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Title: The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future
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Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
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| Customer Reviews: |
| The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future by W. W. Norton Shia Revival |
This is an excellent book which describes the fundamental
differences between the Shia and Sunnis. Antagonisms
existed between Shia and the Sunnis for over 1400 years.
The Sunni Islam had a Golden Age. Under the Umayyads,
the caliphs were both Caesar and a Pope delegating
authority to professional religious scholars.
Foes of Umayyads identify Ali (the Prophet's cousin)
as the Prophet's successor. The Sunnis believe that
the successor of the Prophet is the only leader of the
Islamic Community and not a deity or a prophetic calling.
Between 632 and 661, 4 caliphs ruled. They were Abu Bakr,
Uthman Ali, Uman and Rashidun. The Sunnis believe
"Better a 60 year tyranny than a single day of civil strife".
Shia imams are closer to the Iranians. They believe in
spreading cultural diversity and they've gained a foothold
in Iran, North Africa and Syria. Shia did well in Iraq
electing the first Shia state. The real power brokers
migrated to Iran which is now the largest Shia country.
There is a modern secular trend in Lebanon, Iran, Iraq
and Pakistan. Shia have migrated through Persia,
the Azeris-Turks and Azerbaijan in the Caspian Sea.
The Shia believe that the Prophet had special qualities,
He was without sin and could divine religious teachings.
The Sunnis are preoccupied with order in the society
at large. The Shia want the USA to commit to political
reform across the region. The USA can assist in this
process; however, the parties must cooperate fully in order
to advance the political agenda. The work has considerable
implications for mutual cooperation between the West and
Islam.
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| The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future by W. W. Norton Shia Revival |
This is a complex rendition on the inner workings
of Shia and Sunni belief systems. The Sunnis had
Islam's Golden Age circa 632-661; wherein, 4 caliphs
guided the belief systems with the authority of
a Caesar or a Pope. These caliphs were Abu Bakr,
Umar, Uthman Ali and Rashidun. The Sunnis
believed that " better have a 60 year tyranny
than a single day of civil strife". Islam had
a continuous 1400 year struggle between the
Shia and Sunnis.
Shiism is popular in Persia, Azeris-Turks and the
Azerbaijan near the Caspian Sea. The Shia imams
are closer to the Iranians in the following areas:
o spreading cultural diversity
o gaining a foothold in Iran, N.Africa and Syria
o the older Shia in Egypt are on the decline
The Shia believe that the Prophet Mohammed had
special qualities was without sin and He could
divine religious teaching. The Sunnis were
preoccupied with civil order. They believe that
that religion helps the faithful to survive and
thrive. The Sunnis believe that the successor
of the Prophet is the principal leader of the
Islamic community and not a G-d or prophetic
calling.
The Shia did well in Iraqi elections creating the
first Shia state. They were real power brokers who
expanded to Iran which is now considered the
largest Shia country in the world. The Shia
want the USA to commit to political reform
across the region.
The book could be extremely helpful in negotiating
a peaceful conclusion to the hostilities in Iraq.
The remaining problem is stumbling upon a fair
methodology for accomplishing the political reform.
The negotiating basis is that the Shia want
political reforms and the Sunnis would like
a civil order and a minimum of internal strife.
These common needs may serve as the basis for a
meaningful negotiation between the parties. |
| The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future by W. W. Norton An important book on the Shia and current events |
| One of the most accessable books on Shia tradition and their place in current world events. This is an eye-opening book which explains many of the fallacies that are in the American media about the Iraq war. |
| The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future by W. W. Norton One of the two books you have to read to understand the Middle East |
If you want to understand the Sunnis and Al Qaeda, read Looming Tower. If you want to understand the Shias, read Shia Revival.
I have read perhaps 30 books on the Middle East, those two books really capture why what's going on is going on in the Middle East.
This book should be essential reading for anyone interested in current events. |
| The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future by W. W. Norton Excellent Insight into Shia Islam |
| This is an excellent book, summarizing the basis of the Shia religion and their differences with Sunni Islam. Tracing that conflict from the classical period of Islam to the modern one, Vali Nasr fills in the reader with a wealth of detail on what the Shia believe, and what their historical and political mindset is. Nasr also accurately predicts, I think, that the legacy of the U.S. Iraq occupation will largely be the balance of Sunni and Shia power in the region. Intentionally or not, that war and the war in Afghanistan clearly benefited Iran, eliminating threats to it in both countries. Vali Nasr's rhetoric does occasionally wax overly apologetic to Shia Islam, but on the whole I think he offers a penetrating and realistic insight to the situation in the Middle-East, especially regarding the conflicts of Shiism and Wahhabism. A commendable, and readable book. |
| The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future by W. W. Norton Product Description |
The New York Times bestseller: "Historically incisive, geographically broad-reaching, and brimming with illuminating anecdotes."—Max Rodenbeck, New York Review of Books
Profiled on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, Iranian-born scholar Vali Nasr has become one of America's leading commentators on current events in the Middle East, admired and welcomed by both media and government for his "concise and coherent" analysis (Wall Street Journal). In this "smart, clear and timely" book (Washington Post), Nasr brilliantly dissects the political and theological antagonisms within Islam. He provides a unique and objective understanding of the 1,400-year bitter struggle between Shias and Sunnis, and sheds crucial light on its modern-day consequences—from the nuclear posturing of Iran's President Ahmadinejad to the recent U.S.-enabled shift toward Shia power in Iraq and Hezbollah's continued dominance in Lebanon. This paperback edition features a new foreword for 2007. |
