Suchergebnisse

From the Publisher: Islam as a religion is central to the lives of over a billion people, but its outer expression as a distinctive civilization has been undergoing a monumental crisis. Buffeted by powerful adverse currents, Islamic civilization today is a shadow of its former self. The most disturbing and possibly fatal of these currents-the imperial expansion of the West into Muslim lands and the blast of modernity that accompanied it-are now compounded by a third giant wave, globalization. These forces have increasingly tested Islam and Islamic civilization for validity, adaptability, and the ability to hold on to the loyalty of Muslims, says Ali A. Allawi in his provocative new book. While the faith has proved resilient in the face of these challenges, other aspects of Islamic civilization have atrophied or died, Allawi contends, and Islamic civilization is now undergoing its last crisis. The book explores how Islamic civilization began to unravel under colonial rule, as its institutions, laws, and economies were often replaced by inadequate modern equivalents. Allawi also examines the backlash expressed through the increasing religiosity of Muslim societies and the spectacular rise of political Islam and its terrorist offshoots. Assessing the status of each of the building blocks of Islamic civilization, the author concludes that Islamic civilization cannot survive without the vital spirituality that underpinned it in the past. He identifies a key set of principles for moving forward, principles that will surprise some and anger others, yet clearly must be considered

Originally published in 1970, this book is the result of many years of study and research in the field. It begins with a geographic and ethnic survey of the land and Armenian people and traces the land's prehistory back to the Old Stone Age. The origins of the wine-making and bronze-working industries are discussed, in which Armenia played a pioneering role. The outstanding Armenian contribution to Church art and architecture is also explored as is the contribution of Armenia to painting, philosophy, and science. The final section is devoted to an account of Soviet Armenia.

Featuring the one author, one voice approach, this text is ideal for instructors who do not wish to neglect the importance of non-Western perspectives on the study of the past. The book is a brief, affordable presentation providing a coherent examination of the past from ancient times to the present. Religion, everyday life, and transforming moments are the three themes employed to help make the past interesting, intelligible, and relevant to contemporary society