Islam without Fear : Egypt and the New Islamists

Rating:
Summary: If this is moderation, who needs extremism?
Review: Moderation in all things, except, Allah forbid, moderation!

Oh, there are plenty of nice ideas in this book. One of them is that it's not a bad idea for a society to permit Women to have educations. My grandmother, born a Muslim, went to school, but only for one day. Now we hear one Islamic thinker, Tusuf al Qaradawy, who boasts about his four daughters. The eldest has a Ph.D. in nuclear physics. The next one has a Ph.D. in chemistry. The third is studying for a Ph.D. in engineering, while the fourth is going to study for one in genetics. His three sons are successful as well. Good for them!

I think it is a terrific idea to study the real world. Such studies often highlight the fact that truth is an inherent value. And that is likely to help people be more prosperous and happier. I think it only makes sense to allow everyone to contribute to one's society. And I think it makes sense to get along with one's neighbors, so that everyone can be better off.

Islamic reform sounds like a useful idea.

Still, there is one small thing that makes me wary of this "Islam without fear." Namely, I ask myself what would happen were everyone to act the way this book suggests in international affairs. If that were to happen, we'd all kill ourselves off in wars. Once at war, those Women in nuclear physics would build some bombs, the chemists would design new poisons, the engineers would figure out how to deliver them, and the geneticists would design some biological weapons.

If you don't believe me, just see how the New Islamists want to deal with their Israeli neighbors. There isn't the slightest thought of "live and let live." Nor is there any idea of coming up with something which gives equal rights to everyone. Nope, it's just pure greed. The attitude is simple. We're important. They aren't. We deserve more. But that always leads to strife in the long run.

If this is going to be a political deal with the extremists, it will not work. Think about it. It is not a good idea to say, "We'll help you attack the United States and Israel if you'll let our Women go to school."

Making an alliance with an extremist position has huge drawbacks. Consider the German Pagans. For centuries, they had no rights at all: they could be killed on sight. Finally, in the 1930s, they were tolerated for the first time in over a thousand years. And what happened? In 1945, Germany lost the war. And the Pagans were discredited.

As far as I am concerned, Germany in 1940 was anything but moderate. And I think the New Islamists could well fall into the same trap.

Rating:
Summary: Enlightening way with words
Review: This was a wonderful journey into what might be of Islam. With all the turbulent noise surrounding it, The author sheds light on its core.He uses existing examples of moderate movments within the Egyptian society which gives it a realistic, hands-on feel. A great read for anyone who wants to know what is going on when it comes to hope within the Islamic world and how this framework of the new Islamists might be the answer.
Superb refernces and quotes used throughout...