AshehougAgency

My Holy War

The terror attacks in New York, Madrid and London and the murder of Theo van Gogh in the Netherlands have led to many discussions about what values Muslims really profess. Is it possible to be a good Muslim while at the same time embracing Western values such as democracy, human rights and pluralism? Nazneen Khan-Østrem believes the answer is an unconditional yes.

Around 15 million Muslims are living in the EU today; in the US the number is about 7 million. In this book we meet some of them, each with their own story to tell, but all sharing common experiences. The author takes us along on her personal pilgrimage where she searches for the many faces of Islam. However she travels not to Mecca, but to New York, London, Paris and Berlin. Everywhere she poses the question: What is Muslim identity, and how does it play out in the meeting with so-called Western urban values? Is the antagonism as strong as many believe? Or is it simply a myth that Islam is incompatible with the Western way of living?

First published: 2005, Aschehoug Non-Fiction

Nazneen Khan-Østrem: Biography and bibliography