Journey into Islam: The Crisis of Globalization (Hardcover)
by Akbar Ahmed (Author)
The discussion took place on Wednesday, May 23, 2007 at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C. An mp3 file of the discussion can be downloaded here and a rush transcript of the discussion may be viewed here.
In response to the events of September 11, 2001, Ahmed, Islamic studies professor at American University in Washington, D.C., set out in 2006 to visit Muslim nations in the Middle East, South Asia and South-East Asia. Accompanied the entire way by two non-Muslim American students and occasionally by others—including one American student who was Muslim—the Pakistani-born professor hoped to improve his understanding of the contemporary Muslim realm in all its diversity.
Not so incidentally, Ahmed also wanted to shatter the stereotype of the U.S. as a war-mongering, Islam-hating nation. The result is a fascinating account of how he and his students braved danger to build mutual understanding in Pakistan, India, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Qatar, Malaysia and Indonesia.
As academics, they administered detailed questionnaires to Muslims in each nation, while as social creatures, they sat through seminars, luncheons, dinners and casual conversations looking for a candid exchange of ideas about religious, political and cultural differences.
Ahmed has long been one of the beacons of the Muslim spokepersons in the West. Here he comes across as an honourable man who believes that the future of the human race depends on international dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims. He breaks new ground by taking the theme of dialogue as guiding light. This is a wonderful way to get a sense of the textures of conversations among contemporary Muslims.
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Copyright 2003-2007 Azlan Adnan Legal Notice
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