Between Jihad and Salaam : profiles in Islam / Joyce M. Davis.

Includes bibliographical references (pages [331]-334) and index.

1. Hassan al-Turabi, Popular Arab and Islamic Conference, Sudan -- 2. Wisal Sadiq Abdel Rahman al-Mahdi, International Organization for Women, Sudan -- 3. Anwar Haddam, Islamic Salvation Front, Algeria -- 4. Mahfoud Nahnah, Islamic Society Movement (HAMAS), Algeria -- 5. Rachid al-Ghannouchi, EnNahda (The Renaissance Party), Tunisia -- 6. Muntassir al-Zayat, Al-Gamaa al-Islamiyah and al-Jihad, Egypt -- 7. Sheikh Kamel al-Sharief, International Islamic Council for Da'wa and Relief, Egypt/Jordan -- 8. Said al-Ashmawy, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Egypt -- 9. Bint al-Shati, Al Ahram newspaper, Egypt -- 10. Ishaq Farhan, Senator, Islamic Action Front, Jordan -- 11. Ibrahim Ghosheh, HAMAS, West Bank and Gaza -- 12. Sheikh Yusef Abdullah al-Qaradawi, University of Qatar -- 13. Khurshid Ahmad, Senator, Islamic Action Front, Pakistan -- 14. Abida Hussain, former Ambassador to the United States from Pakistan -- 15. Muhammad Aslam Saleemi, Jamaat-i-Islami, Pakistan --

16. Anwar Ibrahim, Minister of Finance, Malaysia -- 17. M. Habib Chirzin, The Muhammadiyah, Indonesia.

In over a dozen face-to-face encounters with the hidden elite of the Muslim world, Joyce Davis reveals extremes in opinion, providing a personal glimpse of the kind of people influencing the development of Islamic thought today. Adopting traditional dress to gain access to a range of Islamic leaders normally off-limits to westerners, Davis sheds new light on our view of the Islamic world.

While these men and women possess religious principles and moral leadership that many western readers will find admirable, they also express sentiments that are alarming. The interviews are conducted with an even-handedness, resulting in an unbiased portrait of the players in one of the most volatile regions in the world. What becomes clear from these profiles is that some of the people who once provoked our fear are worthy of our trust, while others, undeniably, are not.

This is a revealing collection of interviews that unveils the thoughts and personalities of Muslim thinkers and leaders.