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Laila Juma

Works

Book Review

An unusually sympathetic and understanding analysis of Hizbullah’s political thought

Laila Juma

Ramadan 14, 14362015-07-01

Hizbullah: Politics and Religion by Amal Saad-Ghorayeb. Pub: Pluto Books, London, UK, 2002. Pp: 254. Pbk: £14.99.

Book Review

History and other information about China's little-known Muslim population

Laila Juma

Ramadan 13, 14302009-09-03

China's Muslim Hui Community: Migration, Settlement and Sects by Michael Dillon. Pub: Curzon Press, Richmond, UK, 1999. Pp: 208. Hbk: UK40.00.

Book Review

Trying to theorize about revolution with no understanding of Islam

Laila Juma

Ramadan 11, 14302009-09-01

Revolution and World Politics: the rise and fall of the sixth great power by Fred Halliday. MacMillan Press, Basingstoke, UK, 1999. Pp: 402. Pbk: £15.99.

Book Review

Confirming the real nature and objects of the international legal system

Laila Juma

Ramadan 28, 14262005-11-01

Lawless World: America and the Making and Breaking of Global Rules by Philippe Sands. Pub: Allen Lane Ltd., London, UK, 2005. Pp. 200. £12.99. By Leila Juma Among the many interesting points in this book is the difference between the covers of the British and American editions. It is not unusual for books to have different covers for different markets, but in this case the contrast is unusually obvious. The original British edition, published by Allen Lane Ltd. in February, is bright orange and shows a picture of a bound and masked man, wearing an orange jumpsuit, a clear reference to the political prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. It also promises “new revelations” about “Bush and Blair’s illegal war”. The US edition, published by Viking last month, is far lower key, a mottled gray colour with a stylised crown incorporating the stars-and-stripes, a subtle reference to American imperialism.

Book Review

An oblique but informative approach to mapping US military secrets since 9/11

Laila Juma

Jumada' al-Ula' 24, 14262005-07-01

Code Name: Deciphering US Military Plans, Programs and Operations in the 9/11 World by William M. Arkin. Pub: Steerforth Press,Hanover, NH, 2005. Pp: 608. Hbk: $27.95. By Leila Juma For all the US’s claims to champion universal ideals of freedom, democracy and human rights, its global power is in truth built on much more mundane and less idealistic bases: the power of its military and the reach and influence of its intelligence services.

Book Review

Irrefutable evidence of the discrimination and Islamophobia facing Muslims in Britain

Laila Juma

Dhu al-Qa'dah 20, 14252005-01-01

Dual Citizenship: British, Islamic or Both? Obligation, Recognition, Respect and Belonging by Saied R. Ameli and Arzu Merali. Pub: The Islamic Human Rights Commission, London, November 2004. Pp: 84. £7.00. Social Discrimination: Across the Muslim Divide by Saied R. Ameli, Manzur Elahi and Arzu Merali. Pub: The Islamic Human Rights Commission, London, December 2004. Pp: 78. £7.00. By Laila Juma

Book Review

Comprehensive overview and analysis of the history of Muslims in Britain

Laila Juma

Rajab 16, 14252004-09-01

The Infidel Within: Muslims in Britain since 1800 by Humayun Ansari. Pub: Hurst & Co. Ltd., London, 2004. Pages: 438. Pbk: £16.95.

Book Review

Noam Chomsky’s latest book puts Bush’s neo-con policies in historical context

Laila Juma

Muharram 10, 14252004-03-01

Hegemony or Survival: America’s Quest for Global Dominance by Noam Chomsky. Pub: Metropolitan Books, New York, 2003. Pp: 278. Hbk: $22.00

Book Review

Discussion of position of Muslims in Britain avoids all major issues

Laila Juma

Dhu al-Qa'dah 08, 14242004-01-01

British Muslims: Loyalty and Belonging edited by Mohammad Siddique Seddon, Dilwar Hussain and Nadeem Malik. Pub: The Islamic Foundation, Markfield, UK, and the Citizen Organization Foundation, London, UK, 2003. Pp: 116. Pbk: £4.95.

Book Review

Sympathetic essays on ‘modernizing Islam’ illustrate realities of the carrot and the stick

Laila Juma

Shawwal 07, 14242003-12-01

Modernizing Islam: Religion in the Public Sphere in Europe and the Middle East by John L. Esposito and Francios Burgat (editor). Pub: Hurst & Co., London, 2003. Pp: 278. Pbk: £16.50 / US$24.00.​

Occupied Arab World

Palestinians continuing to die as Israel maintains assassinations and assaults on towns

Laila Juma

Ramadan 06, 14242003-11-01

It is perhaps not surprising that of all the incidents of violence in Palestine over the last month, the one that attracted the most headlines worldwide was the roadside bomb that killed three US ‘security guards’ (CIA agents, according to some reports) on October 15.

Book Review

Excellent introduction to the thought of Tunisian Islamic leader Rachid Al-Ghannouchi

Laila Juma

Sha'ban 05, 14242003-10-01

Those Muslims and Islamic movement activists who support ‘democracy’ or ‘democratic’ understandings of Islam often get a bad press within the movement. This is understandable, for many are nothing more than apologists for the wholesale importation of Western political thought into the Muslim world, and with it – whether they realize it or not – Western political hegemony into the Muslim world.

Book Review

Critical analysis of the impact of modern economic theory and prescriptions on Egyptian society

Laila Juma

Jumada' al-Akhirah 03, 14242003-08-01

Rule of Experts: Egypt, Techno-Politics, Modernity by Timothy Mitchell. Pub: University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2002. Pp: 413. Hbk: $49.50 / Pbk: $19.95.

Book Review

Remembering the contribution of Shaheed Ali Shari’ati

Laila Juma

Rabi' al-Thani 01, 14242003-06-01

Book reviews are usually written about new publications. But it is surprising how often important works by major writers are forgotten simply because they are perceived to belong to an earlier generation...

Occupied Arab World

US increases political pressure on Syria after deposing Saddam

Laila Juma

Safar 29, 14242003-05-01

Washington increased pressure on Syria last month, immediately after the fall of the Ba’athist regime in Baghdad. Although White House sources privately denied that there were any plans for further military action against other regimes in the region

Book Review

Academics discuss problems and issues in their attempts to study Islam

Laila Juma

Dhu al-Qa'dah 29, 14232003-02-01

Interpreting Islam edited by Hastings Donnan. Pub: Sage Publications, London, 2002. Pp: 196. Pbk: £18.95.

Book Review

Examining the evolution and maintenance of authoritarian rule in Egypt

Laila Juma

Shawwal 27, 14232003-01-01

A Grand Delusion: Democracy and Economic Reform in Egypt by Eberhard Kienle. Pub: I B Taurus, London & New York, 2001. Pp: 274. Hbk: $24.50.​

Book Review

A deeply flawed analysis of US policies towards cases of genocide

Laila Juma

Shawwal 11, 14232002-12-16

"A Problem from Hell": America and the Age of Genocide by Samantha Power. Pub: Basic Books, New York, 2002. Pp: 640. Hbk: $30.00.

Book Review

Best available critique of the West’s plans for war against Iraq

Laila Juma

Ramadan 26, 14232002-12-01

A few weeks ago this author reviewed two very different books, both aiming to reintroduce basic historic facts to the current debate on the US’s planned war on Iraq (Crescent International, November 1-15, 2002). The two took very different approaches, but complimented each other well.

Book Review

Two very different books, both exposing the realities behind the West’s war on Iraq

Laila Juma

Sha'ban 15, 14222002-11-01

War on Iraq: What Team Bush Doesn’t Want You to Know by William Rivers Pitt with Scott Ritter. Pub: Profile Books Ltd., London, UK, 2002. Pp: 78. Pbk: $8.95 / £4.99.

Book Review

Electoral politics as an instrument of authoritarian rule in Egypt

Laila Juma

Rajab 24, 14232002-10-01

In the Guise of Democracy: Governance in Contemporary Egypt by May Kassem. Pub: Ithaca Press, Reading, UK, 1999. Pp: 210. Hbk: £35.00.

Book Review

Liberal academic urges use of ‘soft power’ to pursue America’s global interests

Laila Juma

Rajab 09, 14232002-09-16

​The Paradox of American Power: Why the World’s Only Superpower Can’t Go It Alone by Joseph S. Nye Jr. Pub: Oxford University Press, New York, USA, 2002. Pp: 222. Hbk: $26.00

Book Review

Study of political Islam reveals fundamental flaws in Western attempts to understand Islam

Laila Juma

Jumada' al-Ula' 22, 14232002-08-01

After the strident and aggressive tone of much Western writing about Islam in the last few months, it is almost a pleasure to read this much more moderated, thoughtful and sympathetic study of Muslim politics. This is only partly because it was published in 2000, long before the events of last September...

Book Review

Academics’ self-reflection reveals reasons for misrepresentation of Islam in the West

Laila Juma

Jumada' al-Ula' 06, 14232002-07-16

Interpreting Islam edited by Hastings Donnan. Pub: Sage Publications, London, 2002. Pp: 196. Pbk: £18.95.

Book Review

Volume of papers discussing aspects of the Palestinians’ right of return

Laila Juma

Rabi' al-Thani 05, 14232002-06-16

Palestinian Refugees: The Right of Return edited by Naseer Aruri. Pub: Pluto Press, London, UK and Sterling, VA, USA, 2001. Pp: 294. Pbk: £15.99 / $22.95.

Book Review

A rare, calm and analytical discussion of Iraq’s history

Laila Juma

Rabi' al-Awwal 03, 14232002-05-16

A History of Iraq by Charles Tripp. Pub: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2000. Pp: 311. Pbk: £13.95.

Book Review

Exposing the realities behind the image of the capitalist brand bullies

Laila Juma

Muharram 02, 14232002-03-16

​No Logo: Taking Aim at Brand Bullies by Naomi Klein. Pub: Picador, USA, and Flamingo, UK, 2001. Pp: 528. Pbk: $15.00 / UK8.99.

Book Review

Explaining the emergence of the Central Asian Muslim nation-states from the Soviet belly

Laila Juma

Dhu al-Hijjah 16, 14222002-03-01

The five Central Asian Muslim countries — Kazakhstan, Turk-menistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kirghizstan — dropped out of the Soviet belly almost by accident after Gorbachev’s reform of the old Soviet Union. At the time, a few naive, over-optimistic Muslims saw their ‘liberation’ as another sign of the rise of Islamic civilization after the lean years of the twentieth century

Book Review

Analysing Jordan’s model strategies and mechanisms for manipulating Islamic activism

Laila Juma

Dhu al-Hijjah 03, 14222002-02-16

The Management of Islamic Activism: Salafis, the Muslim Brotherhood and State Power in Jordan by Quintan Wiktorowicz. Pub: State University of New York Press, Albany, NY, 2001. Pp: 205. Pbk: $18.95.

Book Review

Tracing the history (and decline) of Arab nationalism

Laila Juma

Muharram 02, 14232002-01-16

Arab nationalism is a political creed that has played a crucial role in Arab affairs throughout the last hundred years, without ever achieving anything of note. It has been associated at different times with three major political objectives, and failed to achieve its stated objectives in any of them.

Book Review

Economic roots of America’s drive for global domination

Laila Juma

Shawwal 01, 14222001-12-16

THE GLOBAL GAMBLE: WASHINGTON’S FAUSTIAN BID FOR WORLD DOMINANCE by Peter Gowan. Pub: Verso Books, London/New York, 1999. Pbk: 320. £13.00 / $ 20.00

Book Review

Discussing empire and imperialism in the broad sweep of world history

Laila Juma

Ramadan 16, 14222001-12-01

The USA is often described by its critics as a global empire. Those who are less critical of its role in the world sometimes prefer to describe it as the world’s sole superpower.

Book Review

Left’s new manifesto demonstrates hollowness of a dying movement

Laila Juma

Ramadan 01, 14222001-11-16

​​​​​​​EMPIRE by Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri. Pub: Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, USA, and London, UK, 2000. Pp: 478. Pbk: $18.95 / £12.95.

Book Review

Highlighting the crimes of Henry Kissinger - and America

Laila Juma

Rajab 14, 14222001-10-01

THE TRIAL OF HENRY KISSINGER by Christopher Hitchens. Pub: Verso, New York, USA, 2001. Pp. 159. Hbk. US$22.00.​​​​​​​

Occupied Arab World

Israeli repression continues while officials talk behind closed doors

Laila Juma

Rabi' al-Thani 24, 14222001-07-16

A Hamas mujahid was martyred in an operation against an Israeli target in the Ghazzah area of occupied Palestine on July 9. He was Nafez Ayesh al-Nadher, aged 26. He was driving near the Kissufim crossing-point between Ghazzah and 1948 Palestine and detonated his vehicle as a military vehicle passed. Israeli sources denied that any of its soldiers had been involved.

Book Review

Re-examining the history of the Ottoman sultanate/khilafat

Laila Juma

Rabi' al-Awwal 09, 14222001-06-01

History, it is often said, is written by the victors. In these terms, the Ottoman sultanate has been doubly damned, its history having been variously written by the West that dismantled it and Turkey’s nationalist-secularists, who have been determined to accept the West’s contempt for it.

World

US steps up campaign against Iran as Khatami confirms candidacy

Laila Juma

Safar 22, 14222001-05-16

Iran’s presidential elections, due to be held on June 8, were all but decided on May 4, when president Muhammad Khatami confirmed that he would stand for re-election.

Occupied Arab World

Israelis’ brutality reflects the extent that the intifada is damaging them

Zafar Bangash, Laila Juma

Safar 07, 14222001-05-01

Just weeks after the Arab governments humiliated themselves with their utter failure to support the Palestinian intifada at their Arab League meeting in Amman on March 28, Islamic Iran showed the way forward with the unqualified support offered to the Palestinians at the opening of its International Conference on the intifada and the zionist problem in Tehran on April 24.

Book Review

Sympathetic but misguided view of Turkey

Laila Juma

Muharram 07, 14222001-04-01

Reading this book, one is reminded of a particular kind of intelligent non-Muslim friend: open-minded, curious, sympathetic, good company, better conversation, ever-ready to engage with and learn about a culture and a world-view so totally different to his own.

Book Review

Human rights and global justice - the (official) unofficial version

Laila Juma

Rajab 06, 14201999-10-16

Pablo Picasso’s famous picture Guernica, featured on the cover of this book, is an icon of the human rights and international law movements, a symbol of the cruelty of war.

Book Review

Muslim perspectives on the Crusades - through western eyes

Laila Juma

Jumada' al-Akhirah 06, 14201999-09-16

The Crusades are traditionally defined as the series of western expeditions against the Muslim lands of Palestine and the Levant which begun with Pope Urban’s call to arms at Clermont in 1095AD, and all but ended with the Muslim liberation of Acre in 1291.

Book Review

Liberal polemic highlights the west’s confusion and hypocrisy about ‘human rights’

Laila Juma

Jumada' al-Ula' 20, 14201999-09-01

Liberalism and human rights are two of the major ideological sticks the west uses to beat Islam. They represent, we are constantly told, universal values based on humanity’s collective experiences and mature rationality.

Book Review

Analysing the role of the West in Palestine, past and present

Laila Juma

Rabi' al-Thani 03, 14201999-07-16

One of the most remarkable facts about the massive pro-Israel bias at every level in the western media and establishment is that there is so much evidence to contradict the Zionists’ lies and propaganda easily available even from the west’s own reporters and other sources.

Special Reports

West’s ‘debt relief’ keeps system of economic dependence working

Laila Juma

Rabi' al-Awwal 17, 14201999-07-01

After months of kite-flying, the world’s wealthiest countries announced a debt-relief plan on June 19 which, they said, was designed to reduce the debt-burden of the world’s 33 poorest countries by up to $70bn from its present level of $127bn.

World

Memorial Seminar highlights Dr Kalim Siddiqui’s understanding of the global Islamic movement

Laila Juma

Sha'ban 08, 14201999-04-16

The Kalim Siddiqui Memorial Seminar which took place in London on April 11 focused on his understanding of the global Islamic movement, and on issues facing the movement at this time.

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