Synopses & Reviews
Review
"An engaging and illuminating account of Islamic culture in the Middle East and in the West. . . . The word ‘ethnography can hardly describe the many subjects this book broaches, from a seductive account of Abedis passage to America from a small village near Yazd, Iran, to an illuminating discussion of crucial Islamic practices such as the Quran and the hajj, to inquiries into the ‘autographics of Islamic popular art in Iran."—Ali Behdad, International Journal of Middle East Studies
Review
"Describes a modern culture torn apart by the conflict of resurging Islamic fundamentalism and emerging secular intellectualism. . . . Debating Muslims is an important reader for the serious student of modern Muslim society, as it explores daily life inside Iran and in exile, politics intertwined with religion, multiple voices of Islamic ideology, and media graphics and the Rushdie phenomenon."—Library Journal
Synopsis
In a world of multinational commerce, satellite broadcasting, migration, terrorism, and global arms dealing, what is said and how it is said in one society can no longer be isolated from what is said and how it is said in another. Debating Muslims focuses on Iranian culture, Shi’ite Islam, and Iranians in the United States, offering an experiment in postmodern ethnography and an invitation to think in a multifaceted way about Islam in the contemporary world.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 525-544) and index.
About the Author
Michael M. J. Fischer is professor of anthropology and director of the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Mehdi Abedi is research associate in the Anthropology Department at Rice University, where he teaches and lectures on Islam and Iran.