This backgrounder by a leading scholar of Islam serves as a welcome antidote against simplistic attitudes toward Islam. Like the authors of many books in the past few months, Esposito (The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality?), a professor at Georgetown, traces the history of Islam and East-West relations over the centuries. His real contribution is focusing on the multiple interpretations and historical struggles within Islam—for instance, the debate over the term jihad,
or struggle. It has carried two meanings: an external jihad against enemies and an inner jihad, the need to follow Islam's tenets and resist temptation to stray. For Mohammed and for most Muslims today, the inner jihad is the most important, says the author. Osama bin Laden and his cronies have turned that on its head by focusing on what they see as Islam's enemies. Their worldview has much support around the globe, Esposito, like others, notes, because of the social and historical context—increased U.S. military involvement in the Arab world and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He also adds complexity to his portrayal by emphasizing democratic currents within the Islamic world, although some might find him a bit too optimistic on this score. Beyond a general distrust of the effectiveness of military responses, Esposito never makes clear the policy implications of understanding the roots of the current Islamic worldview. But those who want a guide to the origins of the current clash of civilizations are unlikely to find a better book. (May 1)
Forecast: Books on Islam and jihad continue to pour out. How many can the market absorb? This may cannibalize sales from another Oxford title, Bernard Lewis's
What Went Wrong?
