Irshad Manji

This book has some new information and collates a lot of information from previous authors on the perils of radical Islam. She takes the position that, shorn of previous military glory and overall accomplishments they have retreated to their desert roots. She calls it "foundamentalism," a play on "fundamentalism." The reason I give it three rather than four stars is she places too much hope and emphasis on "ijtihad," which she defines as a previous era of Islamic openness.

Still the book is well work reading.… (more)

A thought-provoking read that has made me keen to learn more. I found the six chapters of this book excellent. As an atheist who knows little about Islam, I found much to learn from the book, and much that I wanted to learn. I suspect it may be an unintended consequence of this book that I feel I can understand, better than I could before, some actions taken in the name of Islam. I can also see where the author is coming from on her call for reform; the concept of, and the author's questioning of, 'foundamentalism' is very relevant, and needs to be considered by, at the very least, every Western Muslim.
Where the books loses points, for me, is that the author fails to acknowledge that some of the problems she highlights in relation to Islam, could equally apply to Catholicism or other religions; nor does she recognise that the roots of any religion lie in the desire to control, and will always reflect the traditions and mores of the area and time in which it originated.… (more)