Competing Visions of Islam in the United States: A Study of Los Angeles

Headnote

Competing Visions of Islam in the United States: A Study of Los Angeles, by Kambiz GhaneaBassiri. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997. 224 pp. $59.95 cloth. ISBN: 0-31329951-X.

With Islam being the fastest growing and one of the least understood religions in the United States, this book is very timely. The author's goals are to present an "in-depth sociological analysis" of the Muslim population in Los Angeles, one of the major centers of Islam in the United States, and to "explore the way in which Muslims understand Islam in the United States and the role they see for themselves as adherents of this particular faith" (pp. 10-11 ).

As GhaneaBassiri points out, since Islam never had one official clergy, the conventional understanding of the religion varies from country to country. Thus a study of Muslims in a multiethnic context like Los Angeles could be very valuable for the insight it provides on different interpretations of Islam and the conflicts and compromises involved in creating an American Islam.

Unfortunately, the book does not live up to its promise. After two introductory chapters, GhaneaBassiri...