Lenka S. reviewed on 11/9/2009 + 829 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 3

Before I saw this book title (I can't remember where I first ran across it), if asked, I would have said that Islam was a peaceful religion, that, like many other religions in history, has been hijacked by evil-doers. But when I saw this book, I wondered. Could he be right? I decided to read it, and give the author a chance to make his point.

I am acquainted with some American Muslims who would argue against this, but I wonder if they aren't plagued by their own bias. After all, who wants to think badly of their own religion and/or ethnic ancestors? I was shocked to learn that many non-Arab Muslims have not actually read (don't understand) their own holy book, that they merely recite passages from it in the original Arabic.

This book seems very well researched. The author appears to be conscious of the likelihood of an anti-Muslim bias, and I believe it inspired him to study his subject harder. He gives many suggestions for further reading. He explores the current media line on Islam, the history of Islamic/Judeo-Chrisian relations, makes conclusions, and provides his evidence at every step. And in a feature I loved, he presents ideas for defeating the enemy.

Another person that picked up my copy commented that it was very repetitive - the author says some of the same things over and over. I agree this is true, however he has a purpose. In his discussion of an individual point he presents the evidence that backs it up. Some evidence applies to multiple points. I did not find any repitition to pointless, only mildly tedious on occasion. Additionally, the prose is highly readable.

One thing I found somewhat annoying in this book is that the author uses a comparison of Islam and Christianity as part of his framework. I myself am of Christian ancestry, but was not raised in any particular faith. I have spiritual beliefs, but they do not match closely enough with any specific religion for me to join one. My annoyance was b/c I felt he was assuming his readership to be Christian. However, if his intended audience is the American public, that is not statistically unreasonable.

Although I would rather that the author's hypothesis were not true, at this time, I believe the author has made his point. I now intend to investigate the issue further, and am very grateful to have had this possible truth brought to my attention. I have already acquired some additional reading, on both "sides" of this issue, in addition to a translation of the Quran.

I would recommend this book to everyone as a starting point for exploring this potentially (if he's right) vital issue.

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