Customer Rating: 
Summary: packed with insight
Comment: The whole Islamic world looks strikingly different from a Shia perspective, and Nasr's presentation of that view offers vast scope for fresh thinking. His book is so packed with insight that it took me a month to consume it. It puts the Shia into focus as an important religious minority, concerned with minority rights, and devoted more to justice than legalism. It is a faith born in protest against tyranny, which has therefore been treated as a treasonous heresy by most autocratic rulers of the Middle East. Nasr gives a detailed account of Shia fortunes in nations from Lebanon to India. In the process he powerfully challenges a host of misconceptions which commonly cloud our view of modern events. For example:
"Expecting to have more rights and powers under the emerging order, Shias have welcomed both the fall of Sunni domination and the rise of prospects for political change. This makes them in principle more likely to work with the United States. Greater democracy serves Shia interests across the region, and hence Shia revival is favorably disposed toward democratic change. The Shia universe of discourse is now the site of the entire Muslim world's most interesting and thorough debates about Islam's relationship with democracy and economic growth, and indeed about Islam's situation vis-a-vis modernity." (p. 179-180)
Customer Rating:
Summary: Ambitioius
Comment: A balanced book although there are some parts whose factuality can be disputed. I am sure Mr vali's book would be unacceptable to both the extremists in the Sunni community and staunch supporters of the Iran regime who find the ruling clerics there almost infallible. The ending parts seems bit ambitious as the Shiite Crescent is yet to realise and many developments contrary to his arguments have taken place since its publication. A must read for all nonetheless
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Shia Revival
Comment: A truely balanced, unbiased book on shia sunni relations, the problems all muslims face, a background to the miidle east and asia.....a really well thought and scripted piece of work with good comparisons on a wide scale for muslim and non muslim readers alike, very good detailed information and a gripping read meant to dispell common prejudices and show to a general audience the reasons and thoughts behind shia political activity and the brutal repession they face.....i have read the book and i really can say wether the author is shia or sunni the book is that unbiased, essential if you wish to know about the confict in iraq, the system in iran and the stupidity of saudi arabia as well as the pakistani and india problems this book has it all, very well reasearched and aquired information that every reader can associate some part of life/ culture to......my rating 5 stars!
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