Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Organized religion has a tendency to invite disaster due to the inherent flaws of the human condition that predicate judgment, mistrust, hatred, and disdain for those who adhere to a faith and dogma different from our own. In particular, the monotheistic Semitic religions over the course of history have proven to be the most rigid and intolerant of other faiths; this 'my way or the highway' approach has resulted in warfare, conquests, and carnage that--unfortunately--carries through to today. In the post-9/11 world, Islam has occupied center stage of our global lexicon. In the name of this religion, international networks of terrorism have been spawned to attack, kill, and terrify. And Islam, like any other faith, has its problems--the totalitarian intolerance of dissent being one of its ugliest thorns. Under such a foreboding environment, Canadian TV journalist Irshad Manji dares to speak out via an open letter to all Muslims in her compelling and riveting book, THE TROUBLE WITH ISLAM. Granted, the author openly admits she is grappling with her faith; one day, she laments, she may leave Islam for good. Yet Manji has the courage and fortitude to shed light on the myriad of problems inflicting her faith: the oppression of women in the Arab and Muslim world; the unwavering intolerance of other religions in Arab and Muslim nations; the rampant anti-Semitism festering and infecting mosques around the world. The author presents a convincing case that Islam has been captured by zealots who espouse a malignant, narrow interpretation of the Koran: an interpretation that portrays Islam as an antiquated relic looking backward--instead of a peaceful vehicle for adaptation and change in an ever-changing world. This rigid adherence to the past, according to Manji, is defined as 'foundamentalism,' or 'desert Islam.' And the author calls for the 'silent majority' of moderate Muslims to come together to reject such fundamentalism, beginning with Muslims in the West--Muslims who have the freedom to speak their minds. THE TROUBLE WITH ISLAM is a remarkable, engrossing page-turner. Manji presents her arguments, evidence, and observations in a delightfully conversational--often witty--style. Based on the dozens and dozens of one-star reviews of this book, the author and other Muslims calling for sweeping reform have their work cut out for them; on the other hand, each critique represents the opportunity for dialogue--dialogue inherently welcomes discussion. And a frank, open, and honest discussion of Islam is absolutely in order. --D. Mikels