Islam Today: A Short Introduction to the Muslim World

Rating:
Summary: Inadequate
Review: I do not wish to be harsh in this review. I finished this book knowing more about Islam and the Muslim world. But this book disappointed me in many ways. And I feel compelled to list them briefly.

I chose this book because I am unfamiliar with the subject. So most annoying is that the author dwells on the architecture of the Middle East to make many of his points. But there are no illustrations. Reading a lengthy description of an edifice I am unfamiliar with is boring and obscures the attempted point. And when one of these architectural passages is refereed to again to further a later point it adds to the confusion.

The author appears to avoid being as critical as he might be. He is apologetic. Leaving the impression that he is being unnecessarily restrained frustrated this reader.

I concede I may very well be prejudice. But the contrast between the Muslim world I think I know from current events and the Muslim world the author posits seems irreconcilable. We are told that a society created by observant Muslims should be a tolerant one; One that is just; One open to new ideas. That an observant Muslim cannot be anti-Semitic because both groups are �people of the book�. I found this unintelligible, as if the author was ignoring reality.

His suggestions for subduing the present antagonism between Muslim Christian and Jew struck me as ludicrous and coming from an acknowledged expert, unintentionally emphasizes the hopelessness of achieving understanding between these groups. I will cite only one of these bromides. That Islam should be explained to American children in our schools. As I read this I recall thinking �Yeah, that�ll happen in schools rightly sensitive to even a whiff of proselytizing�.

I look forward to - What Went Wrong: Western Impact and Middle Eastern Response - by Bernard Lewis, and hope to come to that book a more intelligent reader because of my experience of this one. That was my purpose in choosing this book after seeing Akbar Ahmed and Lewis on a panel discussing the Middle East on the marvelous weekend programming on Cspan; Book TV.

Rating:
Summary: Dispelled Misunderstanding
Review: I gave this book 5 stars more for what it did for me rather than simply literary analysis. This book became the begining of my conversion to Islam. After reading this book it allowed me to open myself to look at Islam much more seriously than I had before. On a literary basis, the author is not as objective as I believe he tries to come accross. He is clearly pro-islam and consequently some of his arguments/observations sound contrived.

Rating:
Summary: Inadequate
Review: I just finished this book. I was expecting something more objective. The author works hard to excuse things that are inexcusable. For example his defense of the fatwa against Rushidie was disturbing. Nowhere does he suggest that such a thing is barbaric. He simply says that we don't understand how much such books bother Muslims. That isn't the point. Killing someone for exercising free speech is a violation of universal human rights. Also he overlooks the current violent persecutions of Christian minorities in nations ruled by Muslim majorities. The Copts in Egypt would not say they are treated fairly and equally. And in Saudi Arabia there is no religious freedom at all. Even when he waxes poetic about Muslim Spain he doesn't seem to understand that the Spanish didn't necessarily enjoy being ruled by foreigners. The ones he lauds are the least Islamic, so what does that say? Why is Islamic colonialism acceptable, but Western colonialism is not? Would Islam have treated the Aztecs better then the Spanish did? I doubt it. They had no problem doing to the St. Sofia's in Constantinople what the Spanish did in the new world. Would he sympathize with Greeks who mourn the loss of their Empire to the sword of Islam? He doesn't seem too. These are just a few places where he neglects to challenge the Muslim side. This leads to the book presenting a one-sided picture that fails in what it says it tries to do. That doesn't help increase mutual understanding. Instead it shows that even a well-educated Muslim who teaches at Cambridge still doesn't understand us. That is quite sobering.

Rating:
Summary: A challenge to stereotypes and sensationalism
Review: I met Professor Ahmed in a convention where he was showing the documentary on Jinnah (the book and movie are highly recommended) His arguments in Islam Today deal with complex issues that have been shown in a false picture in the west. All the stereotypes that the Western countries and media have propogated are demolished my Prof. Akbar's concise explanation and reasoning. He is one Muslim thinker that must be read by all people in the world and Islam Today should be read by anyone who has every tried to understand what true Islam really is. A must buy!

Rating:
Summary: Muslim community in context
Review: I run QED, a UK non-profit making company, which addresses barriers facing South Asian communities in playing full role in Britains economic, social and political life. One of the major barrier is the negative perception of Muslim community amongst non-muslims. I feel this book addresses this issue in a positive way. I would recommend those who have negative views about Muslims to read this book. It will help them to understand the Muslim community and develop meaningful dialogue with it.

Rating:
Summary: good book with excellent style
Review: Islam Today is probably one of the best introductory texts for Islamic society. Much time is devoted to the subject of dispelling myths that the west has either intentionally or unintentionally picked up throughout Islam's history. The author does seem to be a bit overapologetic about how Islam is viewed by non-Muslims, which can, at times, be a bit annoying.

It must be noted that this is not a book about Islam as a religion. The primary focus of the author is on the culture and society of Islam and how Islam shows its practical side. The author goes a great distance to show the West (i.e. USA)how it can be more tolerant of Islam and how it can relate to and even celebrate the Muslims living in the west.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a non-Muslim, a Muslim who has grown up in the west, or anyone curious about contemporary Islamic issues.

Rating:
Summary: A Perfect Guide to Islam for the Interested Reader
Review: The Western Media is so disparaging to Islam and Muslims, sometimes overtly but usually covertly, that truthful and authoritative writings such as Dr. Ahmed's are very important to publish and circulate.

Here's hoping that the 21st century will bring much understanding and fraternal dialogue among Muslims, Christians, and all the other precious faiths and traditions of this world.

As is written in the Quran: "We have divided you into different tribes so that you may know each other" ... there is so much that is interesting to learn and appreciate about all the different traditions practice today. Try this book to learn about Islam and Muslims. This is a must-read for Muslims themselves especially.

Rating:
Summary: Not as tightly written as his earlier book
Review: This book is not of the same quality as his earlier book "Postmodernism and Islam". I felt let down, but maybe the contents match the title "a SHORT INTRODUCTION to the Muslim World" i.e. he sacrifices breadth for depth. Having read the earlier book I get the impression that Ahmed spent just a few weekends typing this one up. Why? Because, to name a few, (1) the structure of thoughts is not clear - you don't get a clean idea of what path he plans to take through the book; (2) there are so many spelling mistakes that could have been avoided by running the manuscript through a spell checker; (3) there aren't references for many of the very grand and important things he says; (4) he picks Iran, Turkey and Pakistan as Muslim countries to write about the past but does not spend much time on those countries with the largest Muslim populations e.g. India, Indonesia, Bangladesh etc.

Rating:
Summary: Taqiyya at its finest
Review: This is a beautiful example of the Islamic concept of lying to propagate one's faith. Ahmed tells many pretty stories, most of them untrue, and can come up with excuses for nearly anything. It's not really oppression: Muslim women want to stay confined in their homes at all times. It's not murder: Salman Rushdie hurt our feelings. It's not blatant discrimination: dhimmis want to be treated like dirt. Do not waste a minute on this book. Go read Ask the Imam or Islam Q&A if you want to know what this religion is really about.