Abraham Divided: An Lds Perspective on the Middle East

By far the most insightful overview of the situation in the Middle East. You cannot address the situation without viewing it in the context of doctrine.

The only thing that would make this book better would be an updated version. So much has happened since he wrote it that I would love to hear Prof. Peterson's interpretations. It is an excellent resource and I refer to it often.

Cramming in the full history of the rise and the fall of the Islamic Empire in one book is not an easy task. Peterson's nicely readable explanation includes even more: he starts with ancient Israel and their subjection to the Greek Seleucids and the Romans before Islam was established through Mohammed the prophet. Much of the history is uneventful for the non-scholarly read, so Peterson focuses on the events that have formed modern Islam and modern Judaism, even talking about the recent Near East developments. His whole point is that you need to understand where Muslims came from to understand their current strife and complicated (seemingly irrational) behavior. Islam is not a pagan religion, but a sister to Judaism and a cousin to Christianity. The very word Allah, translates to "one true God" in English. He explains the virtue of Mohammed and the wonder of the Empire he created. For centuries, Arabic was the intellectual language of the world, in which all science, philosophy and literature was conducted. I chose to read this book because I heard Peterson give a lecture on Mohammed and Islam at BYU in early 2004. He was an articulate orator, and I was engaged within minutes. "If he is a good speaker, then he must be a good writer," I thought, and I purchased his book that week. Indeed, I remember certain phrases from his lecture that were nearly identical to his chapter on Mohammed. Abraham Divided attempts to help westerners, particularly LDS ones, see Islam in a different light-appreciating and recognizing Muslims for the great contributions they made to western history. Peterson proves that the West is intellectually and technologically indebted to the Near East under Islamic rule. If LDS Westerners tried to understand Muslims without stereotyping, then they might try to understand us (and wouldn't the world be a happy place!). Actually, Peterson wisely declines to offer a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict in Palestine, only recognizing that it is a very difficult and complicated situation.

The author writes very well, and has a lot to say -- with humor and a light touch. I've had a few Muslim friends read the book, and they have all, thus far, come away from it impressed by the author's fairness and by how much he knew and understood about their faith.

Islam, the faith of millions, is easily misunderstood in the west. We, for example, often see terrorists justifying their brutality in the name of Islam. This book, written by an LDS scholar on the Middle East, paints a very sympathetic but even-handed picture of this important faith. I learned a lot that I now value knowing. It is a good read too.