Are Muslims distinctive? : a look at the evidence

Are Muslims Distinctive? represents the first major scientific effort to assess how Muslims and non-Muslims differ - and do not differ - in the contemporary world. Using rigorous methods and data drawn from around the globe, M. Steven Fish reveals that in some areas Muslims and non-Muslims differ less than is commonly imagined. Muslims are not inclined to favor the fusion of religious and political authority or especially prone to mass political violence. Yet there are differences: Gender inequality is more severe among Muslims, Muslims are unusually averse to homosexuality and other controversial behaviors, and democracy is rare in the Muslim world. Other areas of divergence bear the marks of a Muslim advantage: Homicide rates and class-based inequities are less severe among Muslims than non-Muslims. Fish's findings have vital implications for human welfare, interfaith understanding, and international relations.

Author Notes

M. Steven Fish is Professor of Political Science at the University of California-Berkeley.

Reviews 1

Choice Review

Among a spate of recent books about Islam, this is one of the few that makes a real scholarly contribution and breaks new ground. Eschewing the usual rhetoric of outrage and self-justifying apologetics, the author simply looks at the empirical evidence contained in public opinion surveys and polls (as well as other relevant material) in trying to explore the distinctiveness of Muslims and their comparability to people of other faiths and traditions. Fish (Univ. of California, Berkeley) sifts through the available data with care and precision and employs four different statistical models to test for relevant relationships among variables. The effort is more descriptive than analytical, and the author admits to being more interested in examining "what" than "why," though his explanations are often cogent and insightful. While some of the findings are expected (e.g., there is relatively less support for gender equity, homosexuality, or democratic norms among Muslims), some are intriguing if not counterintuitive. For example, there is little substantive difference between Muslims and non-Muslims in terms of personal religiosity, support for fusing religious and political power, or tolerance of violence or corruption. This thoughtful, rigorous, and most welcome book debunks many myths and stereotypes. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, and research collections. A. Ahmad Black Hills State University

Acknowledgments	p. ix
How to Read the Tables in this Book	p. xi
1 Introduction	p. 3
2 Personal Religiosity and Religion in Politics	p. 19
3 Social Capital and Tolerance	p. 69
4 Corruption and Crime	p. 109
5 Large-Scale Political Violence and Terrorism	p. 133
6 Social Inequality	p. 173
7 Democracy	p. 229
8 Conclusion	p. 251
Appendixes
Appendix 2.A World Values Survey: List of Countries and Information on Religious Denominations	p. 267
Appendix 2.B Model Equations and Summary Statistics for Chapter 2	p. 269
Appendix 2.C Female and Male Attendance at Religious Services among Muslims in Countries with a Muslim Population of 25 Percent or Greater	p. 273
Appendix 3.A List of Countries Used in Tables 3.1-3.6	p. 275
Appendix 3.B Model Equations and Summary Statistics for Chapter 3	p. 277
Appendix 3.C Alternate Specification of Sociability Index	p. 281
Appendix 4 OLS Output for Murder Rates	p. 285
Appendix 5.A Comprehensive List of Major Episodes of Intrastate Political Violence, 1946-2007	p. 287
Appendix 5.B OLS Output for Deaths in Major Episodes of Political Violence	p. 305
Appendix 5.C Comprehensive List of High-Casualty Terrorist Bombings (Involving Fifteen or More Deaths), September 11, 1994 to September 10, 2008	p. 309
Appendix 6 Model Equations and Summary Statistics for Chapter 6	p. 331
Appendix 7.A 1-3. OLS Output for Political Openness, Using Alterative Measures for Political Openness	p. 335
Appendix 7.B Model Equations and Summary Statistics for Chapter 7	p. 339
Appendix 8 Matching Countries as a Robustness Check	p. 341
Notes	p. 345
Index	p. 375

Available:*

On Order

Summary

Summary

Author Notes

Reviews 1

Choice Review

Table of Contents