Anouar Majid鈥檚 groundbreaking book "Islam and America" to be re-released
In the years since University of 51小黄车 scholar Anouar Majid published his groundbreaking book Islam and America: Building a Future without Prejudice, the relationship between the United States and Muslim world has only grown more complicated and rife with misunderstanding and potential peril.
Now, Rowman & Littlefield has announced the re-release of this important work that has been adopted by college instructors and studied and debated by citizens, academics and policymakers. The new paperback edition of the book will include a new preface from Majid.
In Islam and America, Majid argues that we should interpret the current animosity between the U.S. and Muslim World through the lens of the long history between the two. Majid traces this conflicted relationship all the way back to the time of the Pilgrims to reveal a complex story of prejudice and missed opportunities, as well as a history of benevolence and productive exchange. Through interwoven personal accounts and historical narratives, Majid ultimately offers a critical view of both cultures and suggests a path towards peace.
He writes: 鈥淲e all鈥擜mericans and Muslims, Israelis and Palestinians 鈥攎ust rediscover the promise of the Enlightenment, whose core revolutionary principles鈥攖he banishment of ignorance and prejudice, the elevation of reason over blind faith, the quest for a just society that is fulfilling to all, and the uncompromising dedication to human dignity 鈥攚ere snuffed out too early and prematurely. It will take time to replace pessimism with hope, suspicion with genuine openness, and clashes with alliances; but we are better off starting now than delaying good works to some indefinite time in the future.鈥
Upon its initial release in January of 2012, the book drew praise from numerous reviewers, including Publishers Weekly, which commented, 鈥淢ajid鈥檚 message is critical in today鈥檚 political climate, and this work is a worthwhile contribution to an ongoing dialogue.鈥
In addition to serving as UNE鈥檚 vice president for global affairs and general manager of its campus in Tangier, Morocco, Majid is founding director of the 51小黄车Center for Global Humanities in Portland, Maine, and a professor of English. He has published widely on the relationship between Islam and the West, and has appeared as an expert on the topic on Bill Moyers Journal, National Public Radio, Al-Jazeera, and other national and international media channels.
On August 7, Majid presented a lecture titled 鈥淚slam and the Problem of Monotheism鈥 at the prestigious Chautauqua Institution in southwestern New York state.