num_pages: 368
description: In his new book, In the Shadow of the Prophet, journalist and Middle East commentator Viorst tackles head-on the struggle throughout the Middle East to reconcile Islamic law and beliefs with political power in the modern world.As the world has now seen in Iran, Sudan, in Algeria and increasingly in Egypt, among other countries, there has been a rising tide of fundamentalism intent on overturning moderate or secular government to create in its place an Islamic state based on the laws of the shari'a-the ancient moral, legal, and religious code of Muhammad's time. Conservative traditionalist governments such as Saudi Arabia insist the Islamic principles guide the actions and thought of all citizens, banning government criticism, religious tolerance, most freedoms of expression, and any comments deemed critical of Islam. But many others feel Islam must find a way to accept and integrate science, technology, and the principles of toleration, if not democracy, into Islamic life. It pains Muslims enormously that the Middle East has lagged far behind the West, and even the emerging third world nations, in terms of its technology, military power, economic might, and general standards of living.In its examination of the struggle for the direction of Islam in many Muslim nations, In the Shadow of the Prophet reveals the intellectual and theological straightjacket by which traditional Islam has constrained the Middle East, and what that means to the future of the region-and to us in the West.
language: English
title: In the Shadow of the Prophet: The Struggle for the Soul of Islam
titlecomplete: In the Shadow of the Prophet: The Struggle for the Soul of Islam
genres: Religion, History, Politics, Nonfiction
ratings_count: 45
publisher: Doubleday