|
Heroes of the Age: Moral Fault Lines on the Afghan Frontier (Comparative Studies on Muslim Societies ; 21) | 
 enlarge | Author: David B. Edwards
Publisher: University of California Press
Category: Book
List Price: $26.95
Buy New: $24.25
You Save: $2.70 (10%)
New (10) Used (11) from $17.99
Rating:  1 reviews
Sales Rank: 306107
Media: Paperback
Pages: 334
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.8
ISBN: 0520200640
Dewey Decimal Number: 958.1
EAN: 9780520200647
ASIN: 0520200640
Publication Date: November 1, 1996
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
| |
| Also Available In:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Much of the political turmoil that has occurred in Afghanistan since the Marxist revolution of 1978 has been attributed to the dispute between Soviet-aligned Marxists and the religious extremists inspired by Egyptian and Pakistani brands of "fundamentalist" Islam. In a significant departure from this view, David B. Edwards contends that--though Marxism and radical Islam have undoubtedly played a significant role in the conflict--Afghanistan's troubles derive less from foreign forces and the ideological divisions between groups than they do from the moral incoherence of Afghanistan itself. Seeking the historical and cultural roots of the conflict, Edwards examines the lives of three significant figures of the late nineteenth century--a tribal khan, a Muslim saint, and a prince who became king of the newly created state. He explores the ambiguities and contradictions of these lives and the stories that surround them, arguing that conflicting values within an artificially-created state are at the root of Afghanistan's current instability.
Building on this foundation, Edwards examines conflicting narratives of a tribal uprising against the British Raj that broke out in the summer of 1897. Through an analysis of both colonial and native accounts, Edwards investigates the saint's role in this conflict, his relationship to the Afghan state and the tribal groups that followed him, and the larger issue of how Islam traditionally functions as an encompassing framework of political association in frontier society.
|
| Customer Reviews:
Moral incoherence at core of Afghanistan October 11, 2001
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
This beautifully written book covers three heroes from the period before the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The author uses these heroes to explore the cultural roots of the violence and turbulence in Afghanistan today. Though the book was written before the September 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S., it sheds light on the culture of Afghanistan and gave me lots of ideas about why the Taliban continues to shelter Osama bin Laden. Also, the "moral incoherence" that the author finds in Afghanistan is important--U.S. aid and withdrawal are important aspects of why Afghanistan is in the state it is in now, but by no means the only source.
|
|
|
|
| |
