The Islamic Threat

Are Islam and the West on a collision course? From the Ayatollah Khomeini to Saddam Hussein the image of Islam as a militant expansionist and rabidly anti-American religion has gripped the minds of Western governments and media. But these perceptions John L. Esposito writes stem from a long history of mutual distrust criticism and condemnation and are far too simplistic to help us understand one of the most important political issues of our time. In this new edition of The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality? Esposito places the challenge of Islam in critical perspective. Exploring the vitality of this religion as a global force and the history of its relations with the West Esposito demonstrates the diversity of the Islamic resurgence--and the mistakes our analysts make in assuming a hostile monolithic Islam. This third edition has been expanded to include new material on current affairs in Turkey Afghanistan Palestine and Southeast Asia as well as a discussion of international terrorism.