Islamic

The influential blogger and journalist tells us why there’s so much misinformation about the Arab world, and suggests what we should read to improve our understanding of the region’s history and current turmoil

Reporter for the BBC World Service and Radio 4, who specialises in reporting on faith and culture selects five books on Islam

CEO and founder of Demotix, the multiple-awardwinning open newswire, discusses five books on Islam and Modernity and the politicisation of Islam in the last decade.

The Egyptian author and journalist discusses Egypt’s past and present and the main issues facing the post-revolutionary Arab world

Rather than an exciting concept that opens up societies to new ideas and cultures, the idea of 'multiculturalism' is currently out of favour, at least in popular political discourse. Yet, according to sociologist Tariq Modood, founding Director of the Bristol University Research Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship, many of the problems we face today are crying out for multicultural solutions. He recommends the best books on multiculturalism, beginning with its development as a political theory in 1980s Canada.

Travelling is not the same as going on holiday, says Ziauddin Sardar, the writer, broadcaster and cultural critic He recommends five books about travellers in the Muslim world—from 14th-century Morocco to 20th-century Damascus by way of Indonesia.

American Enterprise Institute and campaigner for women's rights against militant Islam discusses five books ranging from the Koran to Hayek's Constitution of Liberty

The war on terror relied on a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of the threat, say author and academic Malise Ruthven. He picks the best books to get a better understanding of Islamism.

Jason Burke, journalist and author of an acclaimed book on Al-Qaeda, tells us what he learnt about militants when he was caught in a firefight in Iraq—and suggests five books we should read to understand their motivations.