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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2005
A classical liberal education teaches that one must be able to analyze a subject, study it from all angles, differentiate between facts, documentable truth, opinion, and fable, and rationally reach a justifiable conclusion. A classical liberal mind dictates to itself that the maxims it learned are to be applied in the real world, and to completely deny a documentably accurate description of events is the ultimate fraud.
Robert Spencer has put together an overview of how Islam has been understood and used by many of it's adherents in a manner that is highly detrimental, nay, deadly to those who did not agree with it. A strength are the quotations from source documents and people, and the references to other material for those who want to investigate in depth. Having read most of the reference material, this is a review for me, but it is a concise, fairly complete, and completely reliable review of many basic and irrefutable facts, quotes, documents, and historical findings. For those who are just approaching this subject, this is a magnificent first book.
I believe Mr. spencer is trying to achieve two very difficult learning experiences with this book. One is that there is much in Islam that that needs to be either deleted or reformed in a manner such that it cannot be reconstituted. Historically, every attempt at reformation, whether in Andalusia or Baghdad during the so-called and false "Golden Ages", i.e. every time moderate forward thinking Muslims speak out and make any progress, the radicals squash them and Jihad and Dhimmitude rule again with quotations from the basic precepts of the Holy Qur'an and the Hadiths and Traditions as their justification.
Second is that everyone should be able to openly and honestly discuss the Holy Qur'an and the Hadiths and the Traditions and the historical reality without being called racists and bigots. Islam, with all of its good, bad, and ugly needs to be examined in detail in the great marketplace of ideas. To present only the Islamic apologists side results in a very distorted and mostly false picture that is a denial of documentable reality. To argue based primarily on emotions, as the apologists do, is degrading. To argue that only Muslims can understand and interpret Islam is patently false and completely demeaning to all non-Muslims and any one with any intellectual honesty.
In order to ensure that everyone has enough knowledge to participate in the great discussion in the marketplace of ideas, this book presents an excellent knowledge base, and should be read by every non-Muslim, so they can understand the unbelievable struggle the moderates within Islam are going to have to wage if Islam is not going to continuously revert to the radicals views. It should be read by every Muslim so that even they can understand their religion and history as it relates to others and the radicals, as they are not taught this in their Mosques or Maddrasses, and thusly the moderates can truly know that they face a monumental, but necessary, task.
Sir Winston Churchill is quoted in this book. He foresaw the evil of the Nazis almost before anyone else; he forsaw the Iron Curtain and the evil of communist Russia almost before anyone else; he speaks about some aspects of Islam that must be reformed or Islam will always be a religion and lifestyle promoting and realizing the subjugation of women and non-Muslims. Churchill was the voice in the wilderness that was recognized to be perfectly correct just before it was too late with the Nazis and the Communists. Hopefully this book by robert Spencer will serve the purpose, since Sir Winston is no longer with us; just his prophetic words.
If moderate Muslims cannot win this necessary battle, then they must be willing to ally themselves with non-Muslims.
Hopefully this book will provide the vital mustard seed of reality that the Islamic apologists need in order to reenter the world of reason and factual documentation so that they can join the battle on the side of reason and rationality, and not the side of the jihadists.
This book admirably suits the purpose as described above. It should be required reading in every high school, college, board room, governmental office, living room, church, mosque, temple, and every house of worship of every religion. The learning is not just about religion, but the way of life (Shari'a) that comes with Islam.
Robert Spencer has put together an overview of how Islam has been understood and used by many of it's adherents in a manner that is highly detrimental, nay, deadly to those who did not agree with it. A strength are the quotations from source documents and people, and the references to other material for those who want to investigate in depth. Having read most of the reference material, this is a review for me, but it is a concise, fairly complete, and completely reliable review of many basic and irrefutable facts, quotes, documents, and historical findings. For those who are just approaching this subject, this is a magnificent first book.
I believe Mr. spencer is trying to achieve two very difficult learning experiences with this book. One is that there is much in Islam that that needs to be either deleted or reformed in a manner such that it cannot be reconstituted. Historically, every attempt at reformation, whether in Andalusia or Baghdad during the so-called and false "Golden Ages", i.e. every time moderate forward thinking Muslims speak out and make any progress, the radicals squash them and Jihad and Dhimmitude rule again with quotations from the basic precepts of the Holy Qur'an and the Hadiths and Traditions as their justification.
Second is that everyone should be able to openly and honestly discuss the Holy Qur'an and the Hadiths and the Traditions and the historical reality without being called racists and bigots. Islam, with all of its good, bad, and ugly needs to be examined in detail in the great marketplace of ideas. To present only the Islamic apologists side results in a very distorted and mostly false picture that is a denial of documentable reality. To argue based primarily on emotions, as the apologists do, is degrading. To argue that only Muslims can understand and interpret Islam is patently false and completely demeaning to all non-Muslims and any one with any intellectual honesty.
In order to ensure that everyone has enough knowledge to participate in the great discussion in the marketplace of ideas, this book presents an excellent knowledge base, and should be read by every non-Muslim, so they can understand the unbelievable struggle the moderates within Islam are going to have to wage if Islam is not going to continuously revert to the radicals views. It should be read by every Muslim so that even they can understand their religion and history as it relates to others and the radicals, as they are not taught this in their Mosques or Maddrasses, and thusly the moderates can truly know that they face a monumental, but necessary, task.
Sir Winston Churchill is quoted in this book. He foresaw the evil of the Nazis almost before anyone else; he forsaw the Iron Curtain and the evil of communist Russia almost before anyone else; he speaks about some aspects of Islam that must be reformed or Islam will always be a religion and lifestyle promoting and realizing the subjugation of women and non-Muslims. Churchill was the voice in the wilderness that was recognized to be perfectly correct just before it was too late with the Nazis and the Communists. Hopefully this book by robert Spencer will serve the purpose, since Sir Winston is no longer with us; just his prophetic words.
If moderate Muslims cannot win this necessary battle, then they must be willing to ally themselves with non-Muslims.
Hopefully this book will provide the vital mustard seed of reality that the Islamic apologists need in order to reenter the world of reason and factual documentation so that they can join the battle on the side of reason and rationality, and not the side of the jihadists.
This book admirably suits the purpose as described above. It should be required reading in every high school, college, board room, governmental office, living room, church, mosque, temple, and every house of worship of every religion. The learning is not just about religion, but the way of life (Shari'a) that comes with Islam.
