Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam

More scary stuff. My dad, a political scientist, says this'll get worse before it gets better. I don't know what else to say except that books such as Esposito's are important if we're going to understand things, and therefore know what to do.

Esposito has done a good job in presenting the many facts that are not known to common public in the West. I feel Esposito has been very brave and upfront. He's been outspoken, yet also well balanced. He does not try to please anyone. Also, contrary to what his critics might say, he is not one sided. In fact, to put it more appropriately, this book fills up a hole in the western media, by presenting the other side of the story, which is largely missing from the media. It is a great read because it helps REALISTICALLY answer many questions the west has about Islam, rather than giving self-satisfying short answers which make no sense. The author also differentiates between terrorists, and Muslim activists all over the world. He explains how various rulers, Western and Islamic, have cleverly used the tag of terrorism to curb legitimate opposition in many Muslim countries. Wherever he has tried to correct a wrong western perception of a Islamic principle, he has given solid references and examples. If you don't already have your mind made up on blaming the religion, feel there are questions unanswered by the media, want to know the facts, or just want to hear the other side of the story from an unbiased resource, I would recommend this book to you.

John Esposito is a professor of religion and International Affairs at Georgetown, born and raised a Catholic, and one of the founders of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown. He's also a consultant to the State Department, which means he's politically knowledgeable. His books are not only level-headed and impartial, they're knowledgeable -- he has a Ph.D. in Islamic studies, which is more than the authors of most of the sensationalist books on Islam on the market at the moment. He really has no agenda except (as obvious) to promote understanding between religions. Given that, it's refreshing to read this book. It gives the background of why people like bin Laden exist (he doesn't excuse them -- he just tells us why they exist), gives the Islamic doctrine of jihad (which, despite people who throw the term around indiscriminately, means a defensive war under certain limited conditions), and tries to explain how the doctrine of jihad is being misused. People who refer to the "real meaning of jihad" as what happened on 9/11 are simply displaying ignorance and a resistance to becoming informed. Dealing with 9/11 means dealing with the complex morass of issues that provoked it. Esposito helps us understand some of those issues. He also provides a glossary in the back for Arabic terms that the media has no trouble using as if they know what they mean (such as shari'a). The media distorts Islam so out of proportion that any attempt to correct inaccuracies is denounced as "whitewashing." Esposito does not whitewash. He tries to explain and promote understanding. He is not pro-Islam. In fact, he's not pro-anybody. He states facts and he doesn't explain everything in terms of good-guy/bad-guy, white/black, good/evil. Although that is bound to make some people uncomfortable, the world is not black and white.I highly recommend this book if you want to stop being manipulated by the media and to make a sincere attempt at understanding some of the turmoil in the world today.

I just read John Esposito's book, UNHOLY WAR, TERROR IN THE NAME OF ISLAM. I am not a student of religion or history and Dr. Esposito's book opened my eyes about how Osama bin Laden could become a terrorist, why so many Muslim countries are underdeveloped and how their environments of poverty and oppression affect the rest of the world, including America.I found the "glossary" of terms to be very helpful since they explained so much that is unfamiliar to me. After reading UNHOLY WAR I have a much better appreciation for Islam as a world religion and why Muslims have a lot in common with Christians and Jews. I also learned a lot about the origins of so many current conflicts in the world today that often seem confusing.I don't consider this a book to read once and put on a shelf. I plan to use it as a reference as I continue to follow the news and watch as future events unfold. I would highly recommend UNHOLY WAR to anyone who is confused about 9/11 and our future.