The Oxford Dictionary of Islam

The dictionary focuses primarily on the 19th and 20th centuries stressing topics of most interest to Westerners. What emerges is a highly informative look at the religious political and social spheres of the modern Islamic world. Naturally readers will find many entries on topics of intense current interest such as terrorism and the Taliban Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida the PLO and HAMAS. But the coverage goes well beyond recent headlines. There are biographical profiles ranging from Naguib Mahfouz (the Nobel Prize winner from Egypt) to Malcolm X including political leaders influential thinkers poets scientists and writers. Other entries cover major political movements militant groups and religious sects as well as terms from Islamic law culture and religion key historical events and important landmarks (such as Mecca and Medina). A series of entries looks at Islam in individual nations such as Afghanistan the West Bank and Gaza Bosnia-Herzegovina and the United States and the