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Ed Husain

Forfatter af The Islamist

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The Islamist (2007) 303 eksemplarer

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House of Islam: A Global History by Ed Husain is a history and explanation of Islam by an educated Western Moslem. Husain is a writer, adjunct senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, and a former senior advisor at the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. He is the author of The Islamist, a book about political Islamism and an account of his five years as an Islamist activist. Husain cofounded, with Maajid Nawaz, the counter-extremism organization the Quilliam Foundation.

In the West, there seems to be a single definition of Islam that is portrayed in the media and in the minds of many. This seems to include ISIS, the Taliban, and sharia law. However, Christianity is a peaceful religion that promotes charity, treating all people well, and the Golden Rule. Jesus' message was one of love and inclusion. We seem to hold polarizing views. No reasonable person would say that the Westboro Baptist Church and its message represents mainstream Christianity. The same can be said of the Aryan groups' version Christianity. Today we in the West oppose slavery when it was part of the Christian past. I have not read of modern Jews practicing Deuteronomy 21:20-21. There are parts, and laws, of the Bible that are no longer parts society. Just because something is in the Bible does not mean it is practiced.

Husain is a first generation British Moslem. What makes this book so important is it is written by a Western-raised and educated Moslem. He joined the Islamic Society of Britain. Studied Arabic in Syria, and worked for the British Council in Saudi Arabia. His first name is actually Mohamed but students started calling him Ed. What Husain presents in this book is a history of Islam that explains the religion by a practitioner who is also an educated and successful Westerner. He speaks to an audience that he is part of.

House of Islam covers the history of the religion from Muhammad through the Sunni Shia schism and into modern times. Also discussed is Sufism which brought forth some of the regions best poets one that most have heard of or read -- Rumi. This is followed by sections on Ottoman Turkey and Islamists.

Relations with the Jews is covered n great detail. In Indonesia, a non-Arab Moslem country, 47% of the population had a low opinion of Jews. An interesting poll considering Indonesia does not have the history and interactions that Arab countries did and still do. Education is another interesting subject:

‘Knowledge and wisdom are the lost properties of the believer,’ taught Imam Ali, ‘so seek them even if they be with infidels.’

Today many see education as memorizing large tracts of the Koran in Arabic but without understanding the language. Memorizing is more important than understanding. Perhaps pre-Vatican II Catholics share the similar experience. As with other subjects, Hussain separates canon from cultural tradition in explaining laws, women, and sex in Moslem countries. Traditions play a large role in the culture. There is nothing in the Koran that states women must wear black in public but in countries like Saudi Arabia, there is little, if any, variation.

House of Islam presents an even view and explanation of Islam and its history. Hussain separates the words of the prophet from tradition and sayings that are attributed to Muhammad. He presents a sensible and easy to follow description of the religion that would benefit many in the West.
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Markeret
evil_cyclist | Mar 16, 2020 |
I read this book and followed the education of the author. How he became radicalized in England is no different than how seemingly ordinary Muslims world-wide get radicalized. It wasn't jobs; education; or poverty that did it. You will have to read the book to get some insight into how Ed Hussein became radicalized and how he unradicalized himself.

Today, in countries where people come back from radicalization, the citizens don't know whether to trust the returnees. I wonder how Mr. Hussein is doing today.… (mere)
 
Markeret
egbegb | 11 andre anmeldelser | Jun 25, 2015 |
Despite other reviews finding this book dry or difficult to follow, I found it a riveting read from start to finish. Yes you need to reread the odd phrase and definition a couple of times to understand the concepts but that would be the same for any book of this sort.

I was motivated to read this book as research for something I am writing myself but I wish I had been able to read this when I was working full time with people from diverse backgrounds including many Muslims. It gives sufficient context to understand the different strands and beliefs of Islam. Before, I had rather assumed that Islam was a single faith with all adherents believing basically the same thing but it turns out that there are a bewildering number of sects and schools of thought within Islam.

Husain’s argument is that the brand of Islam followed in many British mosques and particularly as promoted on British university campuses is of a hardline variety that often leads to extremist views. He characterises those who follow this brand as “Islamists” to distinguish them from more moderate Muslims. He also argues that Islamists are promoting a politicised version of Islam which, at least in his interpretation, is not a true reflection of the original faith. I am too new to this subject to judge the truth of his arguments but he writes very persuasively and with reference to his own experience of becoming an extreme Islamist before rejecting it in later life.

This is an impassioned plea to reject extremist views and sets some difficult challenges for proponents of free speech, of whom I include myself. My only niggling doubt about Husain is that I’d like to know how someone, who says he has come to oppose extremists of all kinds, can yet be an advisor to the Tony Blair faith foundation. Blair is, in many people’s opinion, one of the most dangerous extremists the West has ever produced.
… (mere)
 
Markeret
basilisksam | 11 andre anmeldelser | Jul 30, 2014 |
on Sunday, July 27, 2008 I wrote about this book:

Finished this book yesterday.
it was definitely not an easy read, by far. Lots of Islam names and Islam groups. Wow they fight amongst themselves so much, so much rivalry. I liked the beginning, the middle I did start to get a bit bored but I did not want to give up so I tried and kept reading. Glad I did cause it teached me a lot.

How scary it is to know so many muslims are living next to us and think we are so far below them and that there are quite a lot of them who hate us even.
Even more scary is that because of our freedom we let them get sway with a lot. Look at the situation in England. I know it will be the same here.
I did underline passages, not with pen, which were remarkable or interest me. Now I want to read another book to give me even more insight. Thinking of Eurabia or While Europe slept.
Thanks for sharing. 7.5

… (mere)
 
Markeret
Marlene-NL | 11 andre anmeldelser | Apr 12, 2013 |

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Værker
3
Medlemmer
412
Popularitet
#59,116
Vurdering
½ 3.6
Anmeldelser
13
ISBN
16
Sprog
1

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