Book emanated from the consequences of 9/11.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Dr. Akbar Ahmed, the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at the American University and the First Distinguished Chair of Middle East and Islamic Studies at the US Naval Academy, Annapolis, was awarded the Karachi Literature Festival prize on February 7 for his book, The Thistle and the Drone.
Although not present in Karachi to accept the award, Ahmed sent a statement of gratitude, which was read out loud by Dr. Shafqat Jamote, the former federal minister-in-presence for German Parliament special representative Dr. Michael Koch.
“I am so grateful to the Karachi Literature Festival and those that deemed The Thistle and the Drone worthy of this esteemed award,” Ahmed wrote. “I am also thankful for the support of my wife, my family, my research team, and American University without which this book would not be possible.”
The esteemed Islamic scholar and teacher explained that The Thistle and the Drone was borne out of his desire to reconcile the growing disparity between the Islamic world and the Western world in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Ahmed believed that his knowledge of both worlds would be imperative to help bridge the growing gap between the two and help foster understanding in both parts of the world.
“I have committed my life to understanding and explaining the complex relationship between the West and the Muslim world, promoting interfaith dialogue, and building bridges between peoples and communities,” wrote Ahmed in his statement. “With so much violence and turmoil running rampant across the world today, I believe that promoting knowledge and understanding is the key to finding peace.”
Ahmed is a well-established writer, both of prose, poetry, and plays. Most recently, his play “Noor” made a welcome return to Washington, DC, playing a limited run late last summer at the American University. The play has been lauded for its examination of the Muslim world and the challenges it faces moving forward into an increasingly modern global society.
The Thistle and the Drone was published in 2013, and has also received strong reviews. Several critics, including Marilyn Strathem D.B.E. (former William Wyse Professor of Social Anthropology, University of Cambridge) and Col. Lawrence Wilkerson (former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell and current professor of government and public policy at the College of William & Mary) have praised the book for being moving and powerful.
The need for knowledge is especially relevant to Pakistan, the current state of which distresses me,” Ahmed wrote, before concluding his statement with the following: “Like the Quaid-e-Azam, I too am inspired by the saying of the Prophet of Islam, “The ink of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of the martyr.”