About:
Children of Abraham: The 1,400-Year History of Jewish–Muslim Relations by Marc David Baer researches the long and complex historical connection between Muslims and Jews for thousands of years. Mr. Baer is a Professor and Chair of International History at the London School of Economics.
- 496 pages
- Publisher : Basic Books
- Language : English
- ISBN-10 : 1541606590
My rating for Children of Abraham - 5
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Thoughts:
This book came on my radar via a tweet by historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, who praised it highly. I’m glad he did because I learned a lot from this book, and it added much to my arsenal of knowledge which will allow me to lose in a more dignified manner my battles to fight disinformation and misinformation.
Children of Abraham by Marc David Baer focuses on two contradictory narratives which are, at best, flawed. Those narratives are that either Muslims and Jews are in a cycle of perpetual hostility, or that Jews under medieval Islamic rule lived in an idealized, utopian, society.
The book is divided into two main parts, Pre-Modern Symbiosis and Power Dynamics (610–1789) and Modern Transformations and Broken Bonds (1789–Present). The first part tracks the flourishing society in Arabia and the Muslim – Jewish alliances in Spain (Al-Andalus), including the Khazar kingdom, which always fascinated me. The author does a fantastic job explaining the Dhimmi system, which is misunderstood by many, myself included until I read the book. The second half is just as important, but more relevant to today’s world. The section touches on how European colonialism, antisemitism, and ethno-nationalism destroyed communities that have been around for a very long time.
I thought I was very informed about the issues in the 20th century, but I learned a lot from his treatment of the post-1948 conflict between Arab Nationalism and Zionism. These conflicts fundamentally altered Middle East geopolitics and the societies involved. These conflicts also led to the displacement of Palestinians from the newly formed Israel, and almost a million Jews from Arab lands.
Displacement and replacement of such as those, by the way, were not unheard of, and more common than I thought, during that time.
Man of la Book’s Margin Notes: Demolishing Dual Myths
I. The Illusion of Perpetual Hostility
Jews and Muslims have not been in a cycle of theological and ethnic warfare for thousands of years, as those who want to outrage, sell, or get your vote might tell. Children of Abraham systematically dismantled this talking point using nuance, research, and historical evidence.
Mr. Baer writes of long periods of cultural integration, corporation and goodwill across 1,400 years. Jews commanded Muslim troops in Islamic Spain, used their economic networking for the benefit of Muslim rulers, and of course the intellectual and philosophical works and debates, many of are still relevant and talked about these days. There were periods of conflict, but they were the exceptions and mostly driven by politics. The point is that the recent geopolitical divides are not rooted in ancient disputes.
II. The Fantasy of the Golden Age Utopia
On the other end, Islamic empires of yore did not exist and interfaith garden of Edens. The Dhimmi system did allow religious autonomy and legal protections to Jews; it still relegated them to second class citizens with less rights than Muslims. That system might seem reasonable when viewed with a 20th Century lens of pogroms, force conversions and expulsions in Christian Europe, but it was still very restricted. The Dhimmi applied to all non-Muslims, not necessarily just Jews, even though there were laws just for them. Non-Muslims were subordinated subjects, restricted in society and obligated to pay jizya (poll tax). The real tolerance, when looking at historical documents and evidence, existed within a complex spectrum.
III. European Colonialism as the True Disruptor
The historical cooperation wasn’t broken down from within, or by a sudden rediscovery of religion, but by the European powers. Specifically, France in North Africa introduced racial antisemitism, ethno-nationalism in its modern sense, and preferential colonial policies which broken the longstanding balance between the local Jewish and Muslim communities. The introduction of external forces, and forcing a relationship with Western empires on a colonial acquisition binge did away with accepted social contract making the way for Moden Zionism, Arab nationalism and displacement of both Muslims and Jews.
One of the most striking points in the book is how modern political frameworks attempt to rewrite centuries of complex symbiosis into rigid binary stories. What other historical non-fiction books have you read that successfully challenged 'popular' history vs. what actually happened on the ground?
The commitment to nuance, something lost on many, is an aspect of this book that I loved. Mr. Baer refuses to view history thought rose colored glasses or skip over its darkest parts. While there were centuries of genuine friendship and collaboration, there were also violence, marginalization, and friction.
This book manages balanced academic rigor with accessible narrative. It puts into context the current conflicts, with their complex historical context rather than attributing them to bullet points on a slide show or, worse, stupid memes.
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More books by Marc David Baer*
Zohar – Man of la Book
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