Aspects of Islam

Since the events of 9/11 and the subsequent invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, hardly a day goes by without media coverage of suspected terrorist activities linked to Muslims, and their apparent hatred of the West. Actual outrages involving the deaths of innocent civilians, both Muslim and non-Muslim, in various parts of the world, fuel understandable panic and fear. Reporting of these events is frequently one-sided, and fails to satisfy the intense curiosity about Muslim beliefs and practices, while perpetuating unhelpful stereotypes which contribute to the rising phenomenon of 'Islamophobia'. In Aspects of Islam Ron Geaves seeks to go beyond these stereotypical images, to reveal the full diversity of Islam in the contemporary world. Beginning with a chapter on how the western media represents Islam, he moves on to examine issues such as martyrdom, Shari'a law, jihad, fundamentalism, the place of women and the importance of the concept of unity. By examining differences in belief and practice, he helps us to see that Islam is not a homogenous entity, but a dynamic faith with its own controversies and debates.