FYI: Some Juan Cole interviews regarding his new book--Engaging the Muslim World.

[laststeamtrain]

Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Cole on NPR

Listen to my interview with Steven Inskeep of National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" on myths about Saudi Arabia's puritanical and hyper-Protestant Wahhabi branch of Islam. I argue that there is no statistical or social scientific evidence that Wahhabis are more prone to violence or terrorism than other branches of Islam. Note that it is a narrow argument about the myth of Wahhabism as a font of terrorism in an essentialist way. There is lots wrong with the human rights record of Wahhabism. But that is a different issue. It is a whole chapter in my new book, Engaging the Muslim World.

My hour-long interview with Diane Rehm of NPR on my new book is available here.

Daniel Levy favorably reviews my book, along with recent works of Robin Wright and Rashid Khalidi, for The American Prospect.

http://www.juancole.com/2009/03/cole-on-npr.html