The book chronicles the rise of extreme Islamic movements and analyzes the works of key Muslim thinkers in the Middle Ages and modern times, whose writings have influenced political activism in the Muslim world over the years. It seems that one of his goals was to help Americans understand Islam so that they will not judge it by the actions of the few who hijacked the religion and attacked the United States.Įsposito's greatest contribution is placing political Islam into a broader historical and cultural context, a necessary step to understand the turn of events on 11 September. Esposito has successfully addressed many questions raised by Americans after the attacks and has presented a strong scholarly analysis of the teachings of Islam on such issues as jihad, violence, and terrorism. He skillfully has put together a study dealing with complex issues and presents the materials in a format that is easily readable and understood. His latest book is highly informative and enlightening. He also is the editor-in-chief of the Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World and editor of the Oxford History of Islam. John Esposito's Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam is different from other recent books because it was written by a scholar, an expert on the subject who has several previous books on Islam to his credit. Many books, varying in quality and depth, were hastily published in a hurry to meet the public demand for information. As a result, there has been a surge in interest in Islam, which Americans had known little about prior to September 2001. The 11 September 2001 attacks brought tragedy closer to home, causing Americans to try to find answers to many questions and to learn more about the perpetrators, their background, and their religion. It was only the second time that America had experienced a sneak attack on its soil Americans have been accustomed to fighting in foreign lands, their own cities and towns shielded from the destructive nature of war. The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon shocked and outraged Americans. Oxford, U.K.: Oxford University Press, 2002. Esposito: Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam. In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:
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