In the Name of Identity: Violence and the Need to Belong

by Amin Maalouf

“Makes for compelling reading in America today.”—New York Times Book Review. “I want to try and understand why so many people commit crimes in the name of identity,” writes Amin Maalouf. Identity is the crucible out of which we our background, our race, our gender, our tribal affiliations, our religion (or lack thereof), all go into making up who we are. All too often, however, the notion of identity—personal, religious, ethnic, or national—has given rise to heated passions and even massive crimes. Moving across the world’s history, faiths, and politics, he argues against an oversimplified and hostile interpretation of the concept. He cogently and persuasively examines identity in the context of the modern world, where it can be viewed as both glory and poison. Evident here are the dangers of using identity as a protective—and therefore aggressive—mechanism, the root of racial, geographical, and colonialist subjugation throughout history. Maalouf contends that many of us would reject our inherited conceptions of identity, to which we cling through habit, if only we examined them more closely. The future of society depends on accepting all identities, while recognizing our individualism.

176 pages, Spiral-bound

Published October 9, 2025

About the author

Amin Maalouf (Arabic: أمين معلوف; alternate spelling Amin Maluf) is a Lebanese journalist and novelist. He writes and publishes primarily in French.

Most of Maalouf's books have a historical setting, and like Umberto Eco, Orhan Pamuk, and Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Maalouf mixes fascinating historical facts with fantasy and philosophical ideas. In an interview Maalouf has said that his role as a writer is to create "positive myths". Maalouf's works, written with the skill of a master storyteller, offer a sensitive view of the values and attitudes of different cultures in the Middle East, Africa and Mediterranean world.

Reviews

[Charlotte blijft graag anoniem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ik las dit boek zo’n 15 jaar geleden. Het is me altijd bijgebleven. Amin Maalouf is een briljante schrijver die in ieder boek uitnodigt tot nieuwe perspectieven en je nieuwe werelden laat ontdekken. In the name of Identity is een meer filosofisch boek over de binnenwereld van migranten en hoe de interactie met de nieuwe wereld van de migrant daar invloed op heeft. Maalouf schetst hoe belangrijk het is om ergens bij te horen en hoe dit mensen zelfs tot geweld kan bewegen.