Cover Page

“It is no surprise that this lucid and insightful treatment of such a fraught topic should come from none other than Tamara Sonn, one of the leading scholars of Islam today. The author trenchantly analyses some of the most pervasive contemporary stereotypes of Muslims – especially their alleged proclivity for violence – and confronts lurid depictions of Islam with sober facts. The result is a highly accessible and valuable study that compellingly undermines the all-too-common view that ‘Islam’ and ‘the West’ are at war with one another.”

Asma Afsaruddin, Indiana University

“Tamara Sonn’s new book dispels the myths that portray Islam as inherently violent and antagonistic toward the West. She offers a compelling response and an essential antidote to the crude caricatures of Islam that pervade our post-9/11 world.”

Todd Green, Luther College and author of The Fear of Islam: An Introduction to Islamophobia in the West

“Sonn’s excellent analysis introduces the reader to the voices of mainstream Muslims who speak out against terrorism, voices that tend to be drowned in the public discourse. Sonn convincingly argues that common grievances among Muslims should not be confused with common religious beliefs. This incisive little book is a reminder that politics, and not religion, is the cause of grievances that lead some to engage in terrorism.”

Nelly Lahoud, Institute for Strategic Studies-Middle East

“A concise but remarkably comprehensive analysis of a major element in contemporary global affairs – the relations between Islam and the West. Sonn’s thorough knowledge of both mainstream and extremist Muslim thought and movements gives a depth to this study that goes well beyond the usual coverage of this significant subject.”

John O. Voll, Georgetown University

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Is Islam an Enemy of the West?

Tamara Sonn











To my family, with gratitude for their unwavering love and support.

Acknowledgments

Louise Knight of Polity Press deserves primary credit for both conceiving this book and convincing me to write it. I thank her, as well as Professor John L. Esposito and Professor John O. Voll, for their unwavering guidance and support. Special thanks go to Dr Gamal Heshmat, Dr Amr Darrag, Dr Hussein Elkazzaz, and Dr Yahya Hamed for clearly articulating the Muslim Brotherhood’s objectives and strategies in their ongoing struggle for democracy, development, and the rule of law, and against terrorism. I would also like to thank Justin Dyer for his brilliant and painstaking editing of the manuscript. And special thanks go to my students at Georgetown University, who, by asking the right questions, helped me distill years of research and channel it into this very brief format.