bout de papier, Vol. 20, No. 1 (2003) — Spring/Summer 2003 // Printemps/Été 2003, pp. 19–20
UNHOLY WAR: TERROR IN THE NAME
OF ISLAM, by John L. Esposito, Oxford
University Press, 2002, 208 pp., $29.95
Since it was “discovered” by the West some twenty years ago, Islamic fundamentalism — now more commonly and accurately termed extremist or militant Islam — has been the focus of a myriad of books, articles, lectures and documentaries. Still it remains a subject of endless fascination and there always appears to be yet another “take” on the subject. John Esposito has become one of the best known among those who have taken on this topic, with good reason. His obvious knowledge, based upon a remarkable depth of scholarship, and his ability to present information in an approachable and readable style are clearly on display in the text under review.
In this book, Professor Esposito begins with Usama bin Ladin (a purist, I will argue with him regarding his spelling: Osama bin Laden) and sets out the path that bin Ladin followed on his way to becoming the most famous terrorist of the new century. While the chapter may very quickly become dated (it is possible, if not probable, that bin Ladin will be killed or captured before this review is published), the underlying arguments that have supported Usama and his colleagues will remain valid for his successors. They (the underlying arguments as well as the successors) will, thereby, continue to plague both the West and those progressive Muslims who wish to modernize their countries.
Perhaps the most valuable thing that Professor Esposito does, and it is the dominant theme throughout the book, is to work the concept of jihad into the history of modern Islam’s confrontation with the West and modernism. Jihad has been an intensely important word in Islamic theological debate for centuries; each school of philosophy, each teacher and each community has developed its own meaning of the word and each meaning must be understood in its own context. Esposito develops the idea of jihad in the time of Muhammad in the seventh century, focussing on the actions of the Prophet and passages from the Qur’an, and then he touches on thinkers and movements that have prepared the way for the militant excesses of today.
Professor Esposito places the modern concept of jihad squarely in the context of the Muslim response to Western colonialism and cultural expansionism. He looks at modern movements throughout the Muslim world. He touches on the development of national movements in Egypt, Palestine and Algeria and gives the history of the expansion of Wahhabi Islam from its Arabian origins into Central Asia and Afghanistan. It is these movements, now in the forefront of Islamic political activism, that have evolved into the primary vehicles for the Islamic revolution and created a supranational movement. Spurred on by their success against the Soviets in Afghanistan, the advocates of the new spirit of jihad have created a global movement. The events of 9/11 have brought this movement to the West.
Finally Professor Esposito takes on those questions that have been so prominent since 9/11. Do we really face a clash of civilizations? Why do they hate us? Is there a direct connection between Islam, anti-Americanism and global terrorism? Are Islam and modernity incompatible? There are too many possible answers to these questions for one to be comfortable in saying that Professor Esposito has it right. He does, however, provide answers that help the reader cope with the many unknowns that seem to be dominating the news. He emphasizes that Islam is not monolithic; the faithful are as diverse in their debate and their beliefs as any other major religion. He provides insight into the love-hate relationship between America and the Muslim world and the difficulties faced by Western governments, especially that of the US. All are challenged to find a balance between their longstanding support for certain regional regimes and the principles of democratization, human rights and self-determination for which they claim to stand.
A few minor complaints aside (an explanation of the Deobandi movement would be useful and I continue to disagree with some of the transliterations), I recommend this book. As he sets out in his preface, Professor Esposito has written for the majority, the educated masses that want to know more about the threats that seem to face them. Unholy War is a readable and intelligent attempt to pass on an intuitive understanding that can usually only be obtained through years of research.
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Originally published in bout de papier, Vol. 20, No. 1 (2003) — Spring/Summer 2003 // Printemps/Été 2003, pp. 19–20. Read the rest of this issue →
