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Read The Politically Incorrect Guide To Islam (2005)

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (2005)

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3.89 of 5 Votes: 1
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ISBN
0895260131 (ISBN13: 9780895260130)
Language
English
Publisher
regnery publishing

The Politically Incorrect Guide To Islam (2005) - Plot & Excerpts

Oh my God, what a stupid book.It's difficult to know where to begin with a book like this. On the one hand, you cannot dismiss it as the invention of a whackjob. Robert Spencer has clearly done research on his subject and there are a fair number of points that an honest mind would have to concede to him.Yes, Mr. Spencer, the Crusades were not an example of the Western world colonizing the Middle East.andYes, Saladin's chivalrous reputation glosses over some of his bloodier exploits.These two facts are used to buttress Mr. Spencer's assault on what he perceives to be the established view of the Crusades.The way he misuses these facts demonstrates that Mr. Spencer is not engaged in scholarly analysis- he is simply selecting the facts that suit his viewpoint.Take the point about colonizing. It would be easy to say that the Crusades were a form of colonial conquest - and Mr. Spencer rightly points out that this is mistaken. The Frankish kingdoms in the holy land were not extensions of their motherlands. They were independent conquests, ruled by the very nobles whose armies established them.That changes nothing about the essential character of the Crusades. Namely: Frankish knights invaded the Holy Land to conquer it for their own gain, at the expense of its inhabitants, with the blessing and encouragement of the pope.The fact that they didn't rename their conquests New Aquitaine and send money home to the king hardly mattered to the people they subjugated.Spencer lingers over this meaningless technicality as if it undoes all of established history. The historical record of the Crusades is eye-deep with barbarous actions by the invading crusaders: slaughtering the populations of surrendered cities (Jerusalem), treacherous knights (Tancred and Reynald de Chatillon) even cannibalism on the part of supposedly holy warriors. After killing their way into Jerusalem, the system of government chosen by the Franks was pretty much beside the point. To any resident of the area, they were invaders. To any scholar of history, they were unprovoked invaders.Spencer also takes great pains to point out the bloody deeds of Saladin as if to reveal some great cover up. The truth is, yes - Saladin enjoys a great reputation in the West for chivalry and piety. And yes, as Spencer points out - he did have thousands of his prisoners executed. (It's actually worse than what Spencer describes - Saladin had his prisoners executed by Sufis, -holy men, not soldiers- who botched their executions and caused additional suffering).Only people who watch period movies will ever accuse Saladin of being a blameless adversary. Spencer is arguing with a myth that exists only in terrible movies like Kingdom of Heaven.Western history remembers Saladin fondly because of his numerous acts of benevolence - chief among them releasing the residents of Jerusalem (after the Frankish nobles refused to buy their freedom, choosing instead to take their treasures with them). While many of his actions (like providing replacement horses to Richard I in battle) cold be seen as shrewd strategy - there is a definite chivalry gap between the Frankish knights and Saladin.You could spend a long time trying to find a record of Tancred's good deeds in the holy land.Spencer lingers long on the bloodshed of battle of Hattin, and pointlessly debates whether the 1099 fall of Jerusalem really made blood run leg-deep in the streets. For one thing, Spencer is comparing the end with the beginning.Hattin was the culmination of the war against the Frankish kingdoms. It came in 1187, after almost a century of Frankish domination and bloodshed. To compare Saladin's extermination of the Frankish army at Hattin with the wholesale slaughter of 30,000-40,000 defenseless Jerusalem residents in 1099 is (to put it mildly) missing a bit of context.The Franks brought the concept of total war to the Middle East. For many in the region this was their introduction to the West - a heavily armed mass of religious fanatics. When later Arab leaders like Baybars waged total war against the Franks there should be no confusion as to where they got the idea.Spencer's arguments against Islam as a religion are best described as selective. Pitting one religion's writings against another is hardly an objective exercise - but he tries anyway. Here's a quote from his introduction trying to explain his motivation for doing so:"...I have placed a "Muhammad vs. Jesus" sidebar in every chapter to emphasize the fallacy of those who claim that Islam and Christianity-and all other religious traditions, for that matter-are basically equal in their ability to inspire good or evil. It is also meant to emphasize that the West, built on Christianity, is worth defending, even if we live in a so-called post Christian era."These are not the words of a scholar. They are the words of a modern crusader.

Before I saw this book title (I can't remember where I first ran across it), if asked, I would have said that Islam was a peaceful religion, that, like many other religions in history, has been hijacked by evil-doers. But when I saw this book, I wondered. Could he be right? I decided to read it, and give the author a chance to make his point. I am acquainted with some American Muslims who would argue against this, but I wonder if they aren't plagued by their own bias. After all, who wants to think badly of their own religion and/or ethnic ancestors? I was shocked to learn that many non-Arab Muslims have not actually read (don't understand) their own holy book, that they merely recite passages from it in the original Arabic. This book seems very well researched. The author appears to be conscious of the likelihood of an anti-Muslim bias, and I believe it inspired him to study his subject harder. He gives many suggestions for further reading. He explores the current media line on Islam, the history of Islamic/Judeo-Chrisian relations, makes conclusions, and provides his evidence at every step. And in a feature I loved, he presents ideas for defeating the enemy. Another person that picked up my copy commented that it was very repetitive - the author says some of the same things over and over. I agree this is true, however he has a purpose. In his discussion of an individual point he presents the evidence that backs it up. Some evidence applies to multiple points. I did not find any repitition to pointless, only mildly tedious on occasion. Additionally, the prose is highly readable. One thing I found somewhat annoying in this book is that the author uses a comparison of Islam and Christianity as part of his framework. I myself am of Christian ancestry, but was not raised in any particular faith. I have spiritual beliefs, but they do not match closely enough with any specific religion for me to join one. My annoyance was b/c I felt he was assuming his readership to be Christian. However, if his intended audience is the American public, that is not statistically unreasonable. Although I would rather that the author's hypothesis were not true, at this time, I believe the author has made his point. I now intend to investigate the issue further, and am very grateful to have had this possible truth brought to my attention. I have already acquired some additional reading, on both "sides" of this issue, in addition to a translation of the Quran. I would recommend this book to everyone as a starting point for exploring this potentially (if he's right) vital issue.

What do You think about The Politically Incorrect Guide To Islam (2005)?

Well, I never really expect a balanced, nuanced view from a PIG guide. :-) This just happened to be the first of a group of books I began hunting down last summer to show up on my doorstep so. I am still hunting and searching for answers to the paradoxes of Islam--how did a flourishing, progressive culture in the Middle Ages become backward and anti-progress? How can the same people who partner with the Church in standing for decency and family, be the same people who murder those who disagree with them and dress up small boys in fake-bloody shirts and run them through the streets with knives and "Death to All Jews" posters? I was so disturbed last summer after reading Ayaan Hirsi Ali's stunning and heartwrenching Infidel (HIGHLY recommended reading) that I've been on an answer hunt. I didn't find too many here. I did get a list of possibly enlightening further reading. In a history sense, this book is OK. In a "OK, what now" sense, it is sort of dismal. I got a little annoyed at the repetition and little "Jesus vs. Mohammed" sidebars, and a few of Spencer's answers don't quite wash (In answer to the "How did such an advanced society end up backward" his answer is, essentially--never happened. They never WERE advanced. It was all Jews, Christians and apostates who were advanced, the Muslims were always neanderthals--ugh) However, Spencer correctly points out that the Crusades were essentially defensive, Islam has always been militant and always stressed offering a maximum of THREE choices to all the rest of the world, (1. Convert, 2. Pay a heavy tax and subject yourselves, or 3. Die.), and he points out the logical absurdity of saying that Pat Robertson saying something dumb is the same thing as a mullah issuing a fatwa of death on someone who said something he didn't like. I got a nice list of further reading from the notes at least. But I still don't really have a fix on how "Infidel" and the nice Muslim family who lived down the student-housing block from us are from the same world.
—Michelle

An excellent book by a respected scholarI have been reading the work of Robert Spencer for last several years and I must say he is one of the fearless scholars who write honestly about Islam and the threat it poses to Western civilization. The population of Islamists is growing in the Western world, and the threat of Islamic terrorism is here and very real.This is very well researched book by a highly respected conservative scholar. Robert Spencer discusses the facts about Islam that most scholars shy away for the fear of being politically incorrect. This book covers plenty of ground with a study of Muhammad, his early life, the making of the Qur'an, the spread of Islam, and Islam's early wars, culminating in the Crusades. Islam has been presented by a few politically correct scholars as "a religion of peace" mainly to please Islamic population in Western countries. The truth is that it is anything but a peaceful religion. The intolerance to other cultures and other faiths are clearly expressed in Islamic literature, when forgiveness is the principal concept of ChristianismThe author provides an exposé of Islam that "won't be taught in school" or "heard on the evening news." He describes the religion vividly and draws our attention to the goal of Islamists; that is to globalize Islam by causing fear and using force. The view that Islam is a religion of peace has been hijacked by a very small minority of liberals and apologists. The author quotes great many number of historical figures critical of Islam, including John Quincy Adams, Winston Churchill and many others. Using facts like the Danish cartoon episode, and the Pope Benedict's speech with quotes calling Muhammad's teachings "evil" and "spread by the sword," the aftermath of Islamic rampage witnessed across the globe, the author cleverly discusses the facts of Islamic culture in chapters like; "Muhammad: Prophet of War" and "Islam--Spread by the Sword?At the end of the book Robert Spencer warns that if West does not act in a timely manner, it will be too late to win against Islam. Jihad has already been declared against the Western society. The war on terror can be won if the Western allies in the Muslim world receive support, and these moderates can create an environment in Islamic countries where the ideology of hate is replaced with respect for other faiths and coexistence in peace and harmony.I believe that this book must be made mandatory for all freshman entering the colleges and universities to learn the truth about Islam.
—Rama

This book was recommended to me by an avid reader as "the best summary I have seen of the main tenants of Islam and how they relate to the current socio-political challenges of our world." The power of this book is it's focus. Spencer uses primary sources to illustrate, not ALL the tenets of Islam, but simply those that have bearing on the socio-political interaction of Muslims within Islamic society and with those outside of Islamic society (be they co-located or in outside nations). Throughout the book there are recommendations for primary source research should the reader desire more information. Spencer also has an agenda to expose the fallicies of the politically correct presentation of both Islam and Christianity in Western society. While I wasn't too interested in the Crusades section when I picked the book up, Spencer's logic was compelling enough for me to devour these sections when I came to them. His basic point is that both Islam and Christianity are being misrepresented in public discourse. Islam is being presented too favorably, while Christianity is being presented too harshly. The result is a dangerous underestimation of the political threat of Islam combined with an apathy toward Western civilization (and the Christianity it was built upon) which is rendering the West somnolent. This was a compelling arguement that made me recognize my apathy and rethink some of actions. As somewhat of an aside, I should mention that Spencer is intentional about documenting that NOT ALL MUSLIMS agree with ALL the concepts of Islam that he is presenting. But his point is three-fold: 1) We simply don't know a credible way to determine what percentage of Muslims embrace specific doctrines of their faith; 2) The concern remains that if one is truly commited to Islam, this IS what Islam teaches; and 3) While atrocities have certainly been commited by Christians, sometimes even in the name of their faith, an examination of Christianity (via the primary source method Spencer applies to Islam) reveals that Jesus and the Bible neither endorse nor encourage these egregious acts. Which brings me to...Another theme of Spencer's work, though less developed, is that whether or not you agree with Christianity, it's presence was essential to the development of Western Civilization as we know it. The Christian (and in some cases Judeo-Christian) concepts of a natural order, freedom, loving others as yourself, intrinsic law (and therefore the requirement of lawfulness), and compassion for the oppressed, have not only influenced but molded our society into what it is today. Spencer contrasts the Islamic society which was established by Mohammed in rejection of these Judeo-Christian concepts and notes that the two worldviews are drastically different. And not in idea only, for the society created by each is also vastly different, and not many of the West would want to live in the Islamic version. I know I certainly wouldn't. Of course, the challenge Spencer faces is that telling Westerners this different worldview exists and is threatening their lifestyle is kind of like warning fish that water is drying up. Who can really fathom it? In order to increase my own comprehension, I think this is a book I will need to read again.
—Ebookwormy

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