Jeffrey T. Kenney - Böcker

The Kharijites were a splinter group that broke away from the main forces of Islam during the formative medieval period, purportedly refusing arbitration and committing bloody outrages against their fellow Muslims. Their influence in the political and theological life of the nascent faith has ensured their place in both critical and religious accounts of early Islamic history. Over the centuries, the Kharijites have repeatedly been invoked whenever militant opposition arose and today the label is frequently applied to extremist Islamic movements. After a brief look at Kharijite origins, this book focuses on contemporary Egypt. Kenney shows how religious images of the Kharijites have dominated public discussion about political opposition movements, effectively undermining attempts to discuss the real issues generating such movements.

This comprehensive introduction explores the landscape of contemporary Islam. Written by a distinguished team of scholars, it:provides broad overviews of the developments, events, people and movements that have defined Islam in the three majority-Muslim regionstraces the connections between traditional Islamic institutions and concerns, and their modern manifestations and transformations. How are medieval ideas, policies and practices refashioned to address modern circumstancesinvestigates new themes and trends that are shaping the modern Muslim experience such as gender, fundamentalism, the media and secularisationoffers case studies of Muslims and Islam in dynamic interaction with different societies.Islam in the Modern World includes illustrations, summaries, discussion points and suggestions for further reading that will aid understanding and revision. Additional resources are provided via a companion website.