Critical Muslim 44: History - Paperback

by Ziauddin Sardar (Editor)

History is not just a subject taught in school. It is the lived reality of tradition that informs and, at times, colonizes our present. So, any project that wishes to see us smoothly into the future must begin with a thorough analysis of the past. History is also not as simple as we once thought: the reality of inequalities and bias that plague the present condition also run backward into our past, white-washing and leaving out certain details, even telling blatant lies. Revisionism and postmodernism further complicate the matter. In this issue, the rich and contentious history of Islam will be critically analyzed; along the way, insight will be provided into the larger human story. As various articles debunk old narratives and illuminate lost perspectives, the hope is that lessons from the past can be properly considered, so that the same blunders that have toppled civilizations are not doomed to repeat themselves.

Author Biography

Ziauddin Sardar is an award-winning, internationally renowned writer, futurist and cultural critic. A former New Statesman columnist and Equality and Human Rights Commissioner, he has authored many books, including Desperately Seeking Paradise: Journeys of a Skeptical Muslim; Reading the Qur'an; and Mecca: The Sacred City. He is editor of the influential quarterly Critical Muslim.