Amin Maalouf, a Lebanese-born French writer, argues that people have many belonging identities, not a single one, and that treating identity as a single essence leads to violence. He draws on his own experience as an Arab Christian raised in Lebanon and living in France to show how someone can be shaped by language, religion, nation and many other threads. Maalouf warns that fanatics narrow identity to one tribe, and calls for a model that welcomes multiple affiliations and the contributions of each culture.
It suits readers who want a short and thoughtful essay on identity, migration and conflict. It's still relevant to debates about nationalism and extremism.
Deep; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Deep Diver. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2001
- Publisher
- Livre De Poche
- ISBN
- 9782253150053
- Language
- FR
