Rating: 
Summary: Please be peaceful in the name of God.
Review: First of all, I would like to say to all the Muslims that are getting angry about this book: Please go read the book first. That way, if you DO have criticisms, they are actually valid and not based solely on ur bias and anger.
Next, I would like to say to all of those that are arguing that Islam is not a religion of peace, how does arguing show that your religion is any more peaceful?
I read the book, and a major problem that I saw is that Robert Spencer does not diffrentiate between what is going on in Muslim countries and what Islam teaches. People do not understand that these are two different things. There is corruption in every religion and there is fundamentalism in EVERY religion because of course, people over interpret or do stupid things. But it is not right to say that the religion does not bring peace. Clearly, there IS a reason that it is the fastest growing religion in the world. I plan to write a book very soon with all the correct answers to Mr.Spencer's "disturbing questions", ones that he did not twist from the Quran. I think that people only talk bad about things they consider a threat. Please do not get angry that people have found a way to find peace in themselves. I think there is no reason for the religions to fight against each other: We all share love for God. That should be strong enough to unite us. Please do no pertrude upon other religions because you think you know about them, because you do not until you actually read with an open mind. All muslims that write on this site, please maintain ur dignity and show that Muslims really are peaceful. Expect my book before 2006.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Fair
Review: If one wants to find out a religion, go to the source. Don't believe what others spoon feed you. If you have questions, read the koran, or ask an ismlamic scholar. I'm not going to ask my barber to examine my x-ray cause i don't trust my doctor am I? You get a second opinion from a doctor. And if islam is so horrible, why is it outgrowing christianity at a 10:1 ratio, even with all these evil books written bashing it? Answer me that question.
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Summary: I. G. AlTheeb
Review: If you want to learn more about Islam.
Read the Quran to understad everything from the real source.
Rating: 
Summary: Joey's Islam in Jail for the Greater Good
Review: Islam is being defended by Joey who suggests that reading the Quran gives the greatest insights. Well, that ain't so Joey.
And precisely that's exactly what Robert Spencer has done. Your
defense of Islam (which is a barbaric religion) is hilarious.
It does sound like the typical apologist's babble.
Islam, contrary to what you assert, has always been anti-development and anti-science. And when Spencer is skeptical of
the Quran and the life of Mohammed, you (like most unthinking
Muslims) attempt to negate Spencer's views, by using the Quran
as a basis for your argument.
Surely, you need to grow up to post any meaningful reviews on this forum.
Rating:
Summary: Required reading for any American that wants to live
Review: Islam Unveiled is required reading for any American that wants to live and does not want to be a victim of Islamic terror.The author writes, in detail, in a marvelously researched manner. The mistake that many people make is that Islam is only anti-Israel. For from it. Islam is anti-American, anti-Christian, anti-Protestant, anti-Catholic, and anti-Buddhist, anti just about everything. Even if there was no Israel, or the US was not an ally of Israel, radical Islam would still despise the USA. When Islam despises you, your live is in danger. This is a horrifying book. What is most horrifying is that it is non-fiction.
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Summary: This is a hard to put down Must Read on Islam
Review: Like many after the 9-11 slaughter I wanted to rectify my considerable ignorance of Islam and try to undertand what I thought at the time must be a crazy extremist interpretation of a "religion of peace". I bought Spencer's book after I heard this clearly intelligent author talk about it on, I think, Book TV. I found this informative book hard to put down, and I think it will convince most if not all reflective persons not already brought up in this religion that ordinary Islam - not some radical offshoot but just plain straightforward Islam according to the Qur'an's clear texts and the example and teachings of Mohammad - is about the scariest phenomenon on the planet since the plagues. Spencer covers a lot of topics and does a good job of being thorough enough without burdening you with a large, verbose book (a great sin of too many egotistical authors). He presents his case with many historical examples and quotes not only from the Qur'an but also from many Islamic authorities and historically important personages.
He knows that negative examples brought out in criticism of the Qur'an are often met with specious retorts to the effect that similar criticism can be made against the Bible which is never the less revered, so Spencer shows that really there is no comparison between the two books. The Bible is clearly full of stories and histories written over different historical periods by different personalities with different temperaments and it is often not clear that certain questionable behaviors are actually being recommended and there is much room for interpretations and debates on what is the divine intent. The Qur'an, on the other hand has only one author and it proclaims itself, and is revered as, direct dictation from Allah. This is Allah speaking period. And this is a real problem, Spencer points out, because its many terrorizing admonitions and calls to violence, intolerance and oppression (including acceptance of slavery) are too clear to be a matter of debate and interpretation. There is thus really no way to soften or humanize this religion and faithfully keep to the disquieting but clear texts. Islam, as argued by Spencer, is simply a brutally intolerant and warlike religion that can't be reformed into anything else convincingly. This is not to say, as Spencer points out, that there are not a great many peaceful and good people who call themselves Muslims or that the culture has not produce many admirable and beautiful things. But the Qur'an speaks for itself and its religion clearly enough and an infidel (deserving only of hellfire according to the Qur'an) can only worry.
Of course, one must have a good translation of the Qur'an nearby to check the quotes (I have several) and I would recommend any one of the three used by the Islamic Monitor (http://www.geocities.com/islamic_monitor/ ), which provides the three translations of selected texts side by side in making their points about Islam. If you are trying to learn about Islam and determine for yourself whether or not Islam is really a "religion of peace" compatible with a tolerant & free democracy, I would suggest, in addition to reading Islam Unveiled and consulting the above link, that you also hear what ex-Muslims have to say about Islam at http://www.faithfreedom.org/ , especially if you don't have time for pouring over the entire Qur'an. This site, like the one above, points out the important relevant passages in the Qur'an that will answer your questions (see for instance the citations at http://www.faithfreedom.org/faq.htm ,Questions # 7 and # 21).
Finally, the hardcover book is physically attractive with its quality paper and thread binding (would that all hardcover books were so well made). My only complaint is that the publisher insists on the incredibility stupid convention of presenting the endnotes by chapter number and repeating the numerals, thus making looking them up a pain. If a book has 895 endnotes then they should be numbered simply and logically 1 to 895, making any one of them easy to find. In keeping with the spirit of Islam, such publishers who don't do this should be given 100 lashes.
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Summary: Islam Unveiled: Disturbing Questions About the World's Faste
Review: Spencer (board member, Christian-Islamic Forum) has published articles on Islam in magazines such as National Review and Crisis. This book, which reflects much research, is a response to any who would see Islam today as "entirely benign and enlightened." The author concludes that "whether or not Islam ever becomes dominant in Western Europe or elsewhere in the former lands of Christendom, the wars will not end." He believes that militant Islam will not disappear with the death of figures such as bin Laden. Reflecting a detailed study of the Holy Book of Islam, the Sharia (law), Islamic history, current events, and the teachings of historic and present Muslim leaders, this work seeks to show why this is so. All readers will find it challenging, if not disturbing, as it provides insight into a rigid, fundamentalist "Islamist" view of the world--a view that many Muslims, especially in Southeast Asia and the West, might also seriously challenge. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. General readers; upper-division undergraduates.
Rating: 
Summary: Good questions; preliminary answers.
Review: Spencer asks some good questions here, and has read widely enough, and is bold and honest enough, to come up with fairly reasonable answers. I've read many books on Islam, and found this one pretty good; I learned a fair amount from it.
If the key to thinking clearly is to figure out what questions to ask, Spencer gets us off to a good start, because he asks excellent questions. The titles of his chapters summarize the ground he covers: "Is Islam a religion of peace?" "Does Islam respect human rights?" "Does Islam respect women?" "Is Islam compatible with liberal democracy?" "Can Islam be secularized and made compatible with the Western pluralistic
framework?" "Can science and culture flourish under Islam?" "The crusades: Christian and Muslim." "Is Islam Tolerant of Non-Muslims?" and finally, "Does the West really have nothing to fear from Islam?"
The answers Spencer gives to all these questions, if I had to chose a single word, would be "No." But he is fairly nuanced about it, and admits repeatedly that Islamic history sometimes offers better examples, and that many Muslims are shooting for something better.
One weakness of Spencer's approach is that he seems to rely mostly on second-hand research, rather than deep personal familiarity with the culture of Islam. Fortunately, he has read a lot on both sides, (including some of my favorite
"subversive" writers, like Bat Y'eor and Paul Fregosi), and is generally well-informed.
Only, and here's a second major weakness, Spenser almost invariably compares Islam to Christianity. I am a Christian myself, but since Islam has had long interaction with Hinduism, Judaism, animism, and now communism, in other words the "borders of Islam are bloody" (as Huntington put it) on other fronts as well, I wish he'd varied his examples a bit.
A final weakness of this book is that the interaction between Islam and Christianity is so complex, and there are so many villains on both sides, (also some heros) that Spenser's argument for real religious difference between Islam and the West seems to weaken from attrition. He explains that the teachings and personalities of Jesus and Mohammed are radically different (which they are, and it is nice to see someone be honest about the crimes of the latter). Yet Spenser concedes (in effect) that Christians have often acted more like Mohameed than like Jesus. This begs for a bit of social theory to complement the history and theology. Could we not explain the problems in modern Islam in terms of civilizational stress (like Bernard Lewis), demographics (like Samuel Huntington) or "scape-goating" (following Rene Girard), as easily as by the religious differences between the two systems? Didn't the Japanese, Chinese, and West act very much the same way when subjected to similar social pressures?
Actually, I think Spenser could have considered these rival theories and borrowed what is useful and true in each of them, and still take the real differences between Islam and Christianity into account. He might have used Vishal Mangalwadi's arguments and others on the social influence of Biblical thinking. Girard's idea of scapegoating could have been helpful here, too, explaining Mohammed, and those who justify him, and the scapegoating of Israel, pretty well. I do think, ultimately, that the Muslim world is to a large extent controlled by Koranic orthodoxy. It also seems to me that the West itself was also heavily influenced by Islamic jihad ideas during the Middle Ages. Spenser needs more theory to unify the facts, rather than just saying, "Here these Muslims did this, and there they did that."
Spencer seems an honest man, and wrestles with the Koran and Bible what I would call a fair manner, dealing with verses that contradict his theory as well as those that support it. It is refreshing to see anyone eschew relativism, and take the differences in religions seriously. While his analysis could be improved, Islam Unveiled is a good place to go for the right questions, and to begin finding some reasonable answers. author, Jesus and the Religions of Man
Rating:
Summary: Disturbingly wrong perception of Islam
Review: The author believes what he wants to believe and uses references that serves his purpose. He has a certain view of Islam and for that reason he cannot achieve to be neutral. However, if one sincerely wishes to know what real Islam is all about, there is obviously one source to look at: QURAN. Not what people say, not what people do in the name of Islam, but only Quran. If there are acts, expressions done and said by people that are in contradiction with Quran, then it means they are wrong according to the Quran. In other words, extremely wrong, brutal acts and words of some people, even if they are majority, cannot be considered Islamic and Islam cannot be judged based on that. It wouldn't be fair. You cannot judge a teacher by looking at his student's acts and say that the teacher must be really bad and he must have thought such bad things to him. That could be true, but to find out that, you should first talk to the teacher, and see what he really says and teaches.
Why doesn't anybody do the same thing when it is Islam in question? The world 'Islam' means peace, Allah calls people to peace. Quran summons people to peace and love and says if you kill one innocent person you will be considered to have murdered the entire humanity and if you help survive one person you will be considered to have helped the entire humanity. (Think about the situation of those according to Quran that kill thousands of innocent people in the name of Islam). And jihad means the struggle to be a better person. The other war (Jihad) is unwanted and undesired and is the last resort and Muslims shall be fair even to their enemies. Quran praise those Muslims who give their foods to prisoners of wars when Muslims themselves are hungry, and when those prisoners killed their brothers a few minutes ago. Islam orders peace, compassion and tells Muslims to treat well to everyone, commands them never to force anyone to believe. It orders rich people to help poor.
Except for the last two centuries, Islam has always been the greatest civilization of the world, in science, in art, since its beginning. Muslim scholars' works led the way to Renaissance in Europe. Their works on medicine, mathematics, geography were used as textbooks in universities across Europe for a long time. They were the highest civilization because they adhered to Quran, because Quran praises peace, modernity, art, highest moral values.
Although crusaders slaughtered numberless innocent Muslims and Jews (this is not to say Christianism is bad, because Bible tells Christians to love their enemies, it is because those people were wrong) Muslim commanders never responded the same way, forgave those commanders that killed innocent women and children and never did any harm to anybody. Ottoman Empire accepted Jews fleeing from slaughter in Spain and provided a safe haven for people of various religions and nationalities for 600 years, because they ruled according to Quran. Jerusalem, which is now the place of tears, used to be a place where Jews, Christians and Muslims lived peacefully together under Ottoman rule.
These are facts and can be verified by looking at very basic text books.
ALL INTELLECTUAL PEOPLE OF THE WORLD, I REQUEST ONE THING FROM YOU: DON'T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF JUDGING ISLAM BY LOOKING AT THE ACTS OR WORDS OF SOME PEOPLE. TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT SAYS BY LOOKING AT ITS SOURCE: THE HOLY QURAN
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Summary: The undemocratic democracy of Robert Spencer
Review: The book strats on wrong premises. The book presumes democracy as the supreme order for humans to follow. It also presumes that democracy is secular, and that democracy is pluralistic. Based on this presumption the author condimns Islam as untolerant and unfitting which is true perhaps at 20/100.
The problems is: I would not like demomcracy if it is not pluralistic, and has no agenda of its own such as the enforcement of its own sets of ideas and social engineering in a plural society.
What the author show is that democracy in fact has its own agenda and sets of belief which every other belief and religion should follow; otherwise, such disobeiying religion would be unfit and if its followers went to self-determination which is supported by the same religion then it would be millitant and fanatic.
The big question that is left unanswered is that in democracy, as a pluralistic system, you need not ask other people and faiths to conform to an institutionalised faith and belief. The moment you do so you make democracy as unplural and uncivil as the religion you portray to be guilty of.
I would recomend it for those who want repression in the name of democracy.
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