In the first line of black wave, kim ghattas raises the question that haunts the. Kim ghattas tracks the rivalry between saudi arabia and iran as it pulled the middle east and the wider muslim world out of shape. Four years ago, i read kim ghattas account of secretary of state hillary clintons tenure at foggy bottom. Ghattas reveals how the competition between tehran and riyadh led to the instrumentalization of islam to destroy cosmopolitanism, force women to veil, and to mobilize sectarian extremists senior fellow at yale university s jackson institute and author of in a time of monsters. Awardwinning journalist and author kim ghattas argues that the turning. Jan 30, 2020 kim ghattas, who was born in beirut and spent 20 years as an observer of the region for the bbc, reflects on three major events that led to rivalry between saudi arabia and iran in a history book. Mar 29, 2020 yet as ghattas points out, before 1979, the two monarchies of iran and saudi arabia largely kept their rivalries in check. This article is an adapted excerpt from ghattass upcoming book. Small wars journal is published by small wars foundation a 501c3 nonprofit corporation. Black wave author chronicles cultural, religious upheaval in the. Five books you should read to better understand islam. Progressive catholics and the black wave turning point project. Black wave how saudiiran rivalry has unravelled the middle. A journey with hillary clinton from beirut to the heart of.
Though raised as an evangelical christian in north africa, dr. Saudi arabia, iran and the 40year rivalry that unraveled culture, religion and collective memory in the middle east. Feb 20, 2020 that is the thesis of kim ghattass new book. In 1995, an egyptian shariah court declared zayd an apostate and annulled his marriage. Zayd and his wife chose exile, rather than divorce. Saudi arabia, iran, and the fortyyear rivalry that unraveled culture, religion, and collective memory in the middle east. A journey with hillary clinton from beirut to the heart of american power, 20, now at the carnegie endowment for international peace, locates an answer in three events of the same year, all tightly linked. Ghattas served for more than twentyfive years as a missionary to muslims across the world and earned his doctorate in muslim evangelism from southwestern baptist theological seminary. Despite saudiiranian rivalry, there is hope in the middle east. Kim ghattas seamlessly weaves together history, geopolitics, and culture to. Ghattas understands this trial as a manifestation of the rise of salafism and a concomitant suppression of liberal thought. In the 1970s, 30% of egyptian women wore the headscarf.
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. This book delves into the ideologies within the various strands of political islam. Saudi arabia, iran, and the fortyyear rivalry that unraveled culture, religion, and collective memory piqued my interest in light of recent events. In particular, she sees it as a threat to freedom of thought and to cultural expression to a life filled with music, art, books, theater cafes, bookshops, poetry, and so much more.
This is an important book, well researched and fundamental to understanding what has happened in the middle east in the last four decades. Kim ghattas portrays the last four decades across the. Another big theme is the exploitation of islam by dictators. In her new book, journalist kim ghattas asked the question she says haunts her and most people in the arab and muslim world what happened. Ghattass book recounts how politicians and intellectuals who espoused moderation and tolerancelike rafiq hariri in lebanon or salman taseer and benazir bhutto in pakistanwere systematically murdered by extremists in order to stifle their. The authors offer wonderful insights into the cultural and spiritual perspectives of muslim believers as they take you through the quran, chapter by chapter. Ghattas reveals how the competition between tehran and riyadh led to the instrumentalization of islam to destroy cosmopolitanism, force women to veil, and to mobilize sectarian extremists emma sky, senior fellow at yale universitys jackson institute and author of in a time of monsters the framing of black wave is as important as the.
Mar 17, 2020 ghattas describes how, following the clerics rise to power in iran, the eponymous black wave of dark hijabs, chadors, and abayas soon engulfed much of the muslim world. Apr 18, 2020 now a book comes along that confirms nearly everything ive been saying. How to recapture the muslim worlds lost hope the atlantic. Ghattas reveals how the competition between tehran and riyadh, instigated in 1979 by the iranian revolution and the siege of meccaand intensified after the 2003 us invasion of iraqled to the instrumentalization of islam to destroy cosmopolitanism, to force women to veil, and to mobilize sectarian extremists. The book is packed with accounts of ambition, treachery and. The unraveling of the muslim world the new york times. Ghattas mourns what has been lost in middle eastern culture, and though she is careful not to be too explicit, the obvious culprit is the revival of original islam. Black wave author chronicles cultural, religious upheaval. Kim ghattas born 1977 in beirut, lebanon is a dutchlebanese journalist for the bbc and author who covered the us state department. Jan 19, 2020 another big theme is the exploitation of islam by dictators.
The quran is the central religious text of islam, which muslims believe to be a revelation from allah arabic. Although rushdie survived, ghattas argues that his death sentence was a milestone on a dark road to the killing of other intellectuals as apostates from. Despite saudiiranian rivalry, there is hope in the middle. Ghattas reveals how the competition between tehran and riyadh, instigated in 1979 by the iranian revolution and the siege of mecca. The book was personal, clear, concise and analytical. Kim ghattass history of the islamic world since 1979 reflects on what. Jan 28, 2020 beirutborn journalist ghattas the secretary.
Saudi arabia, iran, and the fortyyear rivalry that unraveled culture, religion. Building bridges in muslim evangelism 9780825426889 by rauof ghattas, carol b. The main argument is that the competition between iran and saudi arabia, shia v sunni, has driven each side to compete to prove which has the purest and most authentic version of islam. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The book is particularly strong and vivid at the start, where the author. Exposing the truth about isis, al qaeda, iran, and the caliphate, beck attempts to analyze islamism and compel the reader to trace his it is a far reaching and immersive crossdisciplinary subject that thousands of our nations best minds dedicate themselves to tracking and understanding.
The ensuing clash between the two states has shaped the world of islam for the four decades since. To those with this sincere question, will suggests five books that have helped him better understand islam, from books on muhammad and the quran to rumi and the hebrew bible. Drawing upon their years of experience working in muslim cultures and their extensive knowledge of islam, the authors outline the worldview set forth in the qur an with a focus on evangelism. Raouf ghattas has been deeply influenced by islam and the qur an. Kim ghattass black wave examines the rivalry between saudi. Saudi arabia, iran, and the fortyyear rivalry that unraveled culture, religion, and collective memory in the middle east hardcover january 28, 2020. Feb 24, 2020 ghattas mourns what has been lost in middle eastern culture, and though she is careful not to be too explicit, the obvious culprit is the revival of original islam. Skillfully written and scrupulously researched, black wave is an essential book in understanding the origins of the modern conflicts in the middle east. At the same time, she worked as an intern at an englishlanguage newspaper in beirut. In a christian guide to the qur an, raouf and carol ghattas have created a tool that can build bridges of understanding between christians and muslims. The question haunts us in the arab and muslim world.
Ghattas sees this recent, more radical and puritanical iteration of islam as a threat to the muslim world. Sunnishia prejudice did exist, but was never voiced in print, as no. She attended the american university of beirut, studying political science. Kim ghattas is the author of the new book black wave. Black wave is essential reading if you want to understand why the region slid into religious extremism and bloodsoaked sectarianism. Saudi arabia, iran, and the fortyyear rivalry that unraveled culture, religion, and collective memory in the middle east is an example of the latter. Catholics blind about islam should read new expose book black. But 1979 was an opportunity for the standardbearers of the ultraorthodox islam of the kingdoms founding fathersoften. Jan 25, 2020 this article is an adapted excerpt from ghattass upcoming book.
237 916 1476 1417 373 268 323 1433 820 1277 230 353 1543 515 1044 725 244 280 1023 149 233 682 567 1240 1310 1270 1145 668 584 730 368 811 605 475 266 1377 977 518 251 962 178 739 1001