TEHRAN – “Fundamentalism: A Very Short Introduction” by Malise Ruthven has been published in Persian.

Translated by Bijan Ashtari, the book was published by Afkar.

Fundamentalism is seen as the major threat to world peace today, a conclusion impossible to ignore since the events in New York on September 11, 2001. But what does fundamentalism really mean?

Since it was coined by American Protestant evangelicals in the 1920s, the use of the term fundamentalist has expanded to include a diverse range of radical conservatives and ideological purists, who are not at all religious. 

Fundamentalism could now mean both militant Israeli settlers as well as the Islamist radicals who oppose them; it can mean Christians, Hindus, animal liberationists and even Buddhist nationalists. 

Here, Middle East expert Malise Ruthven investigates fundamentalism’s historical, social, religious, political and ideological roots, and tackles the polemic and stereotypes surrounding these complex phenomena – one that eludes simple definition, yet urgently needs to be understood.

A former scriptwriter with the BBC Arabic and World Services, Ruthven holds an MA in English literature and a Ph.D. in social and political sciences from Cambridge University. 

He has taught Islamic studies, cultural history and comparative religion at the University of Aberdeen, the University of California, San Diego, Dartmouth College, New Hampshire and Colorado College.

Photo: Cover of the Persian edition of Malise Ruthven’s book “Fundamentalism: A Very Short Introduction”.

MMS/YAW