The Roots of Wahhabism

By Joe Katzman on February 4, 2003 6:40 AM | 4 Comments

Occam's Toothbrush recently linked to a review in one of my hometown papers. It covers Steven Schwartz' new book, The Two Faces of Islam.

Fortunately, the Globe found an extremely competent reviewer. Paul William Roberts offers an excellent take on the book, as well as a very good short summary of the history of Wahhabism (that radical branch of Islam that has spread from Arabia throughout the Muslim world). Come see for yourself.

UPDATE: Zack Ajmal at Procrastination has his own short history of the related Deobandi sect and Maududi factions in Pakistan. And N.Z. Bear has streaming video of an interview with Schwartz.

4 Comments

#1 from Zack Ajmal | February 5, 2003 2:24 AM | Reply

Thanks for the mention, Joe.

BTW, technically Maudoodi's followers are not a sect, but a political party. Deobandis are however considered a sect.

I plan to expand on the different flavors, both good and bad, of Islam in Pakistan soon (I hope.)

#2 from Joe Katzman | February 5, 2003 4:37 AM | Reply

Thanks... made the correction.

Re: Pakistani Islam, I've been reading V.S. Naipaul's "Among the Believers" and the sequel "Beyond Belief," and would be very interested in your analysis.

Hope it also includes the Khudai Khidmatgar, covered here at Winds of Change many months ago...

http://windsofchange.net/archives/002901.html#002901

#3 from Mike | August 4, 2003 6:17 AM | Reply

Neither link to the reviews of the book worked?

#4 from Wahhabi | November 29, 2004 7:15 AM | Reply

Wahabism is the origin of today's terror

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The Roots of Wahhabism

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