As the war on terrorism runs its course in the 21st century, there’s a
growing need on the part of many people to understand Islam better.This book by Ahmed can be used them to do just that.In
an effort to dispel widespread misconceptions about Islam, Ahmed
informs readers about the life of the Prophet Muhammad. In connection
with that information, he identifies the five main cornerstones of
religious belief for Muslims as shown in the Qur’an. They guide the
behavior of over a billion Muslims worldwide.Unfortunately, all
too many people in the West mistakenly believe that all Muslims are
Arabs. That is not the case. Countries such as Turkey, Iran and
Pakistan are Muslim, but not Arab. In fact, Ahmed describes how earlier
empires, such as the Ottoman empire, influenced the development of
society and culture in those countries. With so many Muslims
becoming suspect in Western countries, as a result of the fears of
people about possible terrorist attacks, Ahmed shows how Muslims
residing in Western countries are struggling to preserve their
identities. He devotes attention also to how the media in Western
societies depict Muslims.Fundamentally, it sheds light on how
the West perceives Muslims and where it goes astray in coming to
conclusions about Muslims and their beliefs and practices.