The American University in Cairo Press received a letter from Al-Azhar on 8 October notifying the publishing house that a book it has co-published with Oxford University Press in the USA and I.B. Tauris in the UK would not be allowed to enter Egypt as it allegedly contained "information not in accordance with the principles of Islam," the Al-Azhar letter said. The banning of the book Wahhabi Islam: From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad, by Dr. Natana DeLong-Bas of the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, surprised the center's founding director John L. Esposito. In a written statement given to Al-Ahram Weekly he said: "I was surprised and disappointed to read reports of Al-Azhar's ban of Dr. Natana DeLong-Bas' book, Wahhabi Islam: From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad and the inaccurate information that some have circulated. To be specific, the publisher of this book is Oxford University Press, a prominent international press that has published many books on Islam and the Muslim world. The Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding did not publish the book; in fact, the center does not publish books. "We have great respect for Egypt's religious institutions and in particular for the important role that Al-Azhar has played throughout history as a major center of Islamic scholarship and learning and an authoritative voice in the Muslim world. My own relationship with Al-Azhar goes back to 1971-72 when I first met with the Shaykh of Al-Azhar at that time and interviewed him for one of my books. I have returned regularly to Egypt and to Al-Azhar over the years. Based upon my experience, I presume that there is some misunderstanding regarding the content and message of Dr. De Long-Bas' book. "The basic message of the book is clear and direct. Rather than starting with contemporary events and asking questions like "What went wrong?" Wahhabi Islam: From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad starts with the question: What did Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab actually write and teach? After a comprehensive analysis of Arabic texts, including ibn Abd al-Wahhab's writings and other sources, the book presents a portrait of a careful and thorough Muslim scholar dedicated to the continued renewal of Muslim faith and life. Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab is described as being very different both from the twenty-first century religious extremists who attempt to justify terrorism with religion and from the picture presented by twenty-first century Neo-orientalists who view any religious renewal as a form of extremism. Indeed, the main critics of the book have been Neo-orientalists who tend to be critics of Islam and Muslims (and who seldom would be in agreement with Al-Azhar). On the other hand, Dr. De Long- Bas, who consulted with Saudi scholars in researching and writing the book, has received positive responses from many Saudis after its publication and was invited to Saudi Arabia to lecture on the book. "We live in an age when mutual understanding and dialogue have never been more important. Al-Azhar has emerged as a major leader in interreligious dialogue. I would hope therefore that the authorities of Al-Azhar will review their decision, contact the author and share their concerns and objections and give the author an opportunity to respond in writing or in person." (see story p. 12)
