People like us
Subtitle: how arrogance is dividing Islam and the West
By: Waleed Aly.
Publisher: Picador
Published: 2007
Place of publication: Sydney
Language: eng
Number of pages: 277
ISBN-13: 9780330423809
Subjects: Islam and secularism; Islam and state; Civilization, Western; Civilization, Islamic; Islam and world politics
Description: No two civilisations have spoken so many words about each other in recent years as those of Islam and the West. And no two seem to have communicated less.    As a Muslim born and raised in Australia, Waleed Aly stands at the intersection of these two civilisations. From there he sees a world of radical misunderstandings, perpetuated by the inability of each to look beyond the stereotypes and truly comprehend the other.    People Like Us examines the cultural chasm between Islam and the West by confronting the issues at the heart of the misunderstanding: women, jihad, secularism, terrorism, Reformation and modernity. Drawing on the author's knowledge of Western and Islamic intellectual traditions, it provides a fascinating analysis of these subjects, exposing the depth of ignorance surrounding them and the role of both Muslim and Western media in reinforcing stereotypes. Above all, it argues that the only way to avoid perpetual and escalating conflict between Islam and the West is to acknowledge one indisputable and powerful truth: that we are all complex, nuanced people. We must resist the mutual temptation to assume that the other's problems could be solved if only they became more like us.    This is a brave and provocative book of rare insight, and an indispensable contribution to understanding our troubled world.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 265-275).