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This volume compares different regional perspectives on the national and democracy-building aims of individual states. It confronts discourses about national states to regional perspectives on the past as well as the current political and social landscape. Why are we observing calls for national identity right now? What are the roots of this development? How can a Central European identity be shaped when national perspectives are prevalent?
The book's first part analyses social and political processes that shaped nation-states in the Central European region and shows divergent trends of individual states when it comes to defining a regional approach of the Visegrád Group (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary = V4). The second part focuses on key personalities of the 20th century history of individual V4 countries in the light of their perception in the neighbouring states and how they shaped national states as well as identities after the end of World War II. Similar aims and approaches implemented by individual countries often led to anything but raising regional understanding. The book's third part reflects upon activities of various initiatives aiming to approach this challenge from the perspective of civil society, and Central Europe's young generation.
The collection brings together leading historians of Central Europe from the V4 countries. It also offers external perspectives on historical developments in Central Europe from the perspective of the 21st century and on political cooperation as well as its roots. Lastly, it includes practitioners of Central European cooperation from both academia and civil society, and their reflection on their countries' political cooperation after 1989.
About the author
Dr. Michal Vít is a research fellow at the EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy at Prague. Previously he was associated with the Institute for European Policy at Berlin and at International Institute of Political Science at Masaryk University in Brno.
Dr. Magdalena M. Baran is a historian of ideas, philosopher, and columnist. She studied at the Pontifical Academy of Theology in Cracow and the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. She is on the editorial board of the quarterly Liberté! as well as a co-founder of the weekly Kultura Liberalna, and writes for, among others, Res Publica Nowa and Visegrad Insight.
Summary
Islam is one of the world's great monotheistic religions. Islamic culture, spanning 1,500 years, has produced some of the finest achievements of humanity. Yet the religion followed by a fifth of humankind is too often seen in the West in terms of fundamentalism, bigotry and violence- a perception that couldn't be more wrong.
Introducing Islam recounts the history of Islam from the birth of Prophet Muhammad in the 6th century to its status as a global culture and political force today. Charting the achievements of Muslim civilisation, it explains the nature and message of the Qur'an, outlines the basic features of Islamic law, and assesses the impact of colonialism on Muslim societies.
Ziauddin Sardar and Zafar Abbas Malik show how Muslims everywhere are trying to live their faith and are shaping new Islamic ideas and ideals for a globalised world.
Report
"The evenhanded and factual character of the contributions presented in this book shows the right way to deal with history, no matter how complicated. It is an example worth emulating."-Petr Vágner, former director of International Visegrad Fund
