a special pertinence to today's international scene." —Richard W. Bulliet, Journal of Interdisciplinary History "This book should be widely read. . . . Allison's study provides a context for understanding more recent developments, such as America's tendency to demonize figures like Iran's Khumaini, Libya's Qaddafi, and Iraq's Saddam." —Richard M. Eaton, Eighteenth Century Studies

Did Muhammad Exist?

Did Muhammad Exist? PDF Author: Robert Spencer
Publisher: Bombardier Books
ISBN: 1642938548
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 307

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Book Description
Is there any sound historical evidence that the prophet of Islam actually existed, or is the entire story of Muhammad fable or fiction? It is a question that few have thought—or dared—to ask. Virtually everyone, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, takes for granted that the prophet of Islam lived as a prophet, as well as a political and military leader, in seventh-century Arabia. But this widely accepted story begins to crumble on close examination. In his blockbuster New York Times bestseller The Truth about Muhammad, historian and Islam expert Robert Spencer revealed the often shocking contents of Islamic teachings about Muhammad. Now, in this newly revised and expanded version of Did Muhammad Exist?, he lays bare those teachings’ surprisingly shaky historical foundations. This updated and enlarged version of this acclaimed book examines even more striking and compelling evidence that the story of Muhammad, who for so long was assumed to have lived in the “full light of history,” could be more myth and legend than historical fact. Spencer meticulously examines historical records and archaeological findings, pioneering new scholarship to reconstruct what we can know about Muhammad, the Qur’an, and the early days of Islam. The evidence he presents challenges the most fundamental assumptions about Islam’s origins.

Islam Obscured

Islam Obscured PDF Author: Martin S. Kramer
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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The Hidden Origins of Islam

The Hidden Origins of Islam PDF Author: Karl-Heinz Ohlig
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 414

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Book Description
Based on the premise that reliable history can only be written on the basis of sources that are contemporary with the events described, the contributors to this in-depth investigation present research that reveals the obscure origins of Islam in a completely new light.

Islam Obscured? Some Reflections on Studies of Islam and Society in Southeast Asia

Islam Obscured? Some Reflections on Studies of Islam and Society in Southeast Asia PDF Author: William R. Roff
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Islam in Iran

Islam in Iran PDF Author: I. P. Petrushevsky
Publisher: State University of New York Press
ISBN: 1438416040
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 416

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Book Description
A scholarly and authoritative history of the emergence and growth of Islam in Iran during the early and later medieval periods. This book, by I. P. Petrushevsky, the foremost Soviet Iranologist, was originally published in Russia in 1966. After discussing the Arabian environment in which the faith of Islam arose, and the character—legal, social and doctrinal—of the new message, the author moves on to trace the peculiarly Iranian development of Islamic beliefs, the schisms which arose in its early history, and the eventual creation of a Sunni orthodoxy. Written from the Russian perspective, with Russia's long contact with Iranian and Turkish Muslim neighbors, it provides a stimulating and salutary balance to the study of the Islamic world.

Unveiling Islam

Unveiling Islam PDF Author: Ergun Mehmet Caner
Publisher: Kregel Publications
ISBN: 9780825424007
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
(Foreword by Richard Land) An insider's look at the reality of Islam by two former Sunni Muslims widely respected for their ability to clearly explain the Muslim mind. More than 150,000 copies in print!

Islam and America

Islam and America PDF Author: Anouar Majid
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1442214120
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 191

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Book Description
is the enemy of future progress." --Daniel Martin Varisco, Hofstra University, author of Islam Obscured: The Rhetoric of Anthropological Representation --

The Handy Islam Answer Book

The Handy Islam Answer Book PDF Author: John Renard
Publisher: Visible Ink Press
ISBN: 1578595444
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 602

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Book Description
A western Islamic scholar demystifies and explains one of the world’s great religious traditions! In an age of continued Middle East volatility, religious extremists, and terrorist threats, the mere mention of Islam and Muslims too often provokes misunderstanding and even rancor. Often overlooked are the important links between the Qur'an and the Bible. Also ignored are the significant historical overlap between Islamic interpretation of history with those of Christianity and Judaism. Islam is too often confusing and even opaque to those unfamiliar with it. Truly a must-have reference for our changing and trying times, The Handy Islam Answer Book, is clearly and eloquently written by John Renard, Ph.D., a scholar of Islam with more than 40 years of research and teaching experience. This user-friendly guide answers nearly 800 questions and offers fun facts that cover Islamic history, religious practices, and Muslim cultural perspectives, including … When did Islam begin? Why is Mecca a holy city for Muslims? Do Muslims worship Muhammad? What was the fate of Medieval Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land? What do Muslims mean by the term "Allah"? What does the crescent moon and star symbol mean to Muslims? What is the Muslim “call to prayer”? Is it similar to “church bells”? Do Muslims believe that God “tests” people? Does Muhammad play a role in Islamic spirituality in a manner similar to Jesus’ role in Christianity? Is jihad a legal concept for Muslims? Is it true that Muhammad both preached and engaged in military campaigns? Do Muslims, Christians, and Jews worship the “same God”? Why do Jews, Christians, and Muslims all claim parts of Israel/Palestine as “Holy Land”? Why do some people, such as the Taliban, not want girls to get an education? Does Islam require wearing face veils? Is there any similarity between Muslim and Christian art? Muslims are diverse, and they have a vast spectrum of views about Islam, and The Handy Islam Answer Book is a resource for reliable information about Islam and Muslims. This helpful books also provides a historic timeline, a glossary of commonly used terms, a genealogy from Adam to Muhammad and beyond, a calendar of major observances, an extensive index, and a bibliography help further exploration of one of the world’s great religions.