Encyclopedia of Islam in the United States /

Researchers will find no shortage of books concerning Islam in the US; however, reference materials on the topic are rare. Published reference works include The North American Muslim Resource Guide: Muslim Community Life in the United States and Canada (CH, Mar'03, 40-3752), by M. Nimer; and Islam in North America: A Sourcebook (CH, May'93, 30-4955), by M. A. Koszegi and J. G. Melton. Neither of these is an encyclopedia. The first volume of this new work is an A-Z encyclopedia on American Muslim topics. The second volume offers over 400 pages of primary resources about the social, political, religious, and artistic life of American Muslims. The encyclopedia provides very solid coverage of broad topics and prominent figures from the second half of the 20th century to the present. Its major weakness is that the coverage of Muslims in the US prior to this period is scant and underdeveloped. Despite the wealth of books recently published about enslaved African Muslims, for example, this encyclopedia covers the topic only briefly. The chronology provided is too abbreviated to be of any real value, but the index is well developed and useful. Despite its shortcomings, this is a timely, welcome addition to reference works on Islam in the US. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers. B. D. Singleton California State University--San Bernardino

*Starred Review* This timely, ambitious encyclopedia set from Harvard's Center for Middle Eastern Studies is the first of its kind: an effort to provide an unbiased and accurate resource for information on the fastest growing religion in the United States. The editor and contributors do an excellent job in attempting to fairly capture the varied cultural, political, religious, and social aspects of Islamic history and life in the U.S. Both volumes are well organized and easy-to-use. Volume 1 is a traditional A-Z encyclopedia and includes 285 entries covering topics in the areas of culture, education and intellectual thought, government, sexuality, and more. Examples of entries include Ali, Muhammad; Detroit; Dietary rules; Final Call newspaper; Immigration; Muslim Journal; Muslim Women's League; Poetry; and September 11, 2001. Each entry is authored by a scholar or researcher of Islamic and American studies and provides cross-references to other encyclopedia entries as well as further readings. Entries are exceptionally well written as well as informative. Volume 2 is a diverse collection of 96 primary source documents relevant to the understanding of Islam in the U.S. It includes press briefings, speeches, position papers, essays, and other documents from government and nonprofit sources as well as from prominent individuals. These primary sources work in conjunction with the encyclopedia entries, allowing users to learn more about a topic. For example, one may read about Ingrid Mattson, the first female president of the Islamic Society of North America, in volume 1 and learn more about Mattson's beliefs from her original writings in volume 2. A few black-and-white photographs, a selected bibliography, an index, contributor notes, and a chronology are also included. The chronology briefly notes only 30 major events, from the arrival of the first Muslim slaves in North America in 1600 until Keith Ellison's election in 2006 as the first Muslim member of Congress, and is the one feature that might be improved upon for future editions. Encyclopedia of Islam in the United States is that unique resource: accessible enough for the general reader while providing enough depth for the scholar. It's also a fascinating read. It should be carried in every academic and large public library.--Collins, Catherine Copyright 2008 Booklist

Gr 10 Up-An encyclopedia and a volume of primary-source documents comprise this resource. The alphabetical encyclopedia contains a chronology and mostly substantial articles with further-reading lists. Entries on capitalism, women, secularism, music, and sexuality are in-depth and evenhanded, balancing Islamic ideals with actual practices. A two-page selected bibliography identifies recent key works. Despite some minor lapses, there is a wealth of information here, without obvious bias and including varying perspectives, conveniently assembled and clearly organized, and with appropriate historical background. Although cross-references are extensive, there are some gaps, such as the lack of a direct connection between the Salafism article and the entries on al-Qaeda or Bin Laden (Jihadist Salafiyya's most prominent follower). Wahhabism, subsumed under Salafiyya, is underindexed. Neither the article on slavery (discussing links between Islam and enslaved African Americans) nor the index point to the actual brief discussion of Islamic law on slavery. The Druze and Sufism articles do not note wide Muslim persecution of such splinter groups (though information on Muslim-Muslim intolerance can be found elsewhere in the book). The black-and-white photographs and tables are few but informative. Primary documents are categorized under religion, 9/11, citizenship, gender, race, and the arts. Though two-thirds of the contributors are graduate students, these are advanced researchers, and the editor is a leading expert in the field. This set is reliable, up-to-date, wide-ranging, and accessible.-Patricia D. Lothrop, St. George's School, Newport, RI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.