About This
Book: Islam as a demonizing force has
been one of the celebrated themes in western
literature and so has been the depiction of
the Christian west as the citadel of a lost
civilization in Muslim evangelical and
literary writings.
Despite scores of interfaith dialogues that
the last century witnessed and our mutual
willingness to create a peaceful world, we
have not been able to look at the Muslim
people as they are; an ordinary lot living
under a constant tension of carrying on
their shoulders the Last Revelation, the
Qur’an of the Almighty God. The situation is
no better on the Muslim side as well which
hardly differentiates between the crusaders
and their bitter enemies within the western
civilization and prefers to live in an
‘imagined’ world where others appear
conspiring to make their life a hell. It is
no easy Jihad to come out of one’s inherited
Muslimness and acquire what the Qur’an calls
an Abrahamic vision of faith where Islam is
an attitude and not a yellow star to put on.
It amounts to shedding the burden of
history; looking at the modern man as he is
and not judging him by the mistakes that his
forefathers might have committed.
The book focuses on an age when the western
people had just started doubting their
age-old prejudices against Islam and
Muslims. The travelogue writers figuring in
this study include men of letters like
Burton, missionaries like Palgrave,
spiritualist adventurers like Doughty and
imperialist agents like Lawrence and Philby.
Prices, specifications, and images are subject to
change without notice. Not responsible for typographical
or illustrative errors. Publisher rebates, terms,
conditions, and expiration dates are subject to
publishers printed forms. (c) 2005.
