136 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 21:4

in later Islamic tradition. The goal of Sufism was sainthood (walayah), and
anyone who attained it was a Sufi by default. In the classical literature, the
Sufis (al-mutasawwifah) are designated by such titles as the “folk of hearts”
(ahl al-qulub), the “folk of God” (ahl Allah), and the “knowers through
God” (`ulama’ bi-Allah). All of these designations are used, more or less
synonymously, to refer to individuals characterized by a high level of spir-
itual realization – the same quality associated with "saints" (awliya').
In this connection, Meri also errs in representing the views of some of
the early writers on sainthood. He says that according to Sarraj’s Kitab al-
Luma’, the Companions of the Prophet were not awliyŒ’ (pp. 66-67), which
is simply not true. One of the reasons Sarraj authored the Luma’ was to
argue for Sufism’s legitimacy, and it would have most certainly defeated his
purpose to make such a claim. Meri then writes: “Later writers and mystics
like al-Qushayri, al-Ghazali, and Ibn al-Arabi employ it [the term wali]
specifically in the context of Sufi saints,” which is also misleading if Sufi
is understood in Meri’s narrow sense. For all three of them, sainthood was
simply the culmination of the religious life and was most perfectly exem-
plified by the Prophet, the earliest generations, and any Muslim who
received a special kind of divine grace. As one gathers from Ibn al-`Arabi's
Ruh al-Quds, walaya’ could manifest itself among wandering ascetics,
legal scholars, and even official court judges.
These minor shortcomings aside, Meri’s scholarship is meticulous and
original. It will, hopefully, be a stepping-stone for a deeper appreciation of
the shared historical and religious legacy of Judaism and Islam.

Atif Khalil
Centre for the Study of Religion
University of Toronto
Toronto, Canada

Ethnicity and Nationalism

Thomas Hylland Eriksen
London: Pluto Press, 2002. 2d. ed., 199 pages.

Thomas Hylland Eriksen’s second edition of Ethnicity and Nationalism

comes over 10 years after the first. In light of a decade’s worth of histori-
cal and political changes, this new edition has been expanded to cover
transnationalism, hybridity, and globalization, and includes a new chapter
on multiculturalism, culture, and rights. The book, which is presented as a
 Book Reviews 137

core text for social anthropology students and a leading introduction to the
field, takes its theoretical standpoint from social anthropology but also
draws on studies from anthropology and sociology. Its main themes remain
the same as the first edition: reflexive identity and social change, identity
politics, social complexity, and group dynamics.
Chapter 1 explores the term ethnicity and its relationship to race,
nation, class, and culture, highlighting its ambiguity and social construction
in various contexts. Eriksen then identifies different kinds of ethnic rela-
tions (e.g., urban ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples, proto-nations, plural
societies, and post-slavery societies) to illustrate the variations within
groups. Chapter 2 looks at ethnic classifications and how group distinctions
arise through processes of social contact. Stereotyping, the melting pot
metaphor, and ethnic stigmas are some of the concepts Eriksen discusses to
illustrate commonalities and differences between categories of people.
In the following chapter, the author examines the social organization of
cultural distinctiveness by asking how ethnic groups develop, which ends
they serve, and how they are reproduced through time. Relying upon the
works of anthropologist Fredrik Barth, Eriksen discusses boundaries as
well as their maintenance and transcendence, all of which play a large role
in the development of an ethnic identity. He continues to look at ethnicity’s
potential for organizing group interests, particularly in the case of group
competition.
Moving from a behaviorist point of view to an examination of individ-
ual perspectives of ethnic identity, chapter 4 focuses on how attachment and
loyalty to ethnic groups are created and maintained through ideology.
Chapter 5 chronicles the sociohistorical development of ethnic groups and
identities. Here, the author focuses on four processes of change: slavery and
capitalism, labor migration, the significance of naming (classification) and
language, and the consequences of social change for identity formation and
group organization.
Chapter 6, entitled “Nationalism,” looks at various aspects of the
nation: cultural symbols, the impact of industrialism, and communications
technology, as well as nationalism against the state. The next two chapters
examine two types of minority situations: aboriginal or indigenous groups
and urban minorities. Chapter 7 elaborates on stages of indigenous ethno-
genesis and introduces the situation of urban minorities in Europe and the
United States. Chapter 8 presents anthropological and philosophical
debates on issues of cultural and ethnic pluralism, multiculturalism, and
individual rights and liberalism. Eriksen notes that “the simplifications of
138 The American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences 21:4

identity politics are countered by the complexities of experience” (p. 160).

The final chapter, “The Non-Ethnic,” deals with what he describes as “that
which is not ethnic” (p. 161), which includes current tensions in social the-
ory, the trend of globalization and localization, multiple identities and loy-
alties, and the saliency of gender on identity.
As a whole, this book is a comprehensive survey of the cultural, his-
torical, and political landscape of ethnicity and nationalism, one that uses
both classic and recent studies to make its points. The author does an excel-
lent job of drawing upon research and examples from many nations, includ-
ing Australia, Canada, France, India, Kenya, and Malaysia. In addition, he
utilizes examples from his own research in Mauritius and Trinidad. This
usage of global contexts to conceptualize ethnicity's multiple perspectives
helps the reader understand its relationships to culture, politics, history, and
the state itself. Eriksen also gives a well-balanced and thorough examina-
tion of the theories that underlie ethnic identity, nationalism, and identity
politics, at times providing useful figures to diagram concepts. In addition,
there are helpful annotated bibliographical references for further reading at
the end of each chapter.
While Eriksen’s writing is relatively clear and concise, as a text for stu-
dents the often ambiguous sub-headings within the chapters could be orga-
nizationally confusing. For example, he begins the first chapter asking
“What Is Ethnicity?” and then proceeds to explain “The Term Itself.” Five
sub-headings later, the section is entitled “What Is Ethnicity?” again.
Perhaps highlighted key concepts in each chapter would have produced a
smoother flow.
In addition, while the author does describe the social construction of
race and racism, the linkage between racism and the dynamics of power
and oppression in various forms could be more strongly made. The minori-
tization of groups (as juxtaposed to the “politically non-dominant” [p. 121]
minority groups) and the saliency of anti-racism and anti-colonial efforts
throughout history deserve a stronger emphasis in discourses on the politics
of identity.
As to contribution or relevance to Islamic thought, the book contains
scant references, mostly as examples and pertaining to Mauritian Muslims
in particular. In chapter 5, “Ethnicity and History,” the author relies heavily
on American anthropologist Jay O’Brien, arguing that the ethnic categoriza-
tion of some Muslim groups in Sudan’s Gezira area came about through
local characteristics and interaction, as well as the introduction of the capi-
talist system of production.
 Book Reviews 139

In chapter 8, “Identity Politics, Culture and Rights,” Eriksen illustrates

ethnic diversity within groups by citing examples of Muslim disagreements
(e.g., domestic matters as settled by Muslim law and wearing of head-
scarves in schools). Elsewhere in chapter 8, the mention of a Muslim iden-
tity is presented merely as an opposite of Hindu identity. Given that this
new edition was to have taken into account changing global dynamics and
identity politics, the omission of Islamic thought’s growing significance in
social/political analyses is disappointing.
Overall, Ethnicity and Nationalism gives readers a far-reaching view of
group identity, ethnicity, and the effects that culture, politics, and the nation
have on these identities. It effectively prompts the reader to probe further
into the important questions it raises about the shifting relationships of eth-
nic groups in our global society.

Kayleen U. Oka
Ph.D. Candidate, Departments of Sociology and Equity Studies
and Comparative, International, and Development Education
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education/University of Toronto
Toronto, Ontario, Canada