K xxii Encyclopedia of Islam
began to change in the 1980s as a result of the
Islamic revolution in Iran of 1978–79, the Leba-
nese civil war and the 1983 bombing of the United
States Marine barracks in Beirut, and the assas-
sination of Egyptian president Anwar al-Sadat, an
American ally, by a radical jihadist group in 1981.
Even these developments, which were widely
reported in the news media, did not have a long-
term impact on public awareness or knowledge
about Islam and Muslims, although they inspired
a number of Hollywood movies based on stereo-
types. One important exception, however, was the
inclusion of lessons about Islam and the Middle
East in secondary school curricula that involved
consultations with experts and representatives of
local Muslim organizations.
This situation changed dramatically as a result
of the terrorist attacks conducted by al-Qaida
against the New York World Trade Center and
the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., on Septem-
ber 11, 2001. Islam, especially Islamic terrorism,
permeated the media—most notably the 24-hour
cable news channels and talk radio. Politicians,
scholars, policy experts, and religious leaders gave
many interviews and talks about Islam, the Mid-
dle East, and religious violence. American colleges
and universities hired dozens of new lecturers and
professors specializing in Islamic studies and the
languages and histories of the Middle East. The
number of Middle East National Resource Centers
based at leading American research universities
was increased with the help of additional funding
by the U.S. Department of Education, which was
committed to enhancing public understanding
about the contemporary Middle East and other
regions where large Muslim populations live.
Increased resources were also provided for teach-
ing Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Pashto, and
other critical languages.
Today there still exists, despite these significant
steps forward, a widespread hunger in the United
States and many other countries for even the most
basic knowledge about Muslims—their religion,
histories, cultures, and politics. One unfortunate
consequence of the persistence of this knowledge
“gap” is that some have exploited it to spread inac-
curate, prejudiced views about Islam and Muslims
by citing anecdotal evidence or weaving together
scattered bits of factual information, heresay, and
even falsehoods. At times this is done to serve
some greater ideological objective, but at great
cost to the public’s ability to make wise judgments
of their own, based on accurate information and
scholarly expertise. The Encyclopedia of Islam is
part of a much wider effort undertaken by many
scholars and area studies experts to meet the
demand for accurate information about Islam, par-
ticularly with regard to its place in the contempo-
rary world. This undertaking is based on a growing
body of research involving the contributions of
people who not only have knowledge and fluency
in the relevant languages but have spent extended
periods of time in the Middle East and other parts
of the world where Muslims live, work, and strive
to achieve what we might call “the good life.” The
reader is encouraged to explore the variety of top-
ics covered by this reference work and follow up
with more specialized readings listed at the end
of each entry and in the bibliography provided in
the back of the book. Before proceeding, however,
it will be worthwhile to consider some questions
anyone interested in exploring the subject of Islam
ought to be asking.What Is Islam?
This is a question that Muslims have been
answering for centuries when it is raised in
their homes, schools, and in the circles of gifted
scholars, powerful rulers, and wealthy merchants
and businessmen. It is also a question posed by
many non-Muslims—never more than now, in
the first decade of the 21st century. The answers
given by Muslims, like those proposed by non-
Muslims, have varied greatly, depending on their
education, social status, background, and the
wider historical and cultural contexts in which
they live.