Islam in World Cultures : Comparative Perspectives

Islam in World Cultures analyzes differences in Islamic culture and practice by looking not simply at matters of doctrine, but also at how Islam interacts with local cultures.

Are Muslim states ready for democracy? Is there a culture war between the West and 1.2 billion Muslims?

As the United States wages war in Iraq, academics, the media, and politicians are asking these questions.

But does it make sense to discuss Islam as a monolith?

Islam in World Cultures says no. Contemporary treatments of Islam focus on the Middle East; they treat the beliefs and people of that region as representing all of Islam.

At most they emphasize the differences between Muslim groups-Sunni vs.

Shia, for instance-while overlooking the even greater differences that result from region-specific cultural and political pressures.

Islam in World Cultures gathers the work of ten eminent scholars, each of whom has expertise in the Muslim culture of a particular country or geographical area.

Individual chapters explore contemporary developments in the Islamic experience in Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Central Asia, China, Indonesia, South Africa, Ethiopia, and the United States. This broad treatment provides an introduction to the full range of issues relating to Islam in the context of globalization.