No God but God: Egypt and the Triumph of Islam

by Geneive Abdo

Overview

Shrouded in mystery, the Islamic presence in the Middle East evokes longstanding Western fears of terrorism and holy war. Our media have consistently focused on these extremes of Islam, overlooking a quiet yet pervasive religious movement that is now transforming the nation of Egypt.
Drawing on hundreds of interviews, No God But God opens up previously inaccessible segments of Egyptian society—from the universities and professional sectors to the streets—to illustrate the deep penetration of "Popular Islamic" influence. Abdo provides a firsthand account of this peaceful movement, allowing its moderate leaders, street preachers, scholars, doctors, lawyers, men and women of all social classes to speak for themselves. Challenging Western stereotypes, she finds that this growing number of Islamists do not seek the violent overthrow of the government or a return to a medieval age. Instead, they believe their religious values are compatible with the demands of the modern world. They are working within and beyond the secular framework of the nation to gradually create a new society based on Islamic principles. Abdo narrates fascinating accounts of their methods and successes. Today, for example, university students meet in underground unions, despite a state ban. In addition, sheikhs have recently used their new legislative power to censor books and movies deemed to violate religious values.
Both fascinating and unsettling, Abdo's findings identify a grassroots model for transforming a secular nation-state to an Islamic social order that will likely inspire other Muslim nations. This model cannot be ignored, for it will soon help organized Islamists to undermine secular control of Egypt and potentially jeopardize Western interests in the Arab world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198029014
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	10/24/2002
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Lexile:	1340L (what's this?)
File size:	382 KB

About the Author

Geneive Abdo is the correspondent in Iran for The Guardian and The Economist. She has reported from numerous Islamic countries over a decade, from the Middle East to North Africa and Central Asia. As a correspondent based in Cairo, she covered the Middle East for The Dallas Morning News. Ms. Abdo reported the fall of the Soviet Union for Reuters news agency. She was a staff writer for Newsday and the Baltimore Evening Sun . A graduate of the University of Texas, she was later a Fellow at the Program for Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Note on Transliteration	xi
1 The New Face of Islam	3
2 Streets of Green	19
3 The Fount of Islam	41
4 The Professionals	71
5 School of Revolution	107
6 Taking the Veil	139
7 Court of Public Opinion	163
8 To Iran and Back Again	187
Notes	201
Selected Bibliography	209
Index	215

Editorial Reviews

In focusing upon the extremes of Islam, the Western media have generally overlooked the peaceful religious changes that have recently, and gradually, taken place in Egypt. On all levels of society, many Egyptians have come to reject Islamic groups that resort to violence. These people realize that religious values and spiritual ideals can be adapted to peacefully and thus co-exist with the demands of contemporary life. Abdo, a correspondent for the Guardian and the Economist, conducted hundreds of interviews within previously closed segments of society "to present the true face of Islam." Along the way, she discovered a great diversity of religious expression in a social transformation that poses a greater challenge to Western interests than the militant movement now in decline. Partially funded by the United States Institute for Peace, this firsthand account will serve as a role model for Islamic reform in the 21st century. Recommended for public and academic libraries.--Michael W. Ellis, Ellenville P.L., NY Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

An impressive, if sometimes unwieldy, examination of Egypt's unique religio-political climate, concentrating upon its ongoing (and, so far, nonviolent) Islamist revolution.

Kirkus Reviews

"Geneive Abdo chronicles Egypt's contemporary moderate Islamist movement with clarity and insight.... [She] has a firm grasp of the history of which she writes and an obvious empathy for her subjects. She is a fine journalist and a sensitive analyst."—The Washington Post Book World

"A fascinating look at an Islamic subculture mostly unknown to the Western non-Muslim. Abdo presents fruitful cross-cultural undercurrents that provide hope for peace and understanding between secularism and religion." —Booklist

"Abdo...conducted hundreds of interviews within previously closed segments of society 'to present the true face of Islam.' Along the way, she discovered a great diversity of religious expression in a social transformation that poses a greater challenge to Western interests than the military movement now in decline.... This firsthand account will serve as a role model for Islamic reform in the 21st century."—Library Journal

"Western observers and regime apologists tend to oversimplify social or political activism when it exhibits an Islamic coloration, casting it as monodimensional, uncompromising, and reactionary. No God But God debunks these one-dimensional depictions of Egyptian Muslims by offering an incisive, fresh, and richly drawn canvas. Yet, Abdo's book is not simply a riposte, but a congenial, informed, and often affectionate account of Muslims seeking to redefine themselves, their politics, and their society. If her subjects are groping for meaning, and recreating themselves in the process, the same may not be said of the government. Abdo's material is devastating, not least the image of an inept, uncreative, but often brutal government with a limited repertoire of tactics." —Augustus Richard Norton, Professor of International Relations and Anthropology, Harvard University

"Geneive Abdo has produced a remarkable volume. She makes the dynamics of Egyptian society come alive. Combining sound scholarship and observation with an engaging style, readers will be given an insight into Egypt today and tomorrow that cannot be found elsewhere. The author's long and in-depth experience in Egypt, particularly her access to sectors of society that are often inaccessible to outsiders, gives this volume a depth and authenticity that cannot be found elsewhere. It is also the reason why she avoids so many of the pitfalls to which others succumb." —John L. Esposito Director, Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding Georgetown University

From the Publisher