Professor Akbar's Book "Journey Into Europe" Launched

Professor Akbar S. Ahmed's new book, "Journey into Europe" was launched on Thursday at the symposium held under the auspices of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) in a ceremony attended by European diplomats, national and international scholars, religious representatives and members of the Council.

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Jun, 2018 ) :Professor Akbar S. Ahmed's new book, "Journey into Europe" was launched on Thursday at the symposium held under the auspices of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) in a ceremony attended by European diplomats, national and international scholars, religious representatives and members of the Council.

Journey into Europe, the fourth in an unprecedented quartet of studies published by Brookings Institution Press, examining relations between the West and the Muslim world, is based on fieldwork spanning the length and breadth of the Continent. Addressing such hot-button issues as immigration, refugees, terrorism, and the rise of the far right, the book promises to serve as a key guide to the challenges facing Europe today, says a statement issued here.

The book has earned a number of strong reviews and endorsement. Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, states, "It is hard to exaggerate the important of this work." Dr. Haris Silajdzic, the former President and Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, writes, "Ambassador Akbar Ahmed's latest project on Muslims in Europe is yet another illustration of his vision by offering us understanding of, commitment to, and hope and compassion for humanity.

"Professor Todd Green writes is Reading Religion, a publication of the American academy of Religion, that Journey into Europe is "a masterpiece� a magisterial examination of Islam's place in Europe's historical, cultural, and political landscape� a tremendous and timely contribution to the academic literature on islam in Europe and is essential reading in these tense, difficult times."The book is the last of a four volume series from Ahmed devised and written after the September 11 attacks to address the relationship between Islam and the West. Of the four, this is the only one specifically devoted to Islam in Europe. Ahmed's methodological approach can best be described as anthropological though he readily acknowledges the book does not reflect "standard textbook anthropology". Ahmed weaves participant observation, ethnographic descriptions, case studies, and personal interviews into a larger narrative amply informed by historical research.