How can Islam be understood in the context of internal struggles for unity and identity, a rise in anti-Muslim hate crime and continued media portrayals of violence, extremism, warfare and oppression? Looking at Islam as a faith, a whole system with political dimensions and through the lens of Western media, this book sets out to clarify the nature of true Islam and the true nature of Islam.
With diverse contributions from Muslims, Christians and individuals with no religious affiliations, this collection of essays respond to the King of Jordan's Amman Message - an initiative seeking to clarify Islam as a religion of peace - in light of recent international events such as the Charlie Hebdo controversy. Presenting fresh perspectives on a frequently misrepresented religion, this book offers a platform for debate about Islam's place within Western culture and political systems, and the role that faith communities can play in seeking peace and reconciliation.
1. The History of the Amman Message and the Promotion of the Amman Message Project. Sarah Markiewicz.
2. Taking the Amman Message to European Audiences: the Challenges and the Tasks. Mike Hardy.
3. Islam in Europe and the Amman Message: Overview, Challenges and Potentials. Rebecca Catto.
4. Islam in the UK and the Impact of the Amman Message. Fiyaz Mughal.
5. Young British Muslims: Online Extremism and the Message of Islam. Imran Awan.
6. Extremist Movements and their Impact on the Industry of Islamophobia. Jamal Al-Shalabi.
7. The Amman Message: A Counter Narrative to Islamic Fundamentalism. Moh'd Khair Eiedat.
8. The Amman Message as an Invitation to Interfaith Dialogue: a Christian Response. Christine Seeberg.
9. The Amman Message and Charlie Hebdo. Steve Rose and Faith Matters.
10. The Amman Message "Other": Repositioning Identity Politics for Dialogue and Justice. Kristin Shamas.
11. Looking Forward: an Impossible Road? Mike Hardy, Fiyaz Mughal and Sarah Markiewicz.
Hardy, Mughal, and Markiewicz believe the core Islamic identity to be in flux. Muslims search for identity amid an internal struggle for unity in the Muslim world, increases in anti-Muslim hate crimes outside the Muslim world, and continued media portrayals of violence, tyranny, and extremism; the authors observe that it can be difficult for today's Muslim, or non-Muslim, to truly comprehend what Islam is. This book takes up the Amman Message, a statement issued by the king of Jordan in 2004 that calls for tolerance and unity among Muslims, and offers a variety of perspectives from Muslims, Christians, and others about the place of Islam in Western culture and the role that communities of faith can play in pursuing peace. The collection includes a truly diverse array of voices and, consequently, the various contributions vary in quality and impact. However, the work as a whole is a valuable starting point for education, dialogue, and efforts at reconciliation. As Muslims battle over what 'true Islam' is and is not, and anti-Muslim sentiment in the West rises in both frequency and intensity, this book could not be timelier. This accessible, on point, and very useful collection will serve peacemakers at various levels and respects their varying points of view. (Jan.)
