Islam Explained

Acclaimed novelist, Ben Jelloun clarifies the main tenets of Islam, the major landmarks in Islamic history, and the current politics of Islamic fundamentalism. He also sheds light on the keywords that have come to dominate coverage of the current crisis - terrorist, crusade, Jihad, fundamentalist, fatwa - offering lucid and balanced explanations, not only for youngsters but also for the general reader. In his landmark Racism Explained to My Daughter, which Elle magazine described as "a must read...clear, powerful, and right on target," celebrated North African novelist Tahar Ben Jelloun offered a powerful model for teaching difficult subjects to our children. Now, in Islam Explained, Ben Jelloun brings these same insights to bear on understanding Islam in the wake of September 11. In an accessible question-and-answer format, Islam Explained is at once an essential introduction to one of the world's great religions and a cry for tolerance and understanding in deeply troubled times. For general readers on foreign religions and particularly Islam (given the recent success of titles by Bernard Lewis, Karen Armstrong, and Ahmed Rashid), but especially adult readers looking to answer chi