The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists

Khaled Abou El Fadl

Harper Collins, Oct 13, 2009 - Social Science - 336 pages

“Those looking for an understanding of the Muslim world and its relationship to the West . . . will find this book invaluable” (Dallas Morning News).

The Great Theft is an impassioned defense of Islam against the encroaching power of extremists. Khaled Abou El Fadl, one of the world’s preeminent Islamic scholars and an accomplished Islamic jurist, roots his arguments in long-standing historical legal debates, delineating point by point beliefs and practices of moderate Muslims and distinguishing these texts from the corrupting influences of extremists. From the role of women in Islam to the nature of jihad, and from democracy and human rights to terrorism and warfare, Abou El Fadl builds a vital vision for a moderate Islam. At long last, all who oppose extremism have a desperately needed voice to help reclaim Islam’s great moral tradition.

About the author

Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl is one of the most important and influential Islamic thinkers in the modern age. An accomplished Islamic jurist and scholar, he is a professor at the UCLA School of Law, where he teaches Islamic law, immigration law, human rights law, and international and national security law. As the most critical and powerful voice against puritanical and Wahhabi Islam today, he regularly appears on national and international television and radio, including CNN, NBC, PBS, NPR, and the Voice of America (broadcast throughout the Middle East).

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists
• Author: Khaled Abou El Fadl
• Edition: unabridged
• Publisher: Harper Collins, 2009
• ISBN: 0061744751, 9780061744754
• Length: 336 pages
• Subjects: Religion / Islam / History; Social Science / Ethnic Studies / General; Social Science / Islamic Studies