The Idea of the Muslim World: A Global Intellectual History

Aydin upends the common view that the West and Islam are unavoidably in conflict in this crisp history of modern Islamic international relations. He argues the notion of a unified, global Muslim community was not present until Western imperialism and racism forced a defensive posture from Muslims. Starting in the 18th century, he shows how Muslim populations often sided with European powers against other Muslims to achieve more local political goals. In discussions of both world wars and the Cold War, it becomes clear that European powers manipulated Muslims with promises of greater self-determination, using them as proxies for imperial interests. Ending with the first Gulf War, he shows how historically shallow calls for a global caliphate are. The broad scope and quick pace make this more a sketch than a definite work, though novices should be able to follow the swirl of names and events. Despite the brief mentions of Muslim-majority countries around the world, Aydin’s focus is Middle Eastern actors and thinkers to show that the current West-Islam antagonism is neither inevitable nor long-standing. This is a solid work for college classrooms and scholars on the history of global Muslim consciousness and our current world. [em](Apr.) [/em]