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Heretic: Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now Kindle Edition
Continuing her journey from a deeply religious Islamic upbringing to a post at Harvard, the brilliant, charismatic and controversial New York Times and Globe and Mail #1 bestselling author of Infidel and Nomad makes a powerful plea for a Muslim Reformation as the only way to end the horrors of terrorism, sectarian warfare and the repression of women and minorities.
Today, she argues, the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims can be divided into a minority of extremists, a majority of observant but peaceable Muslims and a few dissidents who risk their lives by questioning their own religion. But there is only one Islam and, as Hirsi Ali shows, there is no denying that some of its key teachings—not least the duty to wage holy war—are incompatible with the values of a free society.
For centuries it has seemed as if Islam is immune to change. But Hirsi Ali has come to believe that a Muslim Reformation—a revision of Islamic doctrine aimed at reconciling the religion with modernity—is now at hand, and may even have begun. The Arab Spring may now seem like a political failure. But its challenge to traditional authority revealed a new readiness—not least by Muslim women—to think freely and to speak out.
Courageously challenging the jihadists, she identifies five key amendments to Islamic doctrine that Muslims have to make to bring their religion out of the seventh century and into the twenty-first. And she calls on the Western world to end its appeasement of the Islamists. “Islam is not a religion of peace,” she writes. It is the Muslim reformers who need our backing, not the opponents of free speech.
Interweaving her own experiences, historical analogies and powerful examples from contemporary Muslim societies and cultures, Heretic is not a call to arms, but a passionate plea for peaceful change and a new era of global toleration. In the wake of the Charlie Hebdo murders, with jihadists killing thousands from Nigeria to Syria to Pakistan, this book offers an answer to what is fast becoming the world’s number one problem.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherHarper
- Publication dateMarch 24, 2015
- File size2881 KB
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Editorial Reviews
Review
Praise for Infidel: “Brave, inspiring, and beautifully written…Narrated in clear, vigorous prose, it traces the author’s geographical journey from Mogadishu to Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Kenya, and her desperate flight to the Netherlands to escape an arranged marriage.” — The New York Times
“Ayaan Hirsi Ali is one of Europe’s most controversial political figures and a target for terrorists. A notably enigmatic personality whose fierce criticisms of Islam have made her a darling of...conservatives...and...popular with leftists...Soft-spoken but passionate.” — Boston Globe
“Crammed with harrowing details, Hirsi Ali’s account is a significant contribution to our times.” — Kirkus (starred review)
“A powerful, compelling read…Put simply, this woman is a heroine.” — The Christian Science Monitor
“A charismatic figure...of arresting and hypnotizing beauty...[who writes] with quite astonishing humor and restraint.” — Christopher Hitchens
“The five areas for Islamic reform highlighted by Ayaan in this book require deep consideration by my fellow Muslims…I thank Ayaan for having the resilience and determination to help in continuing this ongoing conversation.” — Maajid Nawaz, Co-founder and Chair of Quilliam, counter-extremism think-tank
“She is absolutely right to raise difficult issues that must be addressed worldwide, especially by Muslims...I hope that this book will help to stimulate vital discussions for the future of Islam, and in fact for the future of humanity.” — Sheikh Dr. Usama Hasan, imam and Islamic scholar
“Audacious? Quixotic? Visionary? Necessary? All of the above. This an urgent, complicated, risky subject, and Hirsi Ali, valiant, indomitable, and controversial, offers a potent indictment, idealistic blueprint, and galvanizing appeal to both conscience and reason.” — Donna Seaman, Booklist
“Whatever one may think of her solutions, Hirsi Ali should be commended for her unblinking determination to address the problem.” — Andrew Anthony, The Guardian
“A book full of compassion.” — Paul Steenhuis, NRC Handelsblad
“Surprisingly constructive…[Hirsi Ali] goes to work with much reasonability and significant knowledge of the subject matter” — Carel Peeters, Vrij Nederland
“We ignore her quill to our shame and peril.” — Katherine Ernst, City Journal
“Hirsi Ali offers a fine example for the braver souls among us.” — Michael Totten, Commentary
From the Back Cover
“A charismatic figure . . . [who writes] with quite astonishing humor and restraint.”—Christopher Hitchens
In the New York Times bestselling Heretic, Ayaan Hirsi Ali argues that it is foolish to insist that the violent acts of Islamic extremists can be divorced from the religious doctrine that inspires them. Instead we must confront the fact that they are driven by a political ideology embedded in Islam itself. She makes a powerful case that a religious reformation is the only way to end the terrorism, sectarian warfare, and repression of women and minorities that each year claim thousands of lives throughout the Muslim world.
Today, Hirsi Ali argues, the world’s 1.6 billion Muslims can be divided into a minority of extremists, a majority of believers who are not violent but tacitly condone extremism, and a growing number of dissidents who risk their lives by questioning their own religion. As Hirsi Ali shows, there is no denying that some of Islam’s key teachings—not least the duty to wage holy war—inspire violence not just in the Muslim world but in the West as well.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali believes that a Muslim “Reformation”—a revision of Islamic doctrine aimed at reconciling the religion with modernity—is at hand, and may even already have begun. Boldly challenging centuries of theological orthodoxy, she proposes five key amendments to Islamic doctrine that Muslims must make if they are to bring their religion out of the seventh century and into the twenty-first. The West’s role should be to support the reformers rather than their persecutors.About the Author
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a Somali-born women’s rights activist, free speech advocate, and the New York Times bestselling author of Infidel, The Caged Virgin, Nomad, Heretic, and The Challenge of Dawa. Born in Mogadishu, Somalia, she grew up in Africa and the Middle East, before seeking asylum in the Netherlands, where she went on to become a member of parliament. Today she lives in the United States with her husband and two sons.
Product details
- ASIN : B00FVW8MH0
- Publisher : Harper; Reprint edition (March 24, 2015)
- Publication date : March 24, 2015
- Language : English
- File size : 2881 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 259 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #245,250 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #13 in Women in Islam (Kindle Store)
- #120 in History of LGBTQ+ & Gender Studies
- #146 in Human Rights Law (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Ayaan Hirsi Ali was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, was raised Muslim, and spent her childhood and young adulthood in Africa and Saudi Arabia. In 1992, Hirsi Ali came to the Netherlands as a refugee. She earned her college degree in political science and worked for the Dutch Labor party. She denounced Islam after the September 11 terrorist attacks and now serves as a Dutch parliamentarian, fighting for the rights of Muslim women in Europe, the enlightenment of Islam, and security in the West.
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Customers find the book informative and well-written. They describe it as a brilliant and important read for everyone. The writing style is clear and articulate. Readers praise the author's courage and intellect. The historical perspective is interesting and intriguing. Opinions are mixed on the religion, with some finding it highly relatable and challenging, while others consider it unreformed and not a religion of peace.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the book informative and useful. They appreciate the author's clear purpose and understanding of Islam. The book provides a concise report on Muslim law and religion, and sheds new light on its good and bad aspects.
"...What others are saying: “Brave, inspiring, and beautifully written…Narrated in clear, vigorous prose, it traces the author’s geographical..." Read more
"...This, then, is a book that sheds new light on Islam - its good and its bad, and Ali, in this reader’s view one people of all persuasions should..." Read more
"...the Quran is perfect, word of God, written in heaven so can never be changed and Muhammad as God's messenger, 2)..." Read more
"I found Miss Ali's presentation to be both thoughtful and well documented. I agree that her suggestion that a reformation is over due is correct...." Read more
Customers find the book engaging and informative. They say it's a must-read for everyone, especially liberals and secularists. The writing is good and the content maintains their interest. It's a great follow-up to the author's first book and sheds new light on Islam.
"...Kirkus Review “A powerful, compelling read…Put simply, this woman is a heroine.” - The Christian Science Monitor “..." Read more
"...This, then, is a book that sheds new light on Islam - its good and its bad, and Ali, in this reader’s view one people of all persuasions should..." Read more
"The terrific book by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, "Heretic," should be read by every American...." Read more
"...combine with a clear style of expression that make this a truly outstanding book...." Read more
Customers find the writing style engaging and clear. They appreciate the author's intelligence and articulate writing style. The book is well organized and informative, with a bold and courageous approach.
"...What others are saying: “Brave, inspiring, and beautifully written…Narrated in clear, vigorous prose, it traces the author’s geographical..." Read more
"...of the Free and the Home of the Brave and she becomes increasingly articulate in English the longer she speaks it...." Read more
"...in order to push her ideas forward, and I view her scholarship to be crystal clear...." Read more
"...so many atrocities committed in the name of the religion, she writes brilliantly and with clarity some possible paths to pursue." Read more
Customers praise the author's courage and intellect. They describe her as an amazing human being, a beacon of hope in the depressing world, and a truly heroic book. The author's honesty, intelligence, and clear writing style are appreciated.
"...What others are saying: “Brave, inspiring, and beautifully written…Narrated in clear, vigorous prose, it traces the author’s geographical..." Read more
"...Her courage, her eye-watering honesty, and her lofty intelligence combine with a clear style of expression that make this a truly outstanding book...." Read more
"This is an incredible book by an extremely brave woman...." Read more
"...All in all, a brave effort by Aryaan...." Read more
Customers find the book provides an excellent analysis of Islam's history and culture. They find the author's ideas on a reformation intriguing and interesting. The book is described as insightful and a book for our times, with a clear call to reform supported by both history and the current situation. Readers appreciate the author's life story and her perspective as an insider.
"...Her thesis in the book is that Islam is in dire need of urgent and drastic reform, and further, that such a revolution in a fundamentalist faith is..." Read more
"...for its value: taking a stand against religious fanaticism, proposing reformation, and offering solutions...." Read more
"...She has a nuanced and important perspective to share. That is not to say that I agree with her every particular...." Read more
"...Here you get history integrated with current affairs and a belief system have driven both...." Read more
Customers have different views on Islam. Some find the book helpful for understanding its history and challenges, while others think it's unreformed and not a religion of peace. The author advocates changes in the religion and identifies many inconsistencies.
"...in the Seventh Century is a case in point and a indispensable chapter for understanding Sharia law and its cultural onslaught and conflict with the..." Read more
"...That means you. Jihad isn’t voluntary for orthodox Muslims; it’s Mandatory The jihadi stands before you with a raised scimitar and tells you that..." Read more
"...is one I consider highly valuable to all religions as well as secular society...." Read more
"...the Quran is perfect, word of God, written in heaven so can never be changed and Muhammad as God's messenger, 2)..." Read more
Customers have different views on the book's scariness level. Some find it informative and disturbing, while others describe it as shocking and dangerous.
"One of the most important yet unsettling books of recent years...." Read more
"...Well-written, engaging, and very disturbing. Buy this book and support freedom of expression. I purchased five more copies to send to friends...." Read more
"Factual, frightening. If you think you know about Islam, read this. Ayaan Hirsi Ali raised as a Muslim in Somalia. Alot to be learned..." Read more
"...realistic discussion and solutions to the nature and source of violent elements of Islam...." Read more
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You go girl !
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2017Heretic: Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now
By Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Reviewed by Jack Kettler
A Bio:
Ayaan Hirsi Ali was born in Mogadishu, Somalia. She was raised as a Muslim, and spent her childhood and young adulthood in Africa and Saudi Arabia and Nairobi, Kenya. In 1992, She came to the Netherlands as a refugee. She earned her college degree in political science and worked for the Dutch Labor party. She condemned Islam after the September 11th World Trade Center terrorist attacks. In the past she has been an elected Dutch parliamentarian. She distinguished herself by fighting for the rights of Muslim women in Europe, the enlightenment of Islam, and security in the West. In addition, Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a New York Times bestselling author of Infidel, Nomad, and The Caged Virgin. She is prominent speaker, debater, and journalist, she was chosen as one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world. She is now a fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She is the founder of the AHA Foundation, which fights female genital mutilation (FGM).
What others are saying:
“Brave, inspiring, and beautifully written…Narrated in clear, vigorous prose, it traces the author’s geographical journey from Mogadishu to Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Kenya, and her desperate flight to the Netherlands to escape an arranged marriage.” - The New York Times
“Ayaan Hirsi Ali is one of Europe’s most controversial political figures and a target for terrorists. A notably enigmatic personality whose fierce criticisms of Islam have made her a darling of...conservatives...and...popular with leftists...Soft-spoken but passionate.” - Boston Globe
“Crammed with harrowing details, Hirsi Ali’s account is a significant contribution to our times.” - Kirkus Review
“A powerful, compelling read…Put simply, this woman is a heroine.” - The Christian Science Monitor
“A charismatic figure...of arresting and hypnotizing beauty...[who writes] with quite astonishing humor and restraint.” - Christopher Hitchens
“A book full of compassion.” - Paul Steenhuis, NRC Handelsblad
“We ignore her quill to our shame and peril.” - Katherine Ernst, City Journal
“Hirsi Ali offers a fine example for the braver souls among us.” - Michael Totten, Commentary
My thoughts on the book:
Ayaan Hirsi Ali's intellect matches her extraordinary beauty in every way. She contends that it's foolish ignorance to believe that the barbarous demonstrations of Muslim violence can be considered separate from the theological and philosophical Islamic belief system's framework that ultimately creates these acts. She makes the case that this violence is driven by a religious political belief system embedded in the core of Islam's most sacred texts itself, the Quran and Hadiths. She puts forth a credible defense of her thesis that a reformation is needed to stop the Muslim suppression of women and it's relentless persecution and murder of non-Muslim minorities that happens throughout the entire Muslim world and is increasing exponentially in the West.
She makes the case that Mohammad incorporated and codified 7th century Arabic cultural norms and practices along with superstitions into a religious formulation that can never be criticized or challenged under a divine ordered penalty of death. Her chapter, Shacked by Sharia: How Islam's harsh religious code keep Muslims stuck in the Seventh Century is a case in point and a indispensable chapter for understanding Sharia law and its cultural onslaught and conflict with the Western societal norms. Islamic supremacy is most ominous crazed force I have ever seen.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali believes that a “Reformation”of the entire Muslim theological and philosophical framework that will lead to accommodation, innovation and tolerance of non-Muslims is at hand. I have a hard time believing this, but hope she is right. I hope this because the Western world with its abandonment of the Judeo/Christian world view seems incapable of countering the advance of Mohammadism's intractable world view. It seems like the the order of the day among Western leaders is accommodation, appeasement and more politically correct sensitivity training. After increasing jihadist terrorist attacks, Western leaders are reduced to standing in support with the victims as if standing is actually doing something that is meaningful and will lead to the stop of more terrorism. I'm not sure if the terrorists are frightened by political leaders standing together. It probably looks to them like a soft target.
She proposes 5 key changes to Muslim philosophical framework that Muslims should construct on the chance that they're to bring their belief system out of the seventh century and into the 21st.
1. the status of the Quran as the last and immutable word of God and the infallibility of Muhammad as the last divinely inspired messenger;
2. Islam's emphasis on the afterlife over the the here-and-now;
3. the claims of sharia to be a comprehensive system of law governing both the spiritual and temporal realms;
4. the obligation on ordinary Muslims to command right and forbid wrong;
5. the concept of jihad, or holy war. (235)
In conclusion, she says that it is imperative that the West' should help the Muslim reformers rather than their persecutors. Not surprisingly, most Western leaders have appeased front line Muslim invaders like “The Muslim Brotherhood.” Western leaders have done this by blacklisting and shaming these same reformers and specially trained educators and experts in Islamic law and tradition who are warning of the dangers of unbridled non-Muslim assimilation in the West.
Every book written by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, should be read with serious attention. She came from Somalia to fight for our freedoms! “Silence is an accomplish to injustice.” - Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Mr. Kettler is the owner of Undergroundnotes.com a conservative web hub and the author of the new book, The Religion That Started in a Hat: A Reference Manual for Christians who Witness to Mormons that is available at Amazon.
- Reviewed in the United States on October 20, 2015With each of Ms. Hirsi Ali’s books it seems she’s captured everything that needs to be said and that material for another book might be scarce, yet here is Heretic to disprove the assumption. Her views evolve the longer she lives in The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave and she becomes increasingly articulate in English the longer she speaks it. It helps that she teaches at Harvard where she engages in spirited dialog with the opposition. With Heretic Ms. Hirsi Ali produces a compelling portrait of that opposition, what it is, and what it isn’t.
In Heretic’s formulation it is not Muslims who are the problem, as tempting as it might be to think so, since there is such a high correlation between Muslims and violence. The problem is that Islam comprises both a religion and a regimen for controlling civil society and a mandate for the forcible propagation of that regimen. Americans should care less about the religious features of Islam. Who cares if someone wants to unfurl a prayer mat and pray towards Mecca five times a day? Hirsi Ali doesn’t and her readers shouldn’t.
The problem, rather, is the enforcement and expansion of those civil controls to which orthodox Muslims are committed. Hirsi Ali calls such Muslims, the ones who observe the literal features of their scripture, “Medina Muslims,” after the era in Muhammad’s life from which they sprung. Those civil controls, which might collectively be viewed as Islam’s jurisprudential documentation are called sharia. They are culled from the three holy sources, the Quran, the hadith, and the Reliance.
Sharia is often a little hard for Western observers to grasp since it is not analogous to the Ten Commandments, nor is it "religious law" as it is often translated. Fortunately Hirsi Ali is here to help. Sharia requires the mutilation of the genitals of little girls. Sharia requires the murder not only of anyone who leaves the religion but anyone who questions the religion. Sharia requires the death of anyone who criticizes the Prophet. Sharia imposes death for a very long list of misdemeanors including running away, refusing to marry the person chosen for you, marrying outside the clan. Sharia not only permits but requires slavery. Sharia imposes rules for distributing the booty stolen in raiding parties. Sharia requires wife beating and imposes specific techniques for the punishment. Sharia imposes life imprisonment for crimes of immodesty, such as letting a man from another family see a woman’s face or ankle.
Some will say that it’s not their concern if Muslims treat one another with grotesque inhumanity. Yes, it’s too bad and all that but they’ve been doing it for a long time, like thirteen hundred years, right? Why can’t we just let the U.N. form a working group or something? Hirsi Ali has an answer for you. For starters there’s another feature of sharia she hasn’t mentioned yet: jihad. Jihad means the forcible conversion of infidels. That means you. Jihad isn’t voluntary for orthodox Muslims; it’s Mandatory The jihadi stands before you with a raised scimitar and tells you that you must convert to Islam or he will cut your head off. Think twice before you answer. Acceding to the Medina Muslim’s threat means that your daughters’ genitals will be mutilated, that you will be murdered for having sex with your high school sweetheart (there’s no statute of limitations in sharia). It means that after you die your wife will be separated from her children since she cannot take them to the home of the warlord who has killed you. Sharia means that if your wife is raped she will be sentenced to death for adultery. So, again, scimitar or Islam?
But wait! Hirsi Ali proposes a way to avert this scenario. Why don’t we encourage Reform Muslims (her formulation) to break free from the Medina Muslims and their cruel and inhuman treatment of one another and demand what we in the West call universal human rights? Why don’t we resist the sharia-adherent hordes while there’s still a chance? Why don’t we encourage their dissent and free thinking? Just imagine how things might turn out. Quick about it though; they’ve got nukes and they’re centrifuges are spinning away making lots more.
- Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2015We here in the west have for a long time been as insulated culturally as we now believe those from northern Africa and the Middle East have been. All cultures built roughly on regional religions, Christianity, Judaism, Islam to name the largest, seem to thrive on exclusivity, i.e., ours is the real deal, yours is inferior if not wrongheaded and dangerous. these cultural bees can change through external forces, they must change internally, much as Christianity changed through Luther’s Reformation and through the Enlightenment. Now, says Ayaan Hirsi Ali, it’s Islam’s turn.
One of the most provoking ideas Ali puts forth in this book is that by the Qur’anic scripture the sort of evolution Christianity has gone through is considered by Muslims to be apostasy, i.e., all social and spiritual practices must always return to those at the time of Muhammad. Clearly this would set the stage, if Islam were to conquer the world, for Islam to then feed violently upon itself in seeking religious and cultural purity. Ali has left that faith, but she apparently cares enough about it to be at the forefront of a group of reformers demanding that Islam evolve, find its truths and precepts in the context of the modern world. Toward that end, she puts forth five theses that she believes will diminish the violence innate to Islam.
This book is one I consider highly valuable to all religions as well as secular society. Ali, in order to see her former religion in the clearest light possible, has become a religious scholar in order to push her ideas forward, and I view her scholarship to be crystal clear. This, then, is a book that sheds new light on Islam - its good and its bad, and Ali, in this reader’s view one people of all persuasions should read.
My rating: 18 of 20 stars
Top reviews from other countries
- Prof. Paul Williams, Bristol, UKReviewed in the United Kingdom on October 15, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Enough of knee jerk reactions!
I have elsewhere on Amazon reviewed extremely favourably works that urge an open, understanding, tolerant admiration of Muslims and Islam. That, too, is my own perspective and experience. Ayaan Hirsi Ali is often hated and misrepresented for her critical portrayal of Islam. But having now read this book I would urge an open, understanding and tolerant admiration for her and this book too!
AHA writes with passion and commitment, but she also writes with deep experience as a Muslim, uncommonly wide knowledge and I think balance and fairness. This book, while passionately written, is not a polemic but a reasoned appeal for an Islamic ‘reformation’ on the model of the Christian Reformation ushered in by Luther.
It is not a difficult read, although for some - perhaps many - it may be an uncomfortable one. She wholeheartedly admires the Protestant Reformation and subsequent free-thinkers like Voltaire. She passionately and bravely urges their inspiration for a rethinking of Islam.
And why not? I am a Catholic, and I am far from sharing her rather simplistic and old-fashioned portrayal of pre-Reformation Catholicism and admiration for Luther and the Protestant Reformation. Let alone Voltaire!
But the point is, we could hold a reasoned conversation about this, about our different understandings and perspectives. We hold in common the primacy of seeking truth through rational debate.
This is all AHA is asking for regarding Islam in the modern world. And it seems imperative that we take the time and trouble simply to read what she has written. Especially given its relevance one way or another to us all.
Mull it over. Join - or if necessary start - the conversation. And let that conversation be rational, based on clarity of expression and seeking logical coherence, remembering that common to all such debates is a search for truth. It is difficult to see realistically how we can begin to find truth (let alone Truth) otherwise.
And five stars for reminding us all of that. Whether or not we love Luther and Voltaire!
- Sunit PandeyReviewed in India on February 11, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable resource for understanding complexities of Islam.
Heretic by Ayan Hirsi Ali is a well-written and informative book that provides a comprehensive analysis of the challenges faced by the Islamic world and the need for a reformation within the religion. The author's personal experiences and expertise on the topic give the book a unique perspective, making it a valuable resource for those seeking to understand the complexities of Islam and its relationship with the modern world. The book is both thought-provoking and educational, presenting compelling arguments and historical context to support its claims. Overall, Heretic is a must-read for anyone interested in religion, politics, and the future of Islam.
-
salvabrReviewed in Spain on May 27, 2019
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesante ensayo.
Una exposición clara y fácil de leer a cerca de la influencia de la religión musulmana sobre las sociedades que la practican.
- Mrs F DavidsonReviewed in France on September 9, 2018
5.0 out of 5 stars An essential read for those who believe in democracy, free speech, and equality of rights for all humanity.
AHA deals accurately and methodically with all the aspects of the Islamic faith, and convincing argues the need for a complete reformation from within and from the clerics to accept that there is no place for ancient barbaric religion the abuses women and any person who disagrees with the outdated myths of a long past ignorant people. To use a person guilty of child abuse, intolerance and genocide as a model on how to follow ones life and death is at best misguided at worst thoroughly evil
- JeanDReviewed in Canada on July 19, 2015
5.0 out of 5 stars In my quest to better understand Islam
Following the dramatic events of 9/11 and the subsequent rise in international terrorism carried in the name of Islam, it is difficult to stay indifferent to the situation. The chances are that it is affecting the majority of us, one way or another. As a recently retired Canadian eager to further explore the world and its various cultures, it is certainly affecting my choice of which countries to safely visit and how I may travel.
When one thinks about the major contemporary religions, the basic values of respect of the individual, promotion of human rights, tolerance with respect to minorities, rejection of violence, to name a few, are common to all of them. Or is it not ?
Is Islam a religion of peace ? Why does Islam relegate women to the role of second class citizen ? What is the true meaning of Jihad in the Qur'an ? Is the Qur'an promoting intolerance towards followers of other religions ? Towards other minority groups ? Why is it so hard to question anything about Islam ?
In my quest to better understand Islam, the origin of terrorism carried in the past 15+ years in the name of Allah and to hopefully glimpse into what the future may entail, I have started to read a few books on the subject. This recently brought me to this recent book from Ayaan Hirsi Ali. The author sees herself as part of a group of dissidents promoting the reformation of Islam. She would obviously be perceived as an "Heretic" by many Muslims, hence the title of the book.
Basically Hirsi Ali's main thesis is that "there is a reason why an increasing proportion of organized violence in the world is happening in countries where Islam is the religion of a substantial share of the population"; that "...Islamic extremism is rooted in Islam itself..."; and that "religious doctrines matter and are in need of reform".
The author sees five main things that need to be reformed to make Islam compatible with the modern world:
- Ensure that the prophet Muhammad and the Qur'an are open to interpretation and criticism (abandon the very literalist interpretation of the Qur'an).
- Avoid the focus on life after death with little regards to life before death.
- Review Sharia (the Islamic law), the way it is applied and end its supremacy over secular law.
- End the practice of "commanding right, forbidding wrong".
- Abandon the call to wage jihad (holy war).
She makes a point that while patriarchal norms as well as violence (from God or through his followers) was also part of ancient writings in other religions (the Torah, the Bible), those parts are now interpreted in their historical context and these passages have been set aside for the most part.
Raised as a Roman Catholic I certainly don't feel threatened to voice a critical opinion against my church stance on celibacy and the limited role of women in the clergy, or the intolerance towards homosexuals (although it was a welcome respite to recently hear Pope Francis opening to door in the latter case). I would certainly not be labelled an "Heretic" or risk retribution. While this may be true for other religions, it does not seem the case for Islam.
I give the book 5 stars: it is well written, to the point, down to earth. The author certainly stirred my "critical thinking" on the subject, an expression she uses often in the book. Her arguments are well exposed and make logical sense. On such a controversial subject, it is important to know what the sources of information are. In that respect the author provides ample references of what appears to be reliable sources.
After reading this book, I would like to read on the viewpoint of a non-reformist moderate Muslim cleric (suffice to say that I already have a good perspective of the opinion of the fundamentalists on a regular basis from the news media). A book like "Islam: Silencing the Critics" by Zia U. Sheikh might be a good start; the reviews seem good. A good translation of the Qur'an would be useful too, to verify and understand the context in which the frequent quotes are taken.