Shiites
Heinrich Hugendubel Publishing House
Munich 2004
128 pages, three cards
ISBN 3-7205-2491-1
€ (D) 9,95
Can be ordered from Amazon
The Shiites are a minority among Muslims and as such have often been oppressed. Due to their strong political role in the Middle East, they often are the face of the Islamic world in the media. Which religious ideas does Shiite Islam contain? To what extent are the Shiites active politically? And what role do they play in countries like Iran or Iraq? From the point of view of an Islamic scholar and seasoned expert on both countries, Wilfried Buchta gives easy-to-understand answers to these and other complex questions.
Content
- Introduction
- Birth and history of the Shia
- Doctrines of faith, popular piety and theology
- The "State of God" Iran
- The Shia outside Iran and its renaissance in Iraq
- Notes
- Register
Some press reviews on the book:
April 19, 2004, Der Tagesspiegel
"Anyone who, as a politically interested citizen, wants to better understand the contradictions and internal rivalries of the Iraqi Shiites, is recommended to read this easy-to-read and very informative book by Wilfried Buchta."
Martin Gehlen
17. 04. 2004, Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ)
"Wilfried Buchta is one of the world's best experts on Shia and Iran. ... In this compact read, Buchta offers an excellent introduction to the history, ideas and beliefs of Shiism; and he also highlights the social and political convictions in the world of Arabs and Iranians. "
Ludwig Watzal,
Dr. Wilfried Buchta
Resume
Born in 1961 in Herne / Westphalia (Germany).
University Diploma in Arabic and Persian Languages from University of Bonn / Germany.
Studied Islamic Studies, Political Science and Religious Studies in Bonn. Conducted long field study in Iran. Doctorate (P.h.D.) on the Religious Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1997.
Head of Arabic Service of Deutsche Welle (DW) in Cologne (1995-96). National Representative of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Rabat / Morocco (1998-2001). Middle East Project Director for International Crisis Group (ICG) in Amman / Jordan (2001-2002).
Lecturer at the seminar for Islamic studies at the Humboldt University Berlin (2003). Senior Political Analyst for the UN Peacekeeping Mission (UNAMI) in Baghdad / Iraq (2005-2011).
Now lives in Berlin as a political advisor, journalist and author.
Activities
Nonfiction Author and Publicist
- Commentator for German, Swiss and Austrian media on Iran, Iraq, confessional conflicts between Shiites and Sunnis in the Middle East as well as Islamic terrorism.
- Expert opinions on Iran and Iraq for the International Crisis Group (ICG in Brussels), the Bertelsmann Foundation, the GIGA Institute in Hamburg and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
- Advisor in matters concerning Iran and Iraq to members of the German Bundestag who belong to different parties (CDU, SPD) and are active in the Bundestag's Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Expertise on Iran's domestic and foreign policy as well as on the political restructuring of Iraq in the post-Saddam era
- Lectures in the USA, Europe and India on structures, influential forces and political orientations in the Islamic Republic of Iran
- Project evaluations and fact-finding missions for the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Pakistan and Iran (1998)