THE IDEA OF THE MUSLIM WORLD Book Review - UIII Library Podcast | Moch Dimas Maulana
Summary
TLDRIn this episode of the Triple IU Library podcast, a master’s student from the Faculty of Islamic Studies reviews Jamil Aydin's book, *The Idea of the Muslim World: A Global Intellectual History*. The book challenges the concept of a unified Muslim world, arguing that it is a modern political construct rather than a historical reality. Aydin explores how this narrative emerged in the 19th century through political ideologies like Pan-Islamism and colonial racism. The review highlights the book's opposition to the clash of civilizations theory and its relevance to modern global discussions about Islam and the West.
Takeaways
- 📚 The podcast is hosted by a Master's student from the Faculty of Islamic Studies at the Indonesian International Islamic University.
- 📖 The episode reviews the book *The Idea of the Muslim World: A Global Intellectual History* by Jamil Idin, published by Harvard University Press in 2017.
- 👨🏫 Jamil Idin is a professor of international/global history at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, with a focus on the historical processes shaping identities like Muslim, Asian, and African.
- 🌍 The book questions the concept of the 'Muslim World' and whether it is a real, unified entity, noting the diversity of languages, cultures, and political interests within the Muslim community.
- 🕌 Historically, the idea of a unified Muslim world never existed until the 19th century, and it emerged as a political narrative during the European colonial period.
- 🗓️ The concept of pan-Islamism, popularized by Sultan Abdul Hamid II in the 1870s, is seen as a response to European colonialism and led to the development of Islamophobia in the West.
- ⚔️ Jamil argues that the idea of a unified Muslim community was politically motivated, serving geopolitical purposes on both the Muslim and Western sides.
- 🤝 The book refutes the concept of a 'clash of civilizations' between Islam and the West, as promoted by scholars like Samuel Huntington, emphasizing that these conflicts were more about politics than theology.
- 📢 The rise of Islamist groups today is also discussed, with the book urging readers to view these movements as part of a broader political context rather than religious conflict.
- 📚 The book is recommended for both academic and non-academic audiences and is available at the Triple IU Library.
Q & A
What is the title of the book being reviewed in the podcast?
-The title of the book is *The Idea of the Muslim World: A Global Intellectual History* by Jamil Aydin, published by Harvard University Press in 2017.
Who is the author of the book, and what are his academic credentials?
-The author, Jamil Aydin, is a professor of international or global history at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He is interested in historical processes that shape international racial and civilizational identities such as Muslim, Asian, and African identities.
What is the main focus of Jamil Aydin's book?
-The main focus of the book is to question the existence of a unified 'Muslim World.' Aydin argues that the notion of global Muslim unity is a modern construct and was historically non-existent.
What argument does Jamil Aydin make about the 'Muslim World' narrative?
-Jamil Aydin argues that the 'Muslim World' is an illusion, a fabricated concept created by political actors in both the Muslim and Western worlds, beginning in the 19th century. It was not a historical reality but emerged as part of geopolitical objectives.
How does Jamil Aydin challenge the notion of a unified Muslim world?
-Aydin challenges the notion by pointing out that Muslims have historically lived in different regions, spoken various languages, and had distinct cultures, traditions, and political interests. There was no global Muslim unity, even during the peak of Islamic empires.
When did the idea of the 'Muslim World' start to emerge, according to the book?
-The idea of the 'Muslim World' emerged in the 19th century, particularly after 1878, during a time of European colonization and the decline of Muslim empires like the Ottoman Empire.
What role did pan-Islamism play in the development of the idea of a 'Muslim World'?
-Pan-Islamism, promoted by Sultan Abdul Hamid II of the Ottoman Empire in the 1870s, played a significant role in promoting the idea of a unified Muslim community. This idea sought to rally Muslim support against European colonizers.
What is the significance of the historical event in 1878 mentioned in the book?
-In 1878, Sultan Abdul Hamid II promoted pan-Islamism to unite Muslims after the Ottoman defeat by Russia. This effort strengthened the narrative of a global Muslim unity, which also contributed to the rise of Islamophobia in the West.
How does Jamil Aydin's book challenge the concept of a 'clash of civilizations'?
-Aydin's book opposes the idea of a clash of civilizations, such as those proposed by scholars like Samuel Huntington and Bernard Lewis. He argues that the narrative of conflict between Islam and the West is more about political power struggles disguised as religious or civilizational differences.
What conclusion does Jamil Aydin draw about the relationship between Islam and the West?
-Aydin concludes that the grand narrative of a clash between Islam and the West is false. The conflict is rooted in political and geopolitical interests, rather than a fundamental religious or civilizational divide.
Outlines
📚 Introduction to Triple IU Library Podcast and the Book Review
The host introduces themselves as a master’s student at the Indonesian International Islamic University and welcomes the audience to the Triple IU Library Podcast. In this episode, the host reviews a book titled *The Idea of the Muslim World: A Global Intellectual History* by Jamil Idin, published by Harvard University Press in 2017. Jamil Idin is a professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, whose research focuses on international and civilizational identities, such as those in the Muslim world and East Asia. The book presents new perspectives on the roots of contemporary world order from the viewpoint of non-Western actors.
🌍 Exploring the Concept of the Muslim World
The book addresses the idea of the 'Muslim World,' questioning its existence and reality. Jamil Idin begins by stating that many people, both Muslims and non-Muslims, believe in global Muslim unity. However, in practice, Muslims have diverse languages, traditions, cultures, nationalities, and political interests, challenging the concept of a unified Muslim world. Through history, Islam has never seen a truly global Muslim unity. The book raises questions about when and how this idea emerged and why it continues to be a prominent narrative today.
🕌 Origins of the Idea of the Muslim World
Jamil Idin argues that the idea of the Muslim world is an illusion, a politically constructed concept. It was developed either by Muslims through the idea of Pan-Islamism in the 1870s or by Western powers through empirical racism and Islamophobia for political purposes. Before this, Muslims did not imagine a unified community. The idea emerged in the 19th century when European colonial hegemony and Muslim decline set in, following centuries of conflict and fragmentation among Islamic dynasties. Idin provides historical evidence, such as divisions within the Umayyad and Ottoman empires, to support his argument.
📜 The Rise of Pan-Islamism and Western Islamophobia
The idea of Pan-Islamism, which promotes a unified Muslim community, began in 1878 under Sultan Abdul Hamid II. This idea arose in response to the Ottoman defeat by Russia and was reinforced by fatwas from Muslim clerics encouraging resistance against Western powers. However, Idin explains that Pan-Islamism and the resulting Islamophobia were used by political actors to serve their own objectives. The book demonstrates that the narrative of a 'Clash of Civilizations' between Islam and the West is a myth, rooted in political and geopolitical interests.
⚔️ Debunking the 'Clash of Civilizations' Myth
Jamil Idin concludes by stating that the narrative of an Islamic-Western clash is a falsehood designed to further political agendas. He contrasts his view with theories like those of Samuel Huntington and Bernard Lewis, who argued for the inevitability of civilizational conflict. Instead, Idin aligns with scholars like John L. Esposito, who view the rise of Islam not as a threat but as an expression of Muslims’ contributions to global civilization. This book is especially relevant in today's context of rising Islamist movements and is recommended for both academics and the general public. The host concludes the podcast by encouraging listeners to visit the Triple IU Library for more insightful reads.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Muslim World
💡Pan-Islamism
💡Colonization
💡Islamophobia
💡Empirical Racism
💡Ottoman Empire
💡Clash of Civilizations
💡Islamic Dynasties
💡Geopolitical Interests
💡Sultan Abdul Hamid II
Highlights
The podcast introduces Jamil Aydin's book 'The Idea of the Muslim World' as a key piece of intellectual history, published by Harvard University Press in 2017.
Jamil Aydin is a professor of global history at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, with research focusing on international racial and civilizational identities such as Muslim, Asian, and African.
The book challenges the existence of a unified 'Muslim World,' a notion that has become a global narrative yet lacks historical support.
Aydin critiques the idea of Muslim unity by highlighting the linguistic, cultural, and national diversity among Muslims across the world.
The historical reality, according to Aydin, shows that Muslims lived under various dynasties and never truly experienced a global unity.
The concept of the 'Muslim World' began to emerge in the 19th century, driven by European colonization and Muslim political actors such as pan-Islamism in the 1870s.
Aydin suggests that the idea of a unified 'Muslim World' is a constructed narrative for political purposes, both by Muslims and Western powers.
The book recounts events from the 7th century through the 20th century to illustrate the absence of a singular Muslim geopolitical entity.
Key historical examples include Ottoman Muslim rule supported by the British over Christian subjects, indicating fluid alliances beyond the East-West dichotomy.
In 1878, the pan-Islamism promoted by Sultan Abdul Hamid II marked the beginning of a narrative that strengthened Western Islamophobia.
Fatwas issued by Ottoman clerics encouraging revolt against colonial powers like Russia, France, and Britain further fueled this notion of Muslim unity.
Aydin argues that the idea of a clash between Islam and the West is a politically motivated myth, opposing the civilizational clash theories by thinkers like Samuel Huntington.
The book positions itself in line with scholars like John L. Esposito, who argue that the rise of Islam should not be seen as a threat but rather as a contribution to global civilization.
The narrative of Islam as a unified geopolitical community versus the West, Aydin argues, has perpetuated mutual suspicion and hindered cooperation between East and West.
The podcast concludes by recommending the book as essential reading for academics and non-academics, especially in the context of rising Islamist movements in the modern world.
Transcripts
hello everyone welcome to Triple IU
Library podcast
[Music]
I am a master student from faculty of
Islamic Studies at Indonesian
International Islamic University
in this episode I'd like to review a
very good book entitled the idea of the
Muslim World a global intellectual
history written by Jamil idin and
published by Harvard University press in
2017.
Jamil aiding is a professor of
international or global history at the
University of North Carolina Chapel
Hills Department of History he is
interested in historical processes that
shape international racial and
civilizational identities such as Muslim
Asian and African
This research and Publications offer new
ways to understand the historical roots
of the Contemporary world order from the
perspective of non-western actors of the
Muslim world and East Asia
so what is the book about in this book
Jamil is talking about what is called by
the Muslim world he is questioning is
there such a thing as the Muslim World
in reality
he started this book by telling the fact
that the idea of the Muslim World which
is frequently contrasted with the West
has become a global narrative
many people both Muslims and non-muslims
believed in the existence of global
Muslim Unity but as a matter of fact
Muslims live in different parts of the
world speak different languages have
different traditions and cultures and
also have different nationalities and
political interests
and also if we look throughout the
history of Islam we will see that there
was no such a thing as Global Muslim
Unity
so the big question is when did the idea
of the Muslim World emerge in global
conversation and why didn't this
narrative become the mainstream belief
up to the present day unlike the
mainstream belief Jamil argued that the
notion of the Muslim world was just an
illusion it is a fabricated imaginary
world created by some political actors
either from the Muslim side through the
idea of Panasonic in the 1870s or from
West empirical racism through
islamophobia to pursue their political
objectives and before that Muslims never
imagined such a global unified Community
until the 19th century when European
hegemony Pit and the Muslims suffered a
decline in various Fields due to
colonization to prove this argument
Jamil recounts Islamic historical events
from the 7th century when Islam was born
through the second half of the 20th
century
he elaborated the fractions and Wars
among Islamic dynasties from umayyat to
the Ottoman Empire a solid evidence
he also described the historical events
in the first half of the 19th century
where the British Christian Empire
supported ottoman Muslim rule over
Christians to denote the absence of a
monolithic Islamic narrative versus the
West
it was in 1878 the idea of pandislamism
promoted by Sultan Abdul Hamid II and
resulted in islamophobia in the West
Community began to emerge this idea aims
to gain support from Muslim Community in
the world due to the defeat of the
Ottomans of Russia
panisamism which assumes a unified
Global Muslim Community was strengthened
by the two fatwas issued by
uh an ultimate Muslim cleric they
encouraged Muslims around the world to
revolt and fight against the Ottomans
Invaders particularly Russia
French the British Empire and their
polites as a conclusion Jameel stated
that the grand Narrative of the Clash
civilization between Islam and the West
must be shown to be folks it was all
about the political objectives in the
context of geopolitical interests
between empirical racism and Muslim
reformers with their pan-islamic Clips
in the present day where islamist groups
are rising and gaining more public
attention this book becomes an important
reading for academics and also
non-academic Circle
The Narrative of Islam as unified
geopolitical Community versus the West
has made it difficult for the eastern
and western communities to unite
it also caused them to be constantly
suspicious of one another we have to
understand that the conflict between the
two is just a political conflict will in
the cloak of theology
the main idea of this book in terribly
opposes civilizational theories such as
Samuel Huntington and Bernard Lewis who
talk about the clashes of civilizations
and at the same time this book is in
line with the accommodationists such as
John L Esposito who viewed the threat of
Islam as a myth repeated by the West
to this theories the rise of his son
should not be seen as a threat but as an
authentic expression of Muslims to
contribute to Global civilization well I
think that's all I can say about the
book if you want to read this book and
other insightful books I suggest you to
come to the triple IU Library
happy reading and see you
[Music]
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