Islam in the Eyes of the West: Images and Realities in an Age of Terror

From the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in New York to the Madrid and London bombings of 2004 and 2005, the presence of Muslim communities in the West has generated security issues and major political concern. The government, the media, and the general public have raised questions regarding potential links between Western Muslims, radical Islam and terrorism. This speculation has given rise to popular myths concerning the Islamic world and led to a host of illiberal measures such as illegal warranting, denial of Habeas Corpus, “black prisons” and extreme torture throughout the democratic world. This book, containing articles by ICMES Board members Raymond Baker, Norton Mezvinsky, and Fuad Sha’ban, challenges the authenticity of these myths and examines the ways in which they have been used to provide an ideological cover for the “war on terror” and the subsequent Iraq war. It argues that they are not only unfounded and hollow, but have also served a dangerous purpose, namely war-mongering and the empowering of the national-security state. It further considers the origin and transmission of these myths, focusing on media, government policy and popular discourse. [read more]

For Zion’s Sake: The Judeo-Christian Tradition in American Culture

This book by Fuad Sha’ban explores the role of religion, especially religious extremism, in American culture. In particular, it examines the development of the Judeo-Christian tradition, its impact on America’s self-image, and the way it has influenced America’s attitude to the Arab World.The Christian Right has become a very powerful force in American politics. Its basic belief in Christian Zionism has resulted in a steadfast commitment to the establishment of the state of Israel and to its aggressive expansion, and has made Zionism a central part of government policy, for both Republicans and Democrats. [read more]

One of the few Palestinian-Israeli takes on the first ten years of the Israeli occupation. In this highly personalized account Fouzi El-Asmar tells the story of his life in Palestine from the time of the establishment of Israel until shortly after his release from an Israeli prison in 1970. This is not just Fouzi’s story, it is the story of the hundreds and thousands of Palestinian Arabs like him, many of whom suddenly found themselves a minority under colonial-settler rule while countless others lost both home and country. [read more]

Original Sins: Reflections on the History of Zionism and Israel

Many books in the West on Zionism and Israel published in the West are limited to slogans and counter slogans. Original Sins goes beyond the accepted parameters by re-examining the terms of the debate. It provides a comprehensive overview of the origins, accomplishments, contradictions and betrayals of Zionism. While author Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi does not fault the idea of a Jewish state in the abstract, he shows how Zionism in practice and in power becomes a kind of settler-colonialism trying to ignore its victims—the Palestinians. [read more]

Theodicy and Justice in Modern Islamic Thought: The Case of Said Nursi

This collection, edited by Ibrahim Abu-Rabi‘ (Ashgate, 2010), explores the theology and philosophy of the distinguished modern Muslim scholar and theologian Bediuzzaman Said Nursi [d. 1960]. Nursi wrote in both Ottoman Turkish and Arabic and his life and thought reflected the transition of modern Turkey from an empire to a secular republic. The contributors to this volume shed new light on two major dimensions of Nursi’s thought: theodicy and justice. Classical Muslim theologians debated these two important issues; however, we must consider the modern debate of these issues in the context of the radical political and social transformations of modern Turkey. Nursi explored these matters as they related to the development of state and society and the crisis of Islam in the modern secular nation-state. [read more]

The Israeli Connection: Who Israel Arms and Why

This powerful story of intrigue and covert action reveals how Israel became the arms dealer and military trainer of last resort for everyone from Guatemala’s murderous military to Mobutu in Africa and the Shah of Iran. The Israeli Connection illustrates the tragic situation faced by Israel in light of these dealings, suggesting surprising parallels between the way South Africans view Blacks and the way Israelis view Palestinians, and detailing the extensive ties–from nuclear weapon-sharing to military aid, trade, and tourism–the deepest dimensions of which have only barely been brought into the spotlight. [read more]

The Wind-Driven Reed, and Other Poems

Poems of home and exile presented in dual English/Arabic text. [read more]

Anti-Zionism: Analytical Reflections

This collection of essays challenges the conventional wisdom that Israel is a peace-loving democracy and the perception that the continuing state of Middle East hostilities is due to intransigent Palestinians and rigid hostility of Israel’s Arab neighbors. The authors persuasively argue that political/national Zionism, systematized by Theodor Herzl and codified in the legal, political and socio-economic structure of Israel, is the principal obstacle to peace. The essays were written by Jews, Christians, and Muslims as a tribute to Rabbi Elmer Berger for diligently defending the great spiritual values of the Jewish faith against the onslaught of an ideology that falsely equates political Zionism with Judaism and has corrupted the universal moral truths of the sister religions of “the Book.” [read more]