5 comments about Western Muslims and the Future of Islam.

1. It is a must read for muslims living in western countries. The book deals with the issues of BELONGING(specially immigrant muslims), EXTREMELY IMPORTANT concept of Darul Harb and Darul Islam and a thorough discussion of what is required of a muslim living/working/studying in non-muslim lands in general.
   
   He mentions the CORE characteristics that makes muslim ummah, THE BEST NATION i.e. Telling Mankind the real purpose of life and conveying the message of the prophets. When muslims live amongst non-muslims they automatically are calling non-muslims to Islam by the way they act, they work or do any thing else whether they actually call people to Islam or not.
   
   Tariq Ramadhan gives the western muslims confidence and encourages them to stop being isolationist and engage fully in the society around them to make the situation better for themselves as a community and also to fulfill their obligation of transmitting the message of the prophets to their fellow citizens. Even if these concepts are not new to you as a muslim, it is a must to read and reflect upon what brother Tariq says. Our reading, reflecting and then actually DOING DAWAH can make a difference of us entering HELL or entering PARADISE in the hereafter. No matter how bad the situation becomes for muslims and how bad the non-muslims treat muslims, muslims can NEVER EVER forget their obligation to save themselves and the non-muslims from Hellfire and Tariq makes an excellent case for that.
   
   You would for sure like reading this book. I don't agree with each and everything in the book but I pray for him for writing about the core issues we face as muslims. And don't even once look at the price, reading this book is far better then eating at your favorite restaurant.
   
   As the issues indicate the book is primarily for muslims but would help non-muslims too specially the ones interested to find out about muslims in the west in particular and Islam in general. If you are a non-muslim then I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND "What Everyone Should Know About Islam and Muslims" by Suzanne Haneef apart from reading the FINAL REVELATION to mankind, THE HOLY QURAN.



2. Islamic philosopher Tariq Ramadan asks a fundamental question. Is it possible for a devout Muslim living here to also be a responsible and loyal American? As a member of what Ramadan calls the Other, I find it disturbing it even needs to be asked. It isn't trivial and Ramadan doesn't ask it on behalf of Muslims. He asks it of Muslims because they ask it of themselves. We have people living among us who are unsure of the answer, millions of them apparently, some of them second and third generation Americans. More than a few have concluded the answer is no. Their devotion to Islam supersedes and is incompatible with any duty to their adopted country. The question cuts to the heart of what Americans have been asking since 9/11. What on earth are these people so angry about and what in heavens name does it have to do with us? In attempting to answer Ramadan directs his comments to those Muslims living in the West for whom religion is at the center of daily life, Muslims who are struggling with a very real identity crisis. Ramadan isn't proposing an interfaith dialogue, though he thinks one is important. He is proposing an intra-faith dialogue. He wants to reopen a debate that has been closed for a thousand years.
   At issue is the long held Islamic view of a world divided into two parts, dar al-Islam and dar al-harb, the abode of submission and the abode of war. This view didn't originate in the Koran or with the Prophet. It was developed later by Islamic scholars to offer a code of conduct for Muslims living in or traveling through areas not subject to Islamic rule, places where any exercise of an alien religion was usually restricted and often prohibited. Muslims in these conditions were called not to compromise their faith, to remain apart, at all costs to avoid assimilating. Sometime around the 10th century it became pretty much accepted dogma throughout Islam. It still is. It is a view that has been noted with alarm by modern Western commentators. It is at the root of the attitude among many Muslims to reject as un-Islamic all things Western. Ramadan argues that the doctrine can and should be revised in light of changed circumstance. It is no longer an appropriate view of Europe or of North America because in the modern West the Muslim is free to practice his religion.
   Ramadan draws an all-important distinction between faith and culture. Islam requires Muslims to dress modestly but exactly how that applies in different societies is open to interpretation. There is also a difference between what is required by law and what is permitted. That alcohol may be legal does not force one to drink. There may be occasions when civil law presses an individual to violate his conscience, to participate say in an unjust war, but those occasions are rare and there are ways for Muslims to deal with them short of outright rejection of the offending legal system. Islam has adapted to differing cultures before. Indonesians are very different from Pakistanis and they can both be authentically Islamic.
   This all seems obvious to us, the Other. That it does not seem obvious to so many Muslims is incomprehensible. Americans are accustomed to immigrants. We expect them to become naturalized, take their citizenship seriously, participate fully in our society, make it their own, even take on leadership roles. Ramadan wants his fellow Muslims to do that too, and he believes they will. He certainly believes they can, and without compromising their religion.



3. Ramadan is a serious thinker, devoted to making a difference. He takes both his faith and his Western homeland seriously, and this for him is a single commitment to God and his neighbors. His concern is the quality of life in the future world order. And his vision for the potential contributions of Western Muslims is refreshing.
   
   Where many Muslims assume that the practices of other cultures are ungodly unless proven otherwise, Ramadan turns such logic around. Like Imam Malik, he argues that all customs (urf) or institutions which "seek the good" (istislah) are valid, and should not be rejected unless they specifically violate a moral prohibition of the Quran and Sunna. In that case the challenge to Western Muslims is like that faced by the first Muslims in mainly non-Islamic Mecca, or by the biblical Joseph in Egypt - how to inspire better human relations, and improve care for society's needs.
   
   Ramadan sees a special responsibility falling on Muslims in the West. Working within Western institutions yet maintaining real ties to the non-Western world, these believers have a chance to serve as a voice of conscience. In a world order of profound inequality, many Western Muslims have both the hope and the opportunity to make a difference. And to grasp that opportunity they must act as full-citizens, taking responsibility for building better institutions in cooperation with non-Muslims of goodwill. As Ramadan explores the possibilities for economic, political and cultural life, the future seems ever more interesting.



4. Thanks again to Mr. Ramadan for keeping the door and the dialoge open on a very pressing and important issue for many of us "Western" Muslims. As a new Muslim woman from Latin America living in the USA I find each day many of the issues presented by Mr Ramadan, thanks to his inside, I am able to better undertand my role in this society while living and embracing the "true" Islamic identity and tradition. Thanks also for the great lessons learned with "In the Footsteps of the Prophet". Thanks for the loving and unsugared portrait of the Prophet you presented in this excellent book , it did touch my heart.



5. As a former Muslim, I see that Westernizing Islam is like putting a "patch" ruq3ah on a worn down outfit in the hope that it would be usable once again. Westernized Islam sounds good in theory, but theory is one thing and practical application is another. How can we overlook the spirit of Islam that is embedded in the text of the Quran that is perceived as non-negotiable by humans if Allah and His Messenger has prescribed a statute of some kind?! A Muslim can't easily chop out the ninth chapter of the Quran in order to Westernize Islam and thus come up with a dandy version of Islam. That is wishful thinking. That is why I abandoned Islam.

5 comments about Trickster Travels: A Sixteenth-Century Muslim Between Worlds.

1. TRICKSTER TRAVELS: A SIXTEENTH-CENTURY MUSLIM BETWEEN WORLDS could also have been featured in our 'travel' section for its fascinating travelogue entries; but is reviewed here for its value to any studying 1500s history. Al-Wazzan trveled widely as an ambassador and merchant throughout Africa in the early 1500s, was captured by Spanish pirates and presented to Pope Leo X, where he converted to Christianity while explaining Islam to his puzzled audience. The charged politics and turmoil of his life and times brings history to life, with history professor Davis using manuscripts of the times - including some previously unknown - to explore fully al-Wazzan's image and importance. Unfamiliar with his name? Try 'Leo Africanus', author of the first geography of Africa.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. One star, there being no zero. While the wish to explore the subject is understandable, the outcome is confusing and boring. Read it if you want to find out how an interesting subject can become dull.



3. To read a really excellent book about Leo The African, I recommend the far superior "Leo Africanus" by Amin Maalouf, a winner of several literary awards and an amazing book.



4. This book isn't really history or biography for that matter. Its an in-between kind of book that wants to imagine a past into existance based on speculation rather than evidence or fact. The factual details of the life of Leo Africanus would make a chapter. And even the facts we do have about his life are colored by a particular point of view which has to be questioned.
   
   Natalie Davis does her best based on all sorts of other material to imagine a public and private life for the man. As speculative fiction, it works. The only problem being that ignorant readers will begin to take this book as if were fact rather than a created story. The fault I find is that the book doesn't draw enough distinction about what is being imagined versus the actual facts of his life.
   
   The book is very good, but its not history or biography and should not be read as history or biography.



5. This book starts out with the mention of "King Manuel I of Portugal presenting Pope Leo X with a white elephant from India". I know that Professor Zemon Davis (ZD) didn't intent this as irony but it is. Most of this book, a white elephant in itself, is based on heresy, guesses and flights of fantasy. The only parts of the book that she is truly able to document are the nine years that 'Leo Africanus: Giovanni Leone" spent in Europe, with seven of those being in Italy.
   
   While in Italy he is purported to have written "Description of Africa" which was considered one of the few books written in Europe in the sixteenth century to document the Geography and sociology of North Africa. The book was written in Italian by the slave "Yuhanna al-Asad" who was born in Granada (Spain), brought up in Fez (Morocco) and captured by Christian pirates and given as a gift to Pope Leo X. This is the extent of what is known about our hero.
   
   ZD spends over two hundred and seventy pages telling us this story that could be contained in a paragraph. The rest of the book are her musing on the Roman Catholic Church and the machinasation of the church curia over how to counter Martin Luther and to recapture North Africa and the Holy Land from the Moslems.
   
   If your interested in this book read the Intro and the Chapters on Italy and the Comparison between Islam and Christianity, and skip the rest. As an example of the 'wistfulness' of this book, ZD spends sixteen pages on his 'return' after telling us that nothing is known about what happened to him after he left Italy.

5 comments about The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future.

1. If you want to understand the Sunnis and Al Qaeda, read Looming Tower. If you want to understand the Shias, read Shia Revival.
   
   I have read perhaps 30 books on the Middle East, those two books really capture why what's going on is going on in the Middle East.
   
   This book should be essential reading for anyone interested in current events.



2. One of the most accessable books on Shia tradition and their place in current world events. This is an eye-opening book which explains many of the fallacies that are in the American media about the Iraq war.



3. This is a complex rendition on the inner workings
   of Shia and Sunni belief systems. The Sunnis had
   Islam's Golden Age circa 632-661; wherein, 4 caliphs
   guided the belief systems with the authority of
   a Caesar or a Pope. These caliphs were Abu Bakr,
   Umar, Uthman Ali and Rashidun. The Sunnis
   believed that " better have a 60 year tyranny
   than a single day of civil strife". Islam had
   a continuous 1400 year struggle between the
   Shia and Sunnis.
   
   Shiism is popular in Persia, Azeris-Turks and the
   Azerbaijan near the Caspian Sea. The Shia imams
   are closer to the Iranians in the following areas:
   o spreading cultural diversity
   o gaining a foothold in Iran, N.Africa and Syria
   o the older Shia in Egypt are on the decline
   
   The Shia believe that the Prophet Mohammed had
   special qualities was without sin and He could
   divine religious teaching. The Sunnis were
   preoccupied with civil order. They believe that
   that religion helps the faithful to survive and
   thrive. The Sunnis believe that the successor
   of the Prophet is the principal leader of the
   Islamic community and not a G-d or prophetic
   calling.
   
   The Shia did well in Iraqi elections creating the
   first Shia state. They were real power brokers who
   expanded to Iran which is now considered the
   largest Shia country in the world. The Shia
   want the USA to commit to political reform
   across the region.
   
   The book could be extremely helpful in negotiating
   a peaceful conclusion to the hostilities in Iraq.
   The remaining problem is stumbling upon a fair
   methodology for accomplishing the political reform.
   The negotiating basis is that the Shia want
   political reforms and the Sunnis would like
   a civil order and a minimum of internal strife.
   These common needs may serve as the basis for a
   meaningful negotiation between the parties.



4. This is an excellent book which describes the fundamental
   differences between the Shia and Sunnis. Antagonisms
   existed between Shia and the Sunnis for over 1400 years.
   The Sunni Islam had a Golden Age. Under the Umayyads,
   the caliphs were both Caesar and a Pope delegating
   authority to professional religious scholars.
   
   Foes of Umayyads identify Ali (the Prophet's cousin)
   as the Prophet's successor. The Sunnis believe that
   the successor of the Prophet is the only leader of the
   Islamic Community and not a deity or a prophetic calling.
   
   Between 632 and 661, 4 caliphs ruled. They were Abu Bakr,
   Uthman Ali, Uman and Rashidun. The Sunnis believe
   "Better a 60 year tyranny than a single day of civil strife".
   
   Shia imams are closer to the Iranians. They believe in
   spreading cultural diversity and they've gained a foothold
   in Iran, North Africa and Syria. Shia did well in Iraq
   electing the first Shia state. The real power brokers
   migrated to Iran which is now the largest Shia country.
   
   There is a modern secular trend in Lebanon, Iran, Iraq
   and Pakistan. Shia have migrated through Persia,
   the Azeris-Turks and Azerbaijan in the Caspian Sea.
   
   The Shia believe that the Prophet had special qualities,
   He was without sin and could divine religious teachings.
   The Sunnis are preoccupied with order in the society
   at large. The Shia want the USA to commit to political
   reform across the region. The USA can assist in this
   process; however, the parties must cooperate fully in order
   to advance the political agenda. The work has considerable
   implications for mutual cooperation between the West and
   Islam.



5. The author presents a very scholarly work on the background of the Sunni/Shia split, Shia history, and the rise of Shia in the Middle East. He argues persuasively that the War in Iraq, among other things, has produced the unintended consequence of strengthening Shia power in the region. This includes Iran, Shia in Iraq, and Shia minorities in countries throughout the region. The author does believe however that the balance of power will eventually settle and a peace will result generally between the Sunni and Shia. This book is very instructive in describing the major leaders and groups involved in this power struggle. It is worthwhile for all who have an interest in the Middle East.

5 comments about The Koran: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions).

1. This is a great book for anyone looking for a very scholarly look at the Koran and the world of Islam. It must be said that this is a brief overview of a very complex subject. The book it jam-packed with information 'about' the Koran, but does not spend much time on 'explaining' the beliefs behind the Koran. This is in no way a substitute for study of the Koran, if that is what the reader is looking for. As a very educated text, this book stands far above many others. It was not what I was personally seeking, but that does not take away from the quality of this text.



2. Magnificent overview of the Quranic text, some thoughts on how it is interpreted, and also on the different styles of Quranic recitation. The book's scope is impressive for its small size.



3. This is a good history and a high level overview of the Quran. Author brings academic and historical context to the Quran. Readers looking to prove or disprove the authenticity of the holy book will be disappointed. Those looking for a scholarly perpective will enjoy it.



4. I read this as the first of a self-directed, self-education course on the Qur'an and Islam. After having read several other books in the area, I can now say that this proved to fulfill superbly its purpose and mission as a short introduction to the Qur'an. I am a relatively slow reader, but I managed to digest this in about three hours. It is straightforward, readily understandable, and (I firmly believe) objective. It certainly eclipses one of its rivals, "The Qur'an" by Bruce Lawrence. Beyond that, I can only second the comments of Mr. Dekle, from April 2006.



5. In a very short introduction it is often hard to get much done. Cook here succeeds in giving some basic interpretations on significant verses in the Koran - the famous "sword verses", balanced against the verse that there should be no compulsion in Islam. He also dwells (perhaps too much) on the verse reviewing God's curse on Israeli fishermen who violated the Sabbath (that allegedly turned them into apes). Some reference to how Muslims themselves interpret the Koran is made. A reader already initiated in the study of Islam or the Koran might appreciate this more than the novice - as Cook dwells considerably on language and translation issues. The final section discusses possible theories of the formation of the Koran (as well as some comments on the sword verses) from the days of the caliph Uthman or before. Overall it is a quick, adequately informative read, but I would not make it your last stop in searching for the best text on a quick introduction to the Koran.

3 comments about New Turkish Republic: Turkey As a Pivotal State in the Muslim World.

1. I might have made this a four star since it is missing a couple of big pieces, but the overall book is so well presented in summary form, and the publisher has made it so reasonably priced, this would appear to be exactly the kind of book that is ideal for both the undergraduate and the graduate whom might be beginning a more intensive look at Turkey in its new "360 degrees" or Ankara-centric re-emergence as both a regional power and a continental power.
   
   No Turks in, of, and for Turkey are on the credits, which confirms my first impression that this is a superb primer of, by, and for American students, but the US Institute of Peace is the publisher, so I get over it. Still, the book does not address the Muslim world outside the immediate region, and I am immediately irritated by the early depiction of Paul Wolfowitz as a proponent of democracy in Iraq--Wolfowitz lied to Congress and the public, and is no more a proponent of democracy anywhere than I am in favor of making Islam the ruling religion in America.
   
   Having said that, the author's commitment and knowledge cannot be denied, and I found this book totally worthy of my time. I learned from it.
   
   + Turkey *is* a part of the Middle East, but ignored it up through the 1990's and did not settle its border with Syria until 2004.
   
   + Turkey, not Saudi Arabia or any other pretender, has been the center of the Muslim world (the Caliphate) for six centuries, and as the center of the Ottoman empire was the protector of the Holy Places.
   
   + The author asserts that Turkey is the most advanced secular and democratic state in the Muslim world. Huh? Coming out of an era of military dictatorships, and never mind Malaysia, Indonesia, or India (second largest Muslim population after Indonesia)? Not so fast!
   
   + While the author sets forth a key question, will Muslims embrace democracy, I point the reader to Who Speaks For Islam?: What a Billion Muslims Really Think and the finding in that book that most Muslims consider democracy to be a FOREIGN concept.
   
   + The author shocks early on in pointing out that Turks consider the USA to be the TOP THREAT to Turkey. I begin to realize the author has delicately folded major truths in, with a minimalist pandering to the jerks that are still in power (or seeking power one last time before they run out of Depends diapers for adults).
   
   + No one in the White House or anywhere else in the USG is likely to read this book (less well-intentioned Foreign Area Officers on their way there) so I regard the book as a useful cautionary tale for all of us. The neoconservatives took Turkey for granted, offended Turkey, and are so visibly amoral and inept as to inspire contempt from Turkey, a contempt I certainly share. As the author puts it, we are "treading water" with Turkey (as a time when they should be one of our "top ten" for deep engagement).
   
   + The author tells us that Turkey abolished the Caliphate in 1924, and that this was a body blow to Islam. In a brilliant analogy, he says that this would be the equivalent of an Italian Prime Minister abolishing the Papacy without consulting Catholics worldwide, and doing so as a snap decision.
   
   + The author illuminated the Turkish intellectual vision of state, faith, and modernity being compatible, and provides two very valuable pages on t he Abant Forum for intellectual tolerance and inquiry.
   
   + A great deal of the book is undergraduate level brevity (e.g. the Iran-Iraq war gets one paragraph at a time when Turkey was a major adjacent party).
   
   + Among the prices of the Cold War (see my review of The Fifty-Year Wound: How America's Cold War Victory Has Shaped Our World was the disconnection of Turkey from the Middle East and the Arabs, making is a client state of the USA in unwelcome and ultimately unwise ways.
   
   + The author teaches me that the Kurdish revolutionaries and separatists, the PKK (Partiya Karkeren Kurdistan, or Kurdish Workers Party) are a problem in Syria and Iran as well as Iraq and Turkey. I gain the impression that Turkey will do just about anything to prevent a free Kurdistan, but I also wonder in Kurdistan and Palestine are two areas that could be turned into zones of peace and development.
   
   + On that note, I learn that Palestine was part of the Ottoman empire, and that the Sultan was the Protector of Holy Places.
   
   + I am deeply engaged by the author's discussion of Islamic banking, and Turkish concerns that the Saudi regime is using increased focus on this as a means of reinforcing Islamic forces within Turkey.
   
   + I learn that Turkey is pursuing a regional strategy of "no enemies" and has a foreign policy strategy of "proactive peace." Wow. This is seriously good stuff, and it shames me that America cannot rise to this level of sophistication and future-focus.
   
   + I learn that four of the five Central Asian states are Turkic, and that after the USA and Russia, China is Turkey's major concern, in part because the Uyghurs are Turkic. Has the USA ever had a Turkic strategy or a Caliphate strategy? Highly doubtful.
   
   + The author states that the Turks are suspicious of Saudi international policies, and I wonder why there is no deeper discussion, especially since it is now widely known that the Saudi dictatorship has been funding Bin Laden, rote-learning madrasses, and total hate crimes against Shi'ites (15%, with Iran as the only state).
   
   + He says that Turkey has a strong commitment to Afghanistan, but here I have a note, "too much avoidance." This is an excellent book and easily understandable by an undergrad, but it needs a couple more chapters (one on Saudis as enemies of Muslim stability world-wide, another on Turkey and the non-Arab Muslim states), and a decent bibliography with a 360 view of competing authorities.
   
   + He tells us the Kurds have entered mainstream Turkish politics, including election to their Parliament, but I am skeptical and wondering if there is not a really big deal to be cut that runs from Turkey to Kurdistan and Lebanon to Palestine--the three trillion we have wasted in Iraq could have resurrected America AND paid for a massive Marshall Plan for the region.
   
   + The US chapter is vital. It will never be read by those that make their own idiotic reality, but for the rest of us, it is a fine tale of friction, opportunity lost, a lack of sufficient respect, and more. This is a really good and really important chapter.
   
   The book concludes that Turkey has three choices: continue to be US centric, become Europe centric and join the European Union, or return to Ankara centric, with 360 interests and responsibilities in all directions. I am truly inspired by this book, and in the future will factor Turkey in as co-equal to Brazil, China, Indonesia, India, Iran, Russia, and Venezuela.
   
   Bottom line: this book was a real pleasure to read as an adult hooked on respecting reality, and I strongly recommend it for both teaching at any level, and for anyone interested in what is clearly a major player in the 21st Century. On balance, this book respects Turkey in a very sincere and useful way, while delicately calling out the USA (under all recent Administrations of either party) for being distant, dumb, inattentive, and generally stupid. I am reminded of Daniel Elsberg lecturing Kissinger on how one becomes like a moron the higher up the secret classification scale you go, thinking you know more secret, and becoming unwilling to listen to those with their feet on the ground and decades of eyes and ears on and in place. See my review of Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers.
   
   Other recommended books:
   The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (Vintage)
   Web of Deceit: The History of Western complicity in Iraq, from Churchill to Kennedy to George W. Bush
   Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA
   Crossing the Rubicon: The Decline of the American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil
   The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic (The American Empire Project)
   Islamic Leviathan: Islam and the Making of State Power (Religion and Global Politics)
   Good Muslim, Bad Muslim: America, the Cold War, and the Roots of Terror



2. According to my grading scheme this book deserves 5 stars, no less. It is written in simple language and a level most people would comprehend. History, current events, regions, diplomatic tactics, economic actions, political figures, and the general chronological order have been laid out very clearly and unambiguously.
   
   The book starts with history of Turkey dating back to late Ottoman era. The cause and effect relationships for the decline and eventual dissolution of the Ottoman Empire and the emergence of the new Turkish state are presented very well. The similarities and crucial political differences between the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish Republic are addressed very successfully. The initial chapters build a solid foundation for those who are not familiar with the Turkish history and the evolution of the Turkish Republic.
   
   The main focus of the book is on last two decades of Turkey, its internal and external problems, relations with neighbors, economic transition, democratization and accession to becoming a member of the EU. Among these issues are military coup d'etats and their social, economic and political consequences and repercussions; political parties and major figures behind and in charge of these movements, the rigid and stern structure of Turkish government and its political ideals stemming from 1930's and attempts to modify and modernize these principles addressing the needs of today's society etc. To be more explicit, the inflexible and irreconcilable principles of Today's CHP and its more popular rival AKP (JDP), neo-Islamic movements based on interfaith dialog and education, the evolution of the Kurdish problem, and the demands and expectations of the vast majority of the population.
   
   Turkey's relations with other nations and geographic regions are expressed very clearly. Since Turkey is located in an area where various ethnic, religious, political and economic rivalries are very commonplace, it is essential to understand each component individually to be able to grasp a general picture. This book accomplishes this task very articulately and unexpectedly well from a foreigner's point of view. In many respects, it can be said that the discussions are presented very objectively (Of course, there is no absolute objectivity or neutrality in politics, but he does a fair job to mention the views of all sides and avoids definite judgments).
   
   Another achievement of this book is that it addresses the major topics including many controversial issues debated in Turkish society in the past 5 years and puts in them in plain language.
   
   This book is recommended to those who would like to gain wholesome information about Turkey and understand the achievements (and possibly failures) of the Turkish model and its reverberations in the surrounding regions.



3. This is a great book about the recent political changes in modern Turkey. In the last 5 years, Turkey underwent crucial events including the emergence of a new modern-islamic party and disapperance of so-called the owners of Turkey. Military and other powerful elites of Turkey were not happy for these changes. Mr. Fuller nicely explains the old and new Turkey in the light of these new political changes. He gives emphasis on the new leader of Turkey, and his party, AKP. It is a wonderful book for those who are curious of these important historical changes in Turkey. I highly recommend it without reservation.

5 comments about Do They Hear You When You Cry.

1. This should be and could be on the bestseller list; Lord knows the girl deserves it. The issue I have is with the editor: had this been half the size, it would have been on the top five list. Instead, it languishes in parts that detract from the global horror women still experience on a daily basis. In the right hands, this would be on everyone's coffee table and progress, outrage and steps for human rights would catch on like the wildfire it needs. In all, still a fascinating story.



2. Fauziya Kassindja tells the reader a heartbreaking but inspiring story of her frightful journey towards freedom. Fauziya grew up in the small African town of Togo. Her family was somewhat untraditional in the sense of following some of the major muslim customs pertaining to women. Her father did not believe that his daughters should have to wear veils or be subject to prearranged marriages to name a few. Most of all he was very opposed to the tribal custom of female genital mutilation (fgm).
   
   After Fauziya's father passed away, she soon found herself in the custody of her aunt and uncle who set her up for a prearranged marriage which would also require her to suffer fgm.
   
   Fauziya soon finds herself fleeing from Africa to escape this fate. She comes to the United States to seek political asylum. Her journey is shocking, heartbreaking, and inspiring. Definitely a page turner. This young lady had a lot of courage that will help many women in similar situations. A must read.



3. When Fauziya flees the injustices of her African country to seek asylum in America, little does she know that she is jumping from the frying pan into the fire. This book details the underbelly of a prison and a justice system that treat detainees like dirt. But amidst this squalor of human indignity there are angels. Angels appear both in and out of the prison. Some give her sustenance in prison; others work tirelessly for her release, and still others use the news media to highlight the injustices meted out to her.
   What a book!



4. This is the rare type of a book that transcends age, gender, and sex. To read this book is to realise the startling realities of the way America treats immigrants attempting to apply for amnesty. One of the best books I have read this year.



5. wow! this story has really touched me words cannot express how this pains me on what's happening in these countries...this needs to stop!!!!female mulitation is a crime itself..Fauziya you are a strong woman. wanted to give up but you continued to keep going it. That itself is strenght

5 comments about The Sea-Hawk.

1. I hate to be another person to write a glowing review of "The Sea Hawk," but I can't help myself. Sabatini is one of my favorite authors, and this is one of my favorite books by him. It's the sweeping saga of an English gentleman's transformation into a Muslim pirate circa 1590, and its themes of family betrayal, religious revenge, and tormented love are worthy of a Verdi opera. Sir Oliver and Rosamond are familiar Sabatini character types, but I personally feel they have more depth and vitality here than, say, the leads in "Captain Blood."

   "Hawk" does have a few problems though, shared by other books in the Sabatini canon. Like "Scaramouche," there's the slightly awkward three act structure. "Hawk" gets off to an exciting start, then bogs down a bit when it introduces the North African setting and the Muslim characters, and in Act 3 finally careens to a terrific and breathless finish. Also, as another reviewer pointed out, the Muslim characters, especially compared to their English counterparts, are not particularly convincing. In fact, their overly stilted and archaic dialogue bears an amusing resemblance to the historical speechifying satirized by Thackeray in his 1850 burlesque "Rebecca and Rowena." But all in all, these are minor complaints. "The Sea Hawk" is a ripping read by one of the 20th century's masters of historical fiction.

   From beginning to end, "The Sea Hawk" is also irresistably cinematic, from the initial descriptions of Sir Oliver's mansion to the final shipboard embrace. However I don't expect that this will be remade into a movie any time soon, given today's political climate. I read this shortly after the Madrid bombings, and it was decidedly unsettling reading about a Western guy who converts to Islam and takes up a jihad against the wicked Spanish. Yes, times have certainly changed since "Hawk" was written in 1915. One wonders what Sabatini would make of John Walker Lindh...




2. Having recently read several modern novels by contemporary authors, I was transported by THE SEA-HAWK back in time to an earlier style of writing and a distinctly different use of language. How many books, for instance, have you read lately that use the verb "trepan" very frequently? Didn't think so.
   
   Having found modern authors' use of language to be pretty bland and, in a few instances, actually to violate grammatical convention, I was thrilled to encounter Sabatini's 1915 novel with its beautiful, effective use of the language. For a lad born and educated in Europe, Sabatini wrote in English with a felicity that usually eludes native-born American writers, and, dare I say, quite a few British authors, too. Thinking of the modern American authors I have read lately, I can say with pleasure that reading Sabatini is like taking a fresh, invigorating intellectual shower and thoroughly ridding oneself of the superficial linguistic dust lingering from their various works.
   
   Of course, there is far more to THE SEA-HAWK than its sparkling use of language. Sir Oliver, or, to use his Muslim name, Sakr-el-Bhar, is a complex character who responds to his changing fortunes as a real person who wishes to survive and even prosper, yet who retains his dignity in the face of undeserved adversities that could have easily crushed a lesser man. The plot is truly gripping, and the reader eagerly pursues the story to learn what will befall Sir Oliver next and whether he can somehow extricate himself from this new quandary and perhaps even turn the situation to his advantage.
   
   All is believable. The settings in which the plot unfolds are exotic but realistic. Though he knows it is fiction, the reader can easily accept the reality of the setting, the characters, and the action. While certain fortuitous coincidences do occur from time to time, no miraculous escapes or incredible rescues are foisted upon the hapless reader. Nothing untoward jars him from his vicarious participation in this great adventure.
   
   Enjoy THE SEA-HAWK for its wonderful use of language. Enjoy it for the variety and depth of its characters. Enjoy it as a swashbuckling adventure on the high seas. (One simply cannot write about Sabatini without using the word "swashbuckling" at least once.) Enjoy it for the reality of its settings and events. There are critics who say that THE SEA-HAWK does not reach quite the same degree of excellence as do some of Sabatini's other novels, such as CAPTAIN BLOOD and SCARAMOUCHE. However, I beg to disagree with them. If you have enjoyed any of Sabatini's other novels, do not hesitate to read this one, for it is equally enjoyable. If you are coming to Sabatini for the first time, you will find THE SEA-HAWK to be a fascinating introduction to his work, and you will be as motivated as I to follow it with several of his other novels. Once begun, Sabatini is habit-forming!



3. I find it hard at times to pick up novels written a century ago or so, the language can be archaic, the pace a little slow... Not so this novel. It amazed me how quickly I could adapt to Sir Oliver and his world. The heroes were larger than life, the villains deliciously captivating. I found it incredibly hard to put down. It's just nice to read about a hero that stands for something, a person true to their beliefs. Purists would say Sabatini relies on coincidence to move his plot forward, but the world he creates makes it all believable. If you are hesitant about reading the prose of classic swashbuckling literature, read the first three chapters, I guarantee you'll be hooked ;)



4. "Captain Blood" is adventurism with lots of action and good character studies. "The Sea Hawk" is also adventure but with far less action and more fascinating character studies. Sabatini invents intriquing thought processes for the leading characters that lead to the unexpected . He is almost as good as Tolstoy in opening up heads. The translation is excellent as the words just flow making it difficult to put the book down.



5. The book is a melodrama. The first part consists of the main character wanting to marry a 17 year old girl but her brother objects. Lots of talking. Very little action. A duel is almost literally described as "in a few minutes it was over". The second part consists of a woman urging her husband to dislike the main character. Scene after seen of this.
   
   If you just read the plot it reads like a swashbuckling adventure. But the book expands the drama scenes and barely mentions any action. It is well written if you like melodrama. The characters are not all that deep but they are well written and distinct.

3 comments about Blaze of Silver (de Granville Trilogy).

1. This is an excellent book and very well-written. It is perfect for any fan of medieval times or the crusades. Not only that, it is the best horse book I have ever read! The characters are well-developed and deep, and their actions make sense within their usual behavior. A wonderful finalization of the de Granville trilogy! I LOVE this book and was so surprised that it seems so few people have read it! Please, if you like to read, you should read this series, starting with book one; the Blood Red Horse!



2. A great ending to a wonderful trilogy! I hope they make a movie out of this one. (hopefully they wouldn't ruin it like Eragon!) I recommend this book and the rest of them for everyone. It is full of excitment and intrigue!



3. This is the best of the three books in the de Granville trilogy. The moral quandary Kemal faces is complex, without an easy answer, and good for developing minds to ponder. It might have had a stronger finish, but overall, it was just outstanding. My grandson and I loved all three books.

5 comments about Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary.

1. Evaluation: This is a wonderfully written biography of an influential African American, Malcolm X. Beginning with his birth in 1925 and ending with his assassination in 1965, Walter Dean Myers describes the trials and tribulations of one of America's radical African American leaders. The book details the many differences between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. Though both men aimed to lift the African American people from their second class citizenship, Martin Luther King believed in a nonviolent approach. On the other hand, Malcolm X believed that the African American community needed to revolt. "Revolution is bloody, revolution is hostile, revolution knows no compromise, revolution overturns and destroys everything that gets in its way" (p. 107). These were Malcolm X's words as he described his belief that no African American solution could possibly involve fitting into a white society. Students will enjoy reading this biography. They will come to learn about a controversial figure in America. Several photographs and illustrations will help to entice even the most reluctant of readers.



2. "I have a dream..." were the famous first words of the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech at the Washington Street March. Many people have studied these words as the words of the most prominent black civil rights leader, but few have studied the words of the great Malcolm X. Malcolm X was a lesser known civil rights activist and leader. He was very controversial in his time, but few will argue that he is one of the smartest, most passionate men in history. This book takes you through Malcolm's childhood in Nebraska, his teenage years as a drug dealer on the streets of Harlem, and finally his adulthood, fighting for his rights as a great Islamic, black leader.
   
   Walter Dean Myers does an excellent job of putting aside his feelings of Malcolm X and letting form your own opinion of him. Myers comes up with facts and not more so you can do this. He paints a clear portrait of Malcolm's entire life and work for young adult to adult readers. I personally enjoy the way that Myers is very straight forward in his writing but somehow adds a touch of suspense into the facts. "Malcolm was taking a dangerous course, and he knew it...if someone wanted to harm him, it could still happen. The word on the streets of Harlem was somber. Malcolm, it was said, was marked for death." p. 165. This is just one example of the suspenseful tone Myers uses to keep you turning pages. Myers writes about Malcolm as though he had known him personally and knows what times were like for him. At many points throughout the story, you feel as though you are there with Malcolm in Mecca or watching through the window as the assassination takes place. Myers keeps you into the story and wanting more and even wishing you had been able to meet the great Malcolm X first hand.
   
   After reading this book, I think that Malcolm X's biography should be more commonly used name in places of learning. Malcolm X should be studied along with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. so that people don't only see one side of the civil rights movement. Though Malcolm is often misjudged or interpreted, he should be remembered as a great fighter who believed in equality and justice for all.



3. I am very shocked at what I read in this book. The black community in general would be outraged if a white political speaker spoke the things he said. However sadly there is many black chruches that teach this pure hate of a certain color of people. I do not agree with this book. The views and worldview perspective of hate given in it. I am surprised by the good reviews this book has got and question who these folks are:
   MY view Don't buy this book buy a Martin Luther King book instead



4. 
   
   From the cover notes, the author describes Malcolm thusly:
   
   "As a fourteen year-old in Lansing Michigan, he was Malcolm Little, the president of this class and a top student. At sixteen he was hustling tips in a Boston nightclub. In Harlem he was known as "Detroit Red," a slick street operator who knew the rackets. At nineteen, back in Boston, he was leading a gang of burglars. At twenty, he was in prison. It was in prison that Malcolm Little started the journey that would lead him to adopt the name Malcolm X, and there that he developed his beliefs about what being black means in America, beliefs that shook America then, and still shakes America today."
   
   Even with this resume, the author makes a compelling case in this short book that if there is one person that is responsible for the success of the Civil Rights movement, it would be Malcolm X, rather than Dr. Martin Luther King. His argument rests on the fact that Malcolm preserved black dignity in ways that King never could, by asking the right questions and proceeding confidently towards answering them, even when it meant walking through the fire, which inevitably it did. After all he says, it was Malcolm who asked the questions: "Whoever heard of a nonviolent revolution? Whoever heard of a revolution without bloodshed?
   
   I believe the author is correct in suggesting that it was Malcolm's attitude that best defined the temper of the times and provided the motive force, and even the fire behind Dr. King's own passive non-violent movement and even the courage for King to "turn of the other cheek."
   
   As this book sees it: Malcolm was a warrior, prepared to do battle in the arena on any terms and "by any means necessary." King, on the other hand waved the white flag of Christian morality, pre-emptively offering the racist enemy peace terms, even before the fight had begun. When those terms were invariably rejected, King then said: I am coming in unarmed anyway so give my cheeks your best shot.
   
   One warrior was uncompromising and gave black people a new kind of courage to "stand up on their hind legs" and fight back at the racist evil. This was a new kind of dignity for blacks in America. The other, showed blacks that compromise did not just have to end in an exercise in "bowing and scraping" even though it may have begun that way. King showed, as Mahatmus Gandhi had shown before him, that compromise could even be a sharp blade of an offensive sword. And he used it in just that way.
   
   This book of course covers Malcolm's life and the civil rights era well, but it does not settle this matter, as both men went down the same way: slain and murdered by American racist hatred. It is nevertheless a valuable contribution to the biographies of Malcolm's life.
   
   Five stars.



5. Malcolm X was an extraordinary man who was brilliant but he was kept down because he was an African American. The book is geared for middle school students because the author, Walter Dean Myers, has written it for this audience particularly about Malcolm's life. He writes about the hardships like the prejudices, his imprisonment, his crimes, his father's tragic death, and his mother's mental illness. He writes about the break up of the Little family and offers background information to help us understand them more. He writes about his upbringing in Lansing, Michigan and Nebraska as well as his stays in Harlem and Boston where he lived with a sister. The author covers the material very well and shows pictures periodically in the text. This book would be great for young adults and even mature adults like myself.

5 comments about Journey of the Jihadist: Inside Muslim Militancy.

1. Fawaz Gerges has written an easy to read description of his interviews with a number of Salifi / Wahabbi Muslims particularly the Egyptian Islamacist Kamal el-Said Habib.
   
   These interviews and impressions provide an revealing glimpse into the minds of these potentially violent actors. I found the progression of thought over the years as well as the internal differences of opinion inside the Salifi sects to be fascinating.
   
   As Gerges admits he initially did not understand the extent to which these violent actors were driven by a detailed reading of the Qu'ran. I hope there are few Western people in 2007 who still think these Jihadists are some crazy folks perverting a great religion. Rather they are trying to discard 13 centuries of revisionist scholarship and return this political religion to it's roots.
   
   Gerges generally stays away from moralizing and his few attempts at evaluating policy prescriptions fall very flat. Never the less, this book is quite valuable if you have never probed the mind of a terrorist.
   
   A further aspect is the extent of the support for terrorism within the Muslim world. It has always been larger than most Westerners have been willing to admit and is growing as they feel threatened by the West, Israel, and America in general. At the same time each accommodation by a Western culture is evaluated as weakness and an opportunity for more aggression.
   
   This is definitely not a stand alone book on Egyptian or any form of Middle Eastern culture. For a more comprehensive history of recent Egyptian culture see Nonie Darwish's "Now they Call Me Infidel." For a very insightful glimpse of recent Lebanese culture and the civil war try Brigitte Gabriel's "Because They Hate."
   
   "Journey of the Jihadist" complements these books in both countries by focusing on the potential terrorists, their similarities, and their differences.
   
   When Gerges discusses Iraq he identifies it's utility to the Jihadists in obtaining recruits, but does not show the fall of Saddam as putting a significant funding source for terrorists out of business. He credits Iraq with pulling al Qaeda back to center stage and attracting significant funding for the terrorists. He fails to identify the role Iraq has in attracting and exterminating the more violent elements in the Middle East. His evaluation could be summed up by Ann Coulter's phrase "Damn that Bush! He's made people who hate our guts not like us."
   
   Gerges historic references are disappointing as he normally gives the Jihadist version of the Crusades, the Lebanese civil war, and Jewish history without providing context or correction of their extremely myopic views. A reader unfamiliar with Middle Eastern history would come away misinformed.



2. Fawaz Gerges does an excellent job of providing insight into the mind of several Islamic jihadists. The book is well written and a very easy read. It consists of six chapters and the soft cover edition has 293 pages of text. Each chapter is essentially an assessment of a particular jihadist. In this manner, the author is able to cover numerous events of recent Islamic history such as the assassination of Anwar Sadat, the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and the 9/11 attacks. By discussing these events, the author is able to highlight significant differences of opinion within the Arab world.
   
   For example, Kamal el-Said Habib was a former member of al-Jihad or "Armed Struggle;" the organization involved in the assassination of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat. As he grew older, Kamal's predilection for violence diminished. Before 2001, he would have supported anyone, even the U.S., who turned against secular, Muslim rulers. His opinions changed after 2001 and he now views U.S. forces in Iraq as symbolizing American aggression against all Muslims. This jihadist made a complete circle back to advocating violence.
   
   The second chapter provides a history of the Lebanese Civil War and how Christian militias tried to use ethnic cleansing. The author outlines a Christian plot to poison the water in the Muslim sector. It was an effort at genocide to keep Muslim fertility rates down. To some extent, Christian fanatics inadvertently taught their Muslims adversaries to act like extremists.
   
   In chapter three, Mr. Gerges describes the strife inside al Qaeda. Several jihadists complained that bin Laden was dominated by too many Egyptians and that there was insufficient representation from Saudi Arabia or the other Arab countries. Instead of viewing themselves as the Ummah, (i.e.: worldwide Islamic community), they adopted the western notion of national identities.
   
   The remaining chapters provide additional insight on the Muslim perspective. A fair amount of time is spent discussing the writings of Sayyid Qutb, an influential Muslim philosopher. The author also describes his visit to a Palestinian refugee camp at Ain-al-Hilweh where he interviewed Abu -Mohammed. Mohammed was subsequently killed in March 2003 by a car bomb.
   
   The real merit of the book is that it provides a clear picture of how the jihadists view the world and America. Bottom line: this book provides a truly fascinating look into the minds of several jihadists. The reader will not be disappointed.



3. 
   In `Journey to the Jihadist', Fawaz Gerges, a professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Sarah Lawrence College, provides extremely valuable insight into the mindset of Islamic jihadist. Or more correctly, make that plural `mindsets' because the central message of Gerges work is that even among jihadists opinions vary widely as to correct principles, strategies, and tactics.
   
   Gerges starts out with some background to the modern jihad movement and its founder Sayyid Qutb who matriculated at Stanford and Colorado State College of Education for two years in the 1940s. Qutb was appalled by the empty materialism and especially the sexual license he perceived. He returned to play an instrumental role in radicalizing the Muslim Brotherhood. Try The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (Vintage) by Lawrence Wright for a more detailed consideration of Qutb's role in the radicalizing of Islam.
   
   Gerges, who was raised as Greek Orthodox in Lebanon, traces the development of the jihad through three generations starting with Kamal el-Said Habib. Kamal played a role in the 1981 assassination of Anwar Sadat, but later forswore violence as means to Islamize society for political means. The second generation is represented by Osama bin Laden's personal bodyguard Abu-Jandal . Gerges identifies the third generation as uneducated youth being radicalized by the American occupation of Iraq.
   
   Gerges attempts to demonstrate that many if not most jihadists rejected bin Laden's attack on the West, some for moral reasons, more because they viewed it an ill-advised assault on the world's superpower. Much of the antipathy toward bin Laden flows, of course from Shiites. Gerges suggests that bin Laden and Al Qaeda were faring very poorly after 9-11 and the US rout of the Taliban, but that the US invasion of Iraq has almost universally enraged Muslims.
   
   While Gerges' book provides essential context and perspective it suffers from inadequate identification of his sources. His endnotes state that his main sources are interviews he conducted between 1990 and 2005. He also identifies printed interviews and books for each chapter. He chose not, however, to footnote his work so it is usually impossible to identify a source for particular statements. He states that he was unable to interview Abu-Jandal, but still freely quotes him. The book has a bit of a slapdash feel to it, especially in a late chapter discussing the British Muslims and the London bombings. Gerges also accepts exaggerated claims by Arab Afghans of their role in defeating the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.
   
   Despite these shortcomings, Gerges' book provides much-needed perspective on the varying shades of even radical Islam and how the American occupation of Iraq is pushing more and more Muslims toward jihad against `the far enemy' - the West in general and the US in particular. Highly recommended.



4. 2006's "Journey of the Jihadist" is Fawaz Gerges' investigation of Muslim militancy, a far more nuanced phenomenum than perhaps its most public face, the transnational terrorist movement al Qaeda. Gerges, a native of Lebanon now living in the United States, enjoyed remarkable access before and after 9/11 to a variety of prominent Islamists, who provide fascinating insight into Muslim militancy.
   
   The roots of Muslim militancy predate 9/11, the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, and even many of Israel's conflicts with its Arab neighbors. As Gerges notes, its origins lie in Muslim discontent with the failures of modern ideologies (Communism, Socialism, and nationalism) to provide effective and responsive government, especially in the Arab world. As far back as the 1950's, students and others discontented with the status quo turned to Muslim fundamentalism to renew Muslim life.
   
   This turn to fundamentalism was translated by the first generation of jihadists into unrest, terrorism, and rebellion, brutally suppressed by the governments of Egypt, Algeria, and other regimes which failed to implement the sharia as the basis of governance. A second generation of jihadists would arise in the ultimately successful struggle to drive the Russians out of Afghanistan, and a third generation has been inspired by the conflict engendered in the Global War on Terrorism.
   
   The jihadists thrive on a sense of the superiority of the Islamic relgion for resolving life's problems, but their militancy is fed by other themes. The jihadists cannot accept the presence of the Jewish State of Israel in the Middle East. The jihadists have a profound fear of the effects of Western-driven globalization, especially the political and sexual liberation of women. The jihadists are infuriated by the presence of U.S. and Western military forces in the Middle East, regardless of cause.
   
   Understanding Muslim militancy, as Gerges explores, is made more difficult for the Western observer by the addiction of the jihadists to a worldview of vast Jewish-Crusader-Apostate conspiracies, elaborate logic-proof confections of half-truths, lies, and fantasies of revenge for real and imagined wrongs. The inability to arrive at a common, fact-based appreciation of circumstances must make very unlikely any meaningful political dialogue in the near term.
   
   Gerges tends to stay in the background of his narrative, letting the jihadists speak for themselves. Far from being a monolithic movements, the jihadists have disagreed and continue to disagree among themselves over both means and ends. Equally interesting is the evoluation of thought among some radicals now grown older and wiser and more conscious of the limits of possible change.
   
   "Journey of the Jihadists" is very highly recommended for its insights into Muslim militancy, a much more nuanced phenomenum than simple terrorism.



5. I thought that this was one of the best accounts of the history and current day events leading to today's conflict with people of Muslim background. The author is of Muslim descent, and is able to explain the events that have led up to the major conflict that we are involved in today. He presents the events and thought patterns of the Mulsim people that have triggered events throughout the 1970s and until today. He actually begins with 600 AD when the Muslim ruler failed to name a successor to the throne, thus handing leadership over to a group that doesn't have 'bloodrights to the throne' and the authority to rule. He explains the religious thoughts that prevail in the minds of people that follow Islam. The author is fair in his presentation of the material and provides a solid understanding of the timeline of events and what led up to them. I give this book five stars because I developed a much clearer understanding of the trouble that America has gotten themselves into and why. We are cowboys with white hats, but no brains underneath. At least not a brain that is willing to listen to the other side of the story.