Sacred Space And Holy War: The Politics, Culture and History of Shi'ite Islam

Abstract

This volume sets out to answer following questions: how is it that Shi'i Muslims have set agenda of political discourse in Islamic world in recent years? Why have Shi'is been at forefront of Islam's reassessment of West? In past 300 years, Shi'i Islam, already state religion in Iran since 16th century, has grown in Iraq, northern India and what is now Pakistan. Juan Cole examines Shi'i Islam as a world religion that has faced modernity on its own terms. He explores little-known history of Shi'i communities as far afield as Persian Gulf and India, also giving attention to important centres such as Lebanon, Iraq and, of course, Iran. He demonstrates way in which Shi'is have sought to define space and time as sacred, and to defend those spaces from encroachments by the Other, whether that be Sunni Arab, Hindu or European Christian.

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