Islam and the Muslim World

Abstract

Largely as a consequence of intense media coverage since 9/11, Islam has been brought to the attention of people across the globe. However, most Westerners know little about the faith and its adherents. This chapter begins with a basic overview of Islam’s main teachings and looks at the prevalence of Islamic beliefs and practices among Muslims around the world. Contrary to media representations of Muslims as a monolithic group, this chapter highlights the unity and diversity of Muslims in respect to culture, religiosity and ideology. The chapter also presents what Muslims really think about a range of social and political issues. We then examine the question of coexistence, with a focus on Muslim integration in the West.