FRACTURED
LANDS by
war correspondent Scott Anderson employs six narratives following a Kurdish physician
and an activist from Iraq, a dissident from Egypt, student from Syria, an ISIS
fighter and Libyan Air Force cadet. In explaining “how the Arab world came
apart,” Anderson traces the history of the region and its’ dictators from the
early 1970’s, noting in particular the instability states with artificially
drawn boundaries and America’s role in Iraqi politics, particularly the
invasion, which he says led to the Arab Spring revolts.
In
the last third of the book, Scott also discusses the rise of ISIS and subsequent
migration of people and terrorism to Europe and beyond. He argues, “it is
fitting that the turmoil in the Arab world has its roots in the First World
War, for like that war, it is a regional crisis that has come quickly and
widely … to influence events at every corner of the globe.” What is unique is
how he has chosen to tell this troubled history through the life stories of six
individuals and their families. Certainly
heart-wrenching at times and a much needed perspective to humanize a complex
and difficult situation.
Erik
Love, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, also
attempts to bring greater understanding in ISLAMOPHOBIA AND RACISM IN
AMERICA (from New York University Press). He writes about hate crimes
in America and how “many South Asian Americans are Muslim, but many others are
Hindu, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist …. [and] many Arab Americans are Christian,
Jewish or agnostic, but race exposes them to Islamophobia all the same.” Much of his work focuses on defining what he
calls “the Middle Eastern racial category” and use of terms like “Muslim
American” to replace “Arab American.”
As
part of his research, Love has travelled and met/spoken with leaders of
advocacy organizations in the United States, conducted content analysis on
documents like brochures and websites, and also built a large database with information
on “Arab, Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian American advocacy organizations.” He
writes about whether Islamophobia should be described as racism, noting a long
history and parallels with other forms of racism. Several sections describe the
work and past strategies employed by these civil rights advocacy groups, as
well as a look towards the future and possibility for change.
