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Mideastinfo.com Most Recommended Books after September 11, 2001
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 , By Paul Findley.
In his recently released book Silent No More: Confronting America’s False Images of Islam, Paul Findley, a 22-year veteran of Congress, chronicles his long, far-flung trail of discovery through the World Of Islam: the false stereotypes that linger in the minds of the American people, the corrective actions that the leaders of America’s seven million Muslims are undertaking, and the community’s remarkable progress in mainstream politics.

It is an indispensable source for Muslims and for anyone who speaks, writes, or worries about human rights, interfaith harmony and global cooperation. With precise citations, Findley, a Christian, debunks in his narration, the stereotypes of Islam. The author of four other books, two of them on the Arab-Israeli conflict, Findley draws on his decade-long experience as the senior Republican on the House of Representatives subcommittee on the Middle East, his personal knowledge of the region and its leaders, as well as his nationwide acquaintance with U.S. Muslims. ()

, by Ali Kazuyoshi Nomachi and Seyyed Hossein Nasr. () - These photographs of the Muslim holy cities Mecca and Medina, taken by a Japanese convert, Ali Kazuyoshi Nomachi, are something new for most Westerners, and perhaps even for many Muslims. Non-Muslims are never allowed into Mecca, and it is almost unheard-of for religious and government leaders to allow such pictures to be taken. Most of these images were shot during the holy month of Ramadan, when many faithful are in Mecca and Medina on pilgrimage.

, by Elaine Sciolino (). - In 1979, a clerical revolution in Iran swept aside the inarguably corrupt government of Shah Reza Pahlavi and set in motion events that would make that nation a world pariah. In the place of one dictatorship came another, one led "by an old bearded cleric in a turban and cloak whose answer to the king's injustice was to wrap the country in a populist message of promise and smother it with an intolerant version of Islam." So writes Elaine Sciolino, a reporter for The New York Times who entered Iran with the Ayatollah Khomeini and who remained there for more than 20 years, providing American readers with memorable accounts that were less, it seemed, about politics and religion than about human nature. For Iran is a mass of contradictions, she writes, a country many of whose leaders press for forward-looking change while serving a government that seeks a return to the distant past, and whose citizens constantly seek ways to experiment "with two highly volatile chemicals--Islam and democracy."

by Baqer Moin () - The Ayatollah Khomeini was the most radical Muslim leader of this age. In transforming himself from a traditional Muslim theologian into the charismatic Iranian ruler who took on the world, Khomeini launched an Islamic revival movement that, with the collapse of communism, quickly evolved for some as the centre-piece in the pantheon of western demonology, and for others as the inspiration for spiritual and political rebirth. Whether viewed as a hero by his supporters or as a villain by his enemies, Khomeini was undoubtedly one of the seminal figures of the twentieth century, whose influence will extend some way into the new millennium.

by Leila Ahmed () - In language that vividly evokes the lush summers of Cairo and the stark beauty of the Arabian desert, Leila Ahmed tells a moving tale of her Egyptian childhood growing up in a rich tradition of Islamic women and describes how she eventually came to terms with her identity as a feminist living in America. As a young woman in Cairo in the 1940s and '50s, Ahmed witnessed some of the major transformations of this century--the end of British colonialism, the creation of Israel, the rise of Arab nationalism, and the breakdown of Egypt's once multireligious society. Amid the turmoil, she searched to define herself--and to see how the world defined her--as a woman, a Muslim, an Egyptian, and an Arab. In this memoir, she poignantly reflects upon issues of language, race, and nationality, while unveiling the hidden world of women's Islam. Ahmed's story will be an inspiration to anyone who has ever struggled to define their own cultural identity.

, by Meron Benvenisti () - As a young man Meron Benvenisti often accompanied his father, a distinguished geographer, when the elder Benvenisti traveled through the Holy Land charting a Hebrew map that would rename Palestinian sites and villages with names linked to Israel's ancestral homeland. These experiences in Benvenisti's youth are central to this book, and the story that he tells helps explain how during this century an Arab landscape, physical and human, was transformed into an Israeli, Jewish state. Benvenisti first discusses the process by which new Hebrew nomenclature replaced the Arabic names of more than 9,000 natural features, villages, and ruins in Eretz Israel/Palestine (his name for the Holy Land, thereby defining it as a land of Jews and Arabs). He then explains how the Arab landscape has been transformed through war, destruction, and expulsion into a flourishing Jewish homeland accommodating millions of immigrants. The resulting encounters between two peoples who claim the same land have raised great moral and political dilemmas, which Benvenisti presents with candor and impartiality. Benvenisti points out that five hundred years after the Moors left Spain there are sufficient landmarks remaining to preserve the outlines of Muslim Spain. Even with sustained modern development, the ancient scale is still visible. Yet a Palestinian returning to his ancestral landscape after only fifty years would have difficulty identifying his home. Furthermore, Benvenisti says, the transformation of Arab cultural assets into Jewish holy sites has engendered a struggle over the "signposts of memory" essential to both peoples. Sacred Landscape raises troublesome questions that most writers on the Middle East avoid. The now-buried Palestinian landscape remains a symbol and a battle standard for Palestinians and Israelis. But it is Benvenisti's continuing belief that Eretz Israel/Palestine has enough historical and physical space for the people of both nations and that it can one day be a shared homeland.



The Story of Anderson's seven years as a hostage in Lebanon. An eye opening account of bravery, fear, power, and hope. Highly Recommended.

. The story of the Palestinian-Israeli peace process as retold by a member of the Palestinian delegation. Often moving and frustrating, this is a must for anyone who wishes to understand what happens behind closed doors. Highly Recommended.

A look into the life of one the Arab world's best writers. Allows the reader to examine Said's years as a child in Cairo and Lebanon and into his dramatic life since.

The tale of a boy's passage into manhood in 1947-48 Palestine.

An often humorous, by very realistic about a growing ethnic opinion in America.

. A profile of the founder of modern Turkey. 

Provides some insight into the thinking of Syria's Hafez al-Assad and the development of modern Syria. 

A biography of the founder of the PLO and the President of modern Palestine.

. The first comprehensive biography of the King since his tragic death in 1999. 

The former Prime Minister of Israel discusses his views of Israel from its creation in 1948 until the beginning of the 1990s peace process.



. by Edward Said. A must for anyone who is confused by the Arab-Israeli peace process, or is looking for the inside edge. Professor Said addresses the real issues at the heart of the conflict, those of the Palestinian people. This collection provides true insight into the lives of Palestinians and their aspirations that are so often left out of the media. ().

. Ze'ev Sternhell. Reassesses the ideas and philosophies that surrounded the creation of Israel. ().

. Elizabeth Warnock Fernea and Robert A. Fernea. The sociologist husband and wife team have revised their earlier book The Arab World by revisiting the cities and towns they have written about in Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, the West Bank and Saudi Arabia. Covering forty years of experience the books stories and commentaries take the reader beyond the halls of power and into people's homes, their families and the changing world they live in. This book covers important topics such as the Cold War, the Lebanese civil war, the Iran-Iraq war, the construction of the Aswan Dam, Nasserism, the Persian Gulf War, and the ongoing peace process between Israel and its neighbors. A great look into the Arab world. ().

. An Israeli reporter who stayed in the Gaza Strip for four years. Her experiences and observations as one of the few Israelis to overcome social fear of the region. ()

. Explores the entangled history of Israelis and Palestinians, covering topics such as Jerusalem, Settlement building, Hebron and the future of Palestinian refugees. 

. Trying to disprove the belief that "Arab" is equivalent to "terrorist," Suleiman brings together 21 scholars in the areas of history, politics, law and sociology to examine the lives of Arab-Americans in the United States.

A review of the relations between Iran and the United States. 

. A former CIA analyst shows how American ignorance of the Palestinian situation has affected US foreign policy towards Israel and interrupted the peace process.

Re-examines Israel's "victories" since its creations and evaluates the future of the Palestinian state and its people.

A memoir of 15 years in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War.

More than 1,000 entries cover people, places, political and religious ideologies.

. Covers NGO's and other organizations and their missions in Egypt.

. The late President of Egypt's memoirs and his views of the future of Egypt.

. A review of the relations between Israel and Egypt following the historic peace treaty.
. An analysis of how do the views of the people and the government differ on the future of Islam and the state.
. The former Prime Minister of Israel discusses his nations future in the world arena.

    

. An examination of the historical role of women in Islam and how modern belief and theories relate. ()

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