This is the first encyclopedic guide to the history of relations between Jews and Muslims around the world from the birth of Islam to today. Richly illustrated and beautifully produced, the book features more than 150 authoritative and accessible articles by an international team of leading experts in history, politics, literature, anthropology, and philosophy. Organized thematically and chronologically, this indispensable reference provides critical facts and balanced context for greater historical understanding and a more informed dialogue between Jews and Muslims.
Part I covers the medieval period; Part II, the early modern period through the nineteenth century, in the Ottoman Empire, Africa, Asia, and Europe; Part III, the twentieth century, including the exile of Jews from the Muslim world, Jews and Muslims in Israel, and Jewish-Muslim politics; and Part IV, intersections between Jewish and Muslim origins, philosophy, scholarship, art, ritual, and beliefs. The main articles address major topics such as the Jews of Arabia at the origin of Islam; special profiles cover important individuals and places; and excerpts from primary sources provide contemporary views on historical events.
Contributors include Mark R. Cohen, Alain Dieckhoff, Michael Laskier, Vera Moreen, Gordon D. Newby, Marina Rustow, Daniel Schroeter, Kirsten Schulze, Mark Tessler, John Tolan, Gilles Veinstein, and many more.
"This work marks a milestone. . . . It is a true act of faith in the ability of history, and, more broadly, the social sciences, to mediate between past and present and between extremes."--Frédéric Abécassis, Lectures
"A History of Jewish-Muslim Relations, is a resource that should be in the library of every person who cares about peace in the Middle East and reconciliation among Judaism, Christianity, and Islam."--Joseph V. Montville, Abrahamic Family Reunion
Abdelwahab Meddeb is professor of comparative literature at the University of Paris-X (Nanterre). His books include Islam and Its Discontents. Benjamin Stora is University Professor at the University of Paris-XIII (Villetaneuse), where he teaches the history of nineteenth- and twentieth-century North Africa and the history of North African immigrants in Europe. His many books include Algeria, 1830-2000: A Short History.
"At more than 1,000 pages of text, illustration and scholarly apparatus, A History of Jewish-Muslim Relations is, quite literally, a solid work of scholarship. Thanks to its eye-catching visual elements, it also presents itself as a coffee-table book of a superior kind. Above all, it is a serious and timely effort to repair a relationship between kindred peoples who have never been fully at ease with each and yet, thanks to the accidents of history, are fated to live in close proximity."--Jonathan Kirsch, Jewish Journal
"[T]he work contains a wealth of information that will appeal to varied constituencies. It certainly deserves a place on the bookshelf of any individual or institution concerned with this contentious subject."--Philip Chrimes, International Affairs
"Organized thematically and chronologically, this indispensable reference provides critical facts and balanced context for greater historical understanding and a more informed dialogue between Jews and Muslims."--RELMIN newsletter
"This collection of scholarly yet accessible articles by dozens of Jewish and Muslim experts is the definitive source for understanding a complex relationship between Muslims and Jews from the seventh century to the present day. . . . [T]he richness of this fantastic and exciting book lies also in its descriptions of how Jews and Muslims have learned from each other in the arenas of philosophy, science, art, literature, and mysticism."--Tikkun
One of the Outstanding Reference Sources for 2014, Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), American Library Association
One of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2014