The Battle for the Soul of Islam: Defining the Muslim Faith in the 21st Century James M. Dorsey, Singapore, Palgrave Macmillan, 2024, 203 pp., EUR 12.99 (eBook), ISBN 978-981-97-2807-7
Following the 9/11 attacks, the violent actions of extremist groups like the Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS) brought global attention to Islam, particularly their violent interpretations. This ignited a discussion within the Islamic world to define Islam in the 21st century. In The Battle for the Soul of Islam: Defining the Muslim Faith in the 21st Century, journalist James M. Dorsey explores this ongoing ideological struggle. He highlights how Muslim nations compete to assert their versions of Islam to claim leadership in the Muslim world. This dynamic battle was complicated by the geopolitics of the Middle East and its economic resources, while being the cradle of the Abrahamic religions. Dorsey contrasts the self-serving agendas of autocratic Gulf monarchies with the more inclusive and reformist Islamic approach, championed by Indonesia’s Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), which advocates for a pluralistic interpretation of Islam.
- Ahmad Tashfeen |
- January-February 2025 |
