Pride, Faith, and Fear Islam in Sub-Saharan Africa by Charlotte A. Quinn and Frederick Quinn (USA: Oxford University Press, 2003. 175 pages.)

Abstract

If the real value of a book – any book – comes from its ability to present
itself as a subject of various, but not contradictory, readings, this book
undoubtedly fulfils that value. From the point of view of a Muslim and nonwestern
reader, the book reflects the western fear of Islam as a power in crisis
but adopts a line of argument against mainstream western writings on Islam. In other words, it argues against the prevalent claim that Islam, especially
after the collapse of communism, represents the most dangerous threat
to western values. Further, the book suggests that “opportunities for positive
engagement with Africa’s Muslim communities and states abound on the
political, social, religious, economic, and cultural level” (p. 150).
Motivated by the need “to find a reasonable avenue of exploration and
accommodation with countries and cultures that differ from our own (the
Western culture),” the book unveils the mutual misunderstanding between
the West and the Muslim world. Thus, it argues that the “Muslim world is
treated (by the West) as having a single dimension, as if Muslims in general
had bonded with Osama bin Laden” (p. 4). It also argues that the West
sees Muslims as “stubbornly holding the idea that Christians have not abandoned
the Crusaders’ mentality, zealously trying to destroy all traces of
Muslim civilizations in their entirety” (p. 4). Being aware of the harmful
impacts of these misleading images not only on the media, but also – and
this is the most dangerous – on the “contemporary (academic) analysis,”
the book invites the People of the Book (ahl al-kitab) to work together
toward peace and reconciliation, emphasizing that “it will be a difficult but
not impossible road.” Without this effort to make peace, the book suggests,
there will be chaos and violence ...