The subject of Islam increasingly attracts global attention. This is to
the degree that Middle Eastern commentators sometimes seem to assume
that the region, despite well-known Shia-Sunni distinctions, is almost
homogeneously Muslim. But non-Muslim communities have, for many
centuries, played a vital and significant role in the area's rich
religious and cultural fabric, and deserve proper assessment in their
own right. This timely book offers a lively and comprehensive survey of
all the religious communities, other than the Muslim majorities, who
inhabit the Middle East today. Separate chapters discuss the history and
beliefs of the Alevis, Baha'i, Christians, Druze, Jews, Mandaeans,
Samaritans, Yezidis and Zoroastrians, highlighting the unique identity
and fascinating character of each tradition. Scholars of international
repute explore the current position of these communities, and their
relationships to their Islamic neighbours. They also trace the
distinctive contributions that each religion has made to the modern
Middle East while alerting readers to the challenges that they now face.
The first authoritative text to cover the whole miscellany of non-Muslim
communities, the book should serve as the ideal point of departure for
students and scholars of contemporary religious and Middle East studies,
as well as for journalists, policymakers and others interested in better
understanding the region's diverse politics and culture.
