Among the Believers: An Islamic Journey

Among the Believers: An Islamic Journey is a book by the Nobel laureate V. S. Naipaul. Published in 1981, the book was based on a six month journey across the Asian continent. V.S. Naipaul explores the culture and the explosive situation in countries where Islamic fundamentalism was growing. His travels start with Iran, on to Pakistan, Malaysia and end in Indonesia, with a short stop in Pakistan and Iran on the return to the UK. The proposed aim of the author was to study cultures which have a long pre-Islamic history and their modern attempts to establish a religious state. Naipaul does not... include Arab countries as he is interested in "converted peoples". Iran: he went to Iran just after the revolution and could listen to all the mixed voices, guided around the holy places like Qom by a communist, Behzad. Ayatollah Sadegh Khalkhali is interviewed. Pakistan: is a country based on Islam, at the same time with strong Indian-English tradition. Being of Indian origin, Naipaul has strong views on Pakistan, and gives a controversial portrait of the country. Malaysia: Naipaul meets with the famous Anwar Ibrahim, when he is a rising star.
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