Azadeh Moaveni

Anyone who’s interested in knowing more about contemporary Shiism and especially its role in Middle Eastern politics should stop what they’re doing and immediately buy this book. Vali Nasr has written a truly superb account of the split between Islam’s two sects, and how this ancient divide manifests itself in the political rivalries and religious identity politics we’re witnessing in the region today. To be honest, I expected this to be an insightful and important book, but not necessarily an enjoyable one. Happily, I was wrong: it’s a pleasurable read as well. Mr. Nasr has enviable contacts in the Muslim world, and the book is peppered with all sorts of fascinating anecdotes and asides. We learn that Saddam offered the Shah to kill off Khomeini during his Najaf exile, and that he, the Baathist leader, later regretted not having ignored the Shah’s refusal. And who knew that Ayatollah Khoi so disliked Khomeini’s activist style of politics that he sent the Shah a special prayer and a ring on the eve of the Islamic revolution? We should be grateful to Vali Nasr for this riveting, timely, and splendid book.