BEYOND RHETORIC AND RETALIATION: A READING LIST

 

Al-Qur'an: A Contemporary Translation, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1994 Circulating copies also available, various editions. R297.12 AL41g

Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services. Arab American Encyclopedia, New York: UXL, 2000 Covers such topics as history, immigration to the United States, community profiles, language, religion, civil rights and social justice, organizations and political activism, media etc. R973.04 Ar11

Armstrong, Karen. Islam: A Short History, New York: Modern Library, 2000 A primer for non-Muslims. 297 Ar57i

Bodansky, Yossef. Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America, New York: Prima Publishing, 2001 B B51bo

Fregosi, Paul. Jihad in the West: Muslim conquests from the 7^th to the 21^st centuries. Prometheus Books, 1998. 297.7 F881j A historical overview of the expansion of Islam

Glasse, Cyril. The Concise Encyclopedia of Islam, New York: Harper Collins, 1989 R297.03 G464c

Goodson, Larry P. Afghanistan’s Endless War: State Failure, Regional Politics, and the Rise of the Taliban. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2001 958.1 G 629a What has happened in Afghanistan, why and how it has happened and who the players are.

Griffin, Michael. Reaping the Whirlwind: The Taliban Movement in Afghanistan, London, Sterling, VA: Pluto Press, 2001 Investigative journalist Michael Griffin paints a detailed picture of the Taliban movement, its origins and beliefs, and its impact on world politics. In the process, he reveals the controversial nature of the Taliban's links to the CIA and Saudi Arabia and asks, "who is to blame for the current situation?" 958.1 G875r

Hasan, Asma Gull. American Muslims: The New Generation, New York: Continuum, 2000 This self-proclaimed "Muslim feminist cowgirl" was raised in Colorado and examines the tensions of cultural conflict. 297 H27a

Huband, Mark. Warriors of the Prophet: The Struggle for Islam, Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1998 Huband, a longtime Middle East correspondent, offers a look at the politics of various Islamic nations, ranging from Morocco to Afghanistan. The author draws on historical research, his own first hand experience and original interviews to explain the intricacies of political Islam. 956 H861w

Juergensmeyer, Mark. Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001. 291.1 J931t Documents the global rise of religious terror and discusses the attraction of religion and violence.

Kamal, Matinuddin. The Taliban Phenomenon: Afghanistan 1994-1997. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001. 958.1 M427t Examines the origins and aims of the Taliban movement and how they achieved their success.

Labeviere, Richard. Dollars for Terror: The United States and Islam. New York: Algora Publishing, 2000. 303.625 L112d Discusses how short-term US economic interests in the Middle East have contributed to the problem of terrorism and Saudi Arabia’s role in the region.

Lawrence, Bruce. Shattering the Myth: Islam Beyond Violence, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1998 The author seeks to dispel the misconceptions and fears about Islam which are often held by those with an incomplete understanding of what Islam is and what its followers believe and seek. Shattering the myth of a monolithic and violent Muslim culture, Lawrence provides the reader with a better-informed view of the multifaceted character of this global religion, and its adherents. 297 L435s

Lewis, Bernard. A Middle East Mosiac: fragments of life, letters, and history, New York: Random House, 2000. 956 L585mi

Lewis, Bernard. The Political Language of Islam, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1988 Arabic politics literally has its own vocabulary, drawing its political language from Islamic holy texts and ancient works. Lewis traces the historical development of political language from Muhammad to modern times showing differences between Western and Islamic/Middle Eastern politics. 297 L585p

The Middle East, Opposing Viewpoints, San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2000 A collection of newspaper and journal articles about the Middle East arranged by the following topics: Why is the Middle East a conflict area? How does religion affect the Middle East? What role should the U.S. play in the Middle East? How could peace be advanced in the Middle East? 956 M584

The Muslim Almanac: A Reference Work on the History, Faith, Culture, and Peoples of Islam, Detroit: Gale Research, 1999 The almanac is actually a collection of articles covering Islam from its beginnings in the seventh century to the present in all parts of the world, written by scholars from the U.S. and Islamic countries. R297 M9741

Netanyahu., Benjamin. Fighting Terrorism: How Democracies Can Defeat the International Terrorist Network. New York: Noonday Press, 2001. 303.625 N38f An Israeli terrorism expert discusses the groups involved in terrorist threats, their methods and motives. This is a revised edition of the original 1995 book.

Pillar, Paul and Armacost, Michel. Terrorism and United States Foreign Policy. Brookings Institute, 2001. 303.625 P644t An overview of terrorism and US counter-terrorism policy. Discusses the moral compromises that will be needed in the fight against terrorism.

Rashid, Ahmed. Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, and Fundamentalism in Central Asia, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2000 Rashid is a correspondent for the Far Eastern Economic Review, reporting on Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. In this book, he explains why this country has become the center for world terrorism. 958.1 R183t

Reeve, Simon. The New Jackals: Ramzi Yousef, Osama Bin Laden and the Future of Terrorism. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1999. 303.625 R259n Beginning with the bombing of the World Trade Center, this book traces Ramzi Yousef’s terrorist activities across the world.

Reich, Walter, ed. Origins of Terrorism: Psychologies, Ideologies, Theologies, States of Mind. Washington D.C.: Woodrow Wilson Center Press, 1998 303.625 Or4re An effort to explain the role of human psychology in terrorism. The sources of beliefs, goals and worldview of terrorists.

Shadid, Anthony. Legacy of the Prophet: Despots, Democrats and the New Politics of Islam. New York: Westview Press, 2001. 320.956 Sh13L Written by a reporter who has covered the Middle East for many years, this book presents stories of the people he has met, their lives and their culture.

Smith, Jane I. Islam in America, New York: Columbia, 1999 This book presents a portrait of the Muslim community in the U.S., including their beliefs and practices. It also exposes the tensions felt by American Muslims as they adapt to a new culture. 297 Sm61i

Stern, Jessica. The Ultimate Terrorists. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1991. 303.625 St45u The author discusses the new terrorist weapons: biological, chemical, and nuclear, what they can and can’t do.

Tucker, Jonathan V., ed. Toxic Terror: Assessing Terrorist Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons. Cambridge MA: MIT Press, 2000 303.625 T667tu A study of the motivations and behavior patterns of individuals and groups using chemical and biological weapons.

Viorst, Milton. In the Shadow of the Prophet: The Struggle for the Soul of Islam, New York: Doubleday, 1998 Through interviews with major political and religious figures, Viorst provides insight into Islamic law and politics. The author views Islam as a force which contains numerous factions, which stem from diversity in belief and interpretation. A revealing exploration of the many faces of Islam. 953 V814i

Wright, Robin B. Sacred Rage: the Wrath of Militant Islam, New York: Simon and Schuster, 1985 A comprehensive survey of the fundamentalist religious revolution in the Middle East. According to Morehouse Kennedy (a former hostage), "the author's conclusion that we must improve our relations with Iran in order to defuse anti-western feelings, while hardly appealing to most people, seems inescapable." 956 W935s

Compiled by the Reference Department

Cambridge Public Library