Books: Islam (Opposing Viewpoints)

I always appreciate books that present a range of viewpoints on controversial topics. Some books by a single author attempt to do this, but I always find myself wondering how fairly the author has presented views that he himself does not hold. Even if he intends to be fair, he is unlikely to be able to put forward an opposing view as effectively as his own.

I was happy, therefore, to discover a series of books called Opposing Viewpoints, published by Greenhaven Press. Each book is a short anthology of differing views on various aspects of a controversial issue, such as the death penalty, abortion, and animal rights. I doubt I’ll read the one on sports in America, but I’m very interested in learning more about the range of views on criminal justice, education, genetic engineering, health care (especially in light of current events), human sexuality, illegal immigration, mass media, and women in the military. (I’ll skip the one on vampires – though I’m curious now just what the controversy is about.)

It was the one on Islam that interested me first. I’ve read a couple books by Muslims, acknowledging the problems with radical Islamists but presenting a favorable view of Islam as a whole. And I’ve followed the many discussions over at worldmagblog where certain commenters regularly point out books, events, and verses from the Koran as evidence of the great danger the West faces from Islam. Having a variety of views presented side by side seemed like a great way to get a better perspective on the matter.

It’s quite a short book, only 150 pages including an introduction to each author/viewpoint, and a periodical bibliography for each chapter. It is divided into four sections:

• Are the Values of Islam and the West in Conflict?
• Does Islam Promote Terrorism and Violence?
• What Is the Status of Women Under Islam?
• How Will Islam’s Future Be Shaped?

One thing I noticed was that the viewpoints arguing that the values of Islam and the West are in conflict were all written from the perspective of the West. I suppose that Muslims who see their culture as opposed  – and superior  – to the West likely do not write their views in English. But it would have been interesting to read that perspective also.

Books: The Afghan

I’m not sure which of Frederick Forsyth’s books I read first, nor how many I have read (not nearly all of them). But when I saw a new one, The Afghan, on the audiobooks shelf at the library, I grabbed it. I just finished it today, and despite some shortcomings regarding the plot, it was thoroughly enjoyable to listen to.

Forsyth, like Tom Clancy, fills his novels with a wealth of technical details. I wondered, as I listened, and as I have wondered sometimes when reading (or listening to) Clancy novels, whether terrorists ever get ideas from them. (Wikipediastates that Forsyth did plan a novel that he later dropped, for fear terrorists might try the type of attack he described. After 9/11, he revealed his unused plot: “terrorists hijack a civilian airliner and ram the plane into their intended targets.”)

Some readers complain that there is too much technical detail, but I enjoy it. I also found the background history on Afghanistan fascinating, as Forsyth recounts the political and military developments there over the past three decades. He follows one (fictional) character in particular, showing how a man motivated primarily by love of family and country could become a fanatical member of the Taliban.

The big weakness of the plot is that it depends too much on coincidence to be believable, but Forsyth develops each aspect of the plot so thoroughly that I found myself easily drawn into the story. By exercising willing suspension of disbelief, I was able to imagine that such coincidences did in fact take place. After all, sometimes things do happen that are statistically highly improbable.

Reading: Wall Street Journal

I don’t seem to get much reading done these days, at least not the kind where I hold a book in my hands. I listen to audiobooks, both while riding my exercise bike and while driving. What am I reading more these days is online blogs and newspapers, which expose me to lots of information and ideas I probably would never pick up from books.

Today I found not just one but three interesting subjects in WSJ online, and as I didn’t feel like choosing among them for this post, I decided to include all three.

First I read yesterday’s column by Asra Nomani (a former WSJ reporter), lamenting the circumstances which have closed the door on publication of a historical novel set in Mohammed’s harem. Written from the point of view of Aisha, Mohammed’s young wife, the novel is racy but not – from indications given in the article – derogatory towards Mohammed. But one person was critical and spread word of the novel’s premise, and with the speed of email and blogs warnings of “a new attempt to slander the Prophet of Islam” spread like wildfire. Claiming concerns about safety and possible terrorist threats, the publisher of the book has postponed the book - indefinitely.

Reading: The Shia Revival

Like many Americans, I had heard of Sunni and Shia Muslims but until recently had little idea what difference there was between two. Imam Qazwini’s book American Crescent (see my March 13 post) presented some basic material, but The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future by Vali Nasr tells much more.

Unlike Qazwini, who treats differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims as fairly minor, Nasr depicts the sectarian conflict between the two as the root of much political and military activity within and among Muslim nations. To Americans who for nearly three decades have associated Islam with the glaring face of Ayatollah Khomeini, it may come as quite a surprise to find out that he was a Shia Muslim, which makes him a member of a sect that is considered heretical if not downright apostate by many Muslim fundamentalists.

Reading: American Crescent

I mentioned this book previously in my Feb. 26 post on Ashura in Karbala. Now that I have finished reading it, I am interesting in learning more about several topics that Imam Qazwini discusses – and some others that he does not address.

I found the latter part of the book – Qazwini’s experiences in America – somewhat less interesting that the history of his early life. The first several chapters told about growing up in Iraq, Kuwait, and Iran, including much about the people and culture of those lands, as well as their recent history and political climate. He also told much about the history and practices of Islam. All this was material I knew very little about, and his personal experiences and his passion for his faith made it a much better way to learn about Islamic faith and culture than reading an account by a non-Muslim outsider.

Ashura in Karbala

A few weeks ago I might have taken no notice of this headline: Shiite Pilgrims Crowd Karbala. Like many Americans, I knew there were Shiite Muslims and Sunni Muslims but not quite what the difference was. (I learned it long ago in a high school history class, but at the time it seemed hardly worth remembering once the test was over.) I certainly had no idea what or where Karbala was, or why pilgrims of any sort would be going there.

Then a book in the public library caught my eye. American Crescent: A Muslim cleric on the power of his faith, the struggle against prejudice, and the future of Islam and America is both the personal story of its author, Imam Hassan Qazwini, and an explanation of Islam and its history and traditions for Americans who know little about them. I had read about Islam in books on world religion, but not a description by a Muslim of his own faith.