Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here: Untold Stories from the Fight Against Muslim Fundamentalism

by Karima Bennoune

Eye-opening accounts of heroic resistance to religious extremism.

In Lahore, Pakistan, Faizan Peerzada resisted being relegated to a "dark corner" by staging a performing arts festival despite bomb attacks. In Senegal, wheelchair-bound Aissatou Cisse produced a comic book to illustrate the injustices faced by disabled women and girls. In Algeria, publisher Omar Belhouchet and his journalists struggled to put out their paper, El Watan (The Nation), the same night that a 1996 jihadist bombing devastated their offices and killed eighteen of their colleagues. In Afghanistan, Young Women for Change took to the streets of Kabul to denounce sexual harassment, undeterred by threats. In Minneapolis, Minnesota, Abdirizak Bihi organized a Ramadan basketball tournament among Somali refugees to counter the influence of Al Shabaab. From Karachi to Tunis, Kabul to Tehran, across the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, and beyond, these trailblazers often risked death to combat the rising tide of fundamentalism within their own countries. But this global community of writers, artists, doctors, musicians, museum curators, lawyers, activists, and educators of Muslim heritage remains largely invisible, lost amid the heated coverage of Islamist terror attacks on one side and abuses perpetrated against suspected terrorists on the other.

A veteran of twenty years of human rights research and activism, Karima Bennoune draws on extensive fieldwork and interviews to illuminate the inspiring stories of those who represent one of the best hopes for ending fundamentalist oppression worldwide.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Islam, Politics, Middle East, History, Feminism

402 pages, Hardcover

First published August 26, 2013

About the author

Karima Bennoune is a professor of international law at the University of California–Davis School of Law. She grew up in Algeria and the United States and now lives in northern California.

Reviews

[Clif Hostetler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book addresses the charge that Muslims are doing nothing to end fundamentalist violence. The author, fluent in Arabic, French and English, interviewed nearly 300 people from almost 30 countries -- from Afghanistan to Mali -- and has compiled story after story of brave people resisting those who practice violence in the name of the Muslim faith.

These stories make it clear that what’s happening in the Muslim world is a clash within civilizations, not between civilizations. These stories are about brave people living in (exiled in some cases) Muslim-majority societies that westerners can related to as being reasonable people.

Unfortunately, this book is also filled with stories of horrible atrocities of Muslim extremist killing other Muslims. According to a 2009 study, 98 percent of al-Qaeda’s victims were Muslim between 2006 and 2008. Many of these were innocent apolitical victims of violence, and of course those featured in this book who openly resist are often targeted in particular.

So on the one hand this book carries an optimistic tone of a rallying cry of resistance against Islamic terrorism. But my impression of international news is that the trend seems to be headed in the wrong direction (as I write this, ISIS is in the news). Thus I come away from this book feeling discouraged, pessimistic and sad. At the same time I admire those who are brave enough to resist against what appears to be insurmountable odds.

Human rights groups and academics will be surprised to learn that this book includes them for criticism of their relativist stances. The author believes they are overly sympathetic to the notion that “Islamists represent ordinary people, and their opponents are simply elite.” Throughout the book, she describes numerous occasions when Western liberals have championed Islamists as the democratic choice of the masses, even when there has been documented evidence of the same Islamist groups violating human rights or ignoring democratic principles once elected.

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing and important book that everyone should read but won't. It is often times disturbing and difficult to read as a woman, as a mother and as a caring citizen of the world. I was amazed by all that I did not know about that world that I live in and was ashamed and embarrassed of all of my petty concerns in the face of real brutality. In a world where Americans believe that only they are terrorized by Muslim Fundamentalist this book steps forward and introduces us to a world at large that is being destroyed by this same premise. I was amazed by all of the people in this book willing to die for what they believed in and a way of life that they believed to be their right. This should be on everyone's reading list.

[Tariq Mahmood · Rating 5 out of 5]

The real war being fought is not between the West and Islam but within Islam among the fundamentalists and the non conforming Muslims. This internal war is responsible for a huge number of killed raped and kidnapped Muslims as opposed to the very few Westerners which is why this book is so relevant as it chronologies the conflict across many states from Pakistan to Dajikstan and Mali. The many glaring fallacies in the fundamentalists arguments are exposed and a great number of very courageous and determined individuals fighting the fundamentalists are interviewed. Each story is an epic with real heroes emerging among the ordinary Muslims who are sacrificing their lives in order to fight the fundamentalist as fighting is the only way. The author very rightly points out that the fundamentalists use the process (of elections) in order to enforce Shariah on an unsuspecting public, and all they need is to win just once. For once they come in power they seldom leave as they quickly establish a reign of terror akin to the Mongols which spread raw fear among the insecure population. No dialogue has ever successfully being conducted with any fundamentalist Muslim group thus far.

As I finish the book news is just flashing that Sabeen Mahmud, just one of the many courageous heroes mentioned in the book has been gunned down in Karachi. The real battle goes on......

[Rebecca Rolfes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a necessary story but it does have some flaws which undermine the impact. Bennoune's point is that we should forget about the clash between civilizations and look at the clash within civilizations. First, I'm not sure I agree with that. Civilizations don't function in a vacuum as if the world begins and ends at their borders. She talked to hundreds of Muslims around the world who have opposed fundamentalism in their own countries at great risk to themselves and their families. The stories of murders, torture, bombings, intimidation, executions, terror are horrific because they are so personal. A mother had six children murdered just outside her home and when she finds their bodies in a ditch, one of her sons is wearing the new pants his sister saved to buy him for Eid. But, the writing is awkward in spots--the editing could be better. Finally, there are too many stories about women. Obviously, women come in for some of the harshest repression and punishment from fundamentalist and, as a Muslim woman, Bennoune probably found it easier to get access to them. With so many, however, this starts to sound like gender warfare rather than the rise of a new kind of global fascism.

[hayls 🐴 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the best book I've read this year. Also, probably the most suitable book recommendation for those who've been asking what "moderate" Muslims are doing to actively reject fundamentalism. They're doing PLENTY.
Stories of resistance include those of feminists, LGBT+ activists, school teachers on the West Bank, religious Muslims, atheists and agnostics of Muslim heritage, people continuing to encourage cultural and arts events despite direct threats to their lives, and people involved in the Arab Spring of 2011. Stories from Mali to Pakistan to Chechnya.
What I particularly got out of this book was the very valid critique of the views of some left-wingers, academics and Western feminists which seem to unwittingly accommodate some fundamentalist views on things like "equality and the role of religion in public life" and do more to support an Islamist worldview than anything else. And yes, women covering their heads is discussed in relation to this.
People of all political persuasions should give this a read - your perspectives will be all the better for it at the end.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm completely with Karima Bennoune on the political spectrum, and respect her a lot. She alienates both the right and left, as she rallies against religious fundamentalism, and decries the fashionable cultural relativism that prevents her human rights "allies" on the left from raising their voices against religious violence. I just wish the book was better written and organized. She jumps around so much from place to place and story to story, I just couldn't stay engaged though the subject is so interesting and important. I enjoyed the introduction and conclusion, as well the chapter on women "The Imam's Liberated Daughter." Her writings on Algeria are good too, because she's the most connected to that country.

Here's an article she mentions about how feminists will justify violence to women: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/adele...

[Arend Anton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karima Bennoune presents a very different narrative from what you commonly read about Islam. Throughout the book, she interviews activists from the Muslim world, all of whom are fighting for greater tolerance, equality, and rights. Ms. Bennoune's stance is apolitical, distributing equal criticism at conservatives who practice bigotry against Muslims and also Western liberals who make apologies for Islamist thought.

This book is well worth reading for any follower of contemporary events, from those who seek an alternate perspective on the Muslim world from that presented in the media, to those who could stand to learn about the tolerant, progressive strain within the Middle East and Muslim diaspora as a whole.

[Sivananthi T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely timely. This is a highly-charged book with interviews of more than 300 people, who are also Muslims, but are on the frontlines of battling religious fundamentalism/ extremism/ exceptionalism. Some of these stories are really eye-opening especially the accounts of the enforcement of Sharia laws - literal hand sawing, stoning and lashing being carried out in this day and age. The fundamentalists themselves are exposed of their heinous actions beyond laws (secular or religious)...

[David H.]

Why I didn't finish this book: I hate that I didn't finish this book because it's probably one of the most appropriate books for the premise of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, but I kept not picking this up and took over a week to get through just two chapters. I kept getting flashbacks to when I was in grad school when I had to read papers and such on this topic, and I didn't enjoy that.

I tried to read this as part of my personal project to read Dayton Literary Peace Prize winners. This book was the 2014 Nonfiction Winner.

[Muhamed · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book. Karima Bennoune manages brilliantly to report the side of the story that is often neglected. The stories of people she interviewed will forever be with me. One of the most important books I've read in 2017. Will definitely recommend to everyone.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a strain in American popular thought and foreign policy which can perhaps best be paraphrased by a t-shirt I remember from the seventies. Purporting to quote the Airborne, it said, "Kill them all: let God sort them out." This is the same attitude that has justified successive wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, drone killings, and the infamous use of torture by U.S. intelligence services. Not only is such an approach morally repellent, but even the most hardened advocate of Realpolitik should be able to see by now that it is ineffective. Thinking that we have removed the cancer of Saddam Hussein, we have created the constantly metastasising Islamic State. Our cynical reflex is either to prop up brutal dictators like Abdel Fatteh El Sisi or the brutal Saudi regime when they serve us, or to obliterate their countries when they don't.

Karima Bennoune's insightful book suggests that there is a third approach, superficially less attractive and certainly more difficult, but morally appropriate and more conducive to long-term success. Bennoune is the daughter of an Algerian university professor and intellectual who survived the nineties in Algeria under constant threat from fundamentalist death squads and yet maintained a principled support for civil society. Inspired in part by her father's example, Bennoune has woven together the stories of courageous dissidents in the Muslim (mostly Arab) world who despite the neglect of Western media and human rights organizations, have continued to attempt to navigate the Scylla and Charibdys (her metaphor) of fundamentalist terror and state oppression.

Bennoune boldly, and I think correctly, asserts that the first bulwark and the last refuge against these twin evils is assertion of the rights of women in civil society. Women's rights are consistently among the first targets of fundamentalist violence, and state sponsorship of religion quickly curtails the rights of everyone who does not conform to the ethos of the prevailing regime. Thus it is no surprise that many of Bennoune's heroes are women who have opposed fundamentalist terror, both those who have risked or lost their lives and those who bear witness to the slaughter of their family and friends. In this sense, this is not an easy book to read, in light of the scale of suffering and the gruesome tactics employed against anyone who dares stand for simple human values.

One more point that Bennoune makes quite tellingly, however, is that however neglected they may be, the courageous champions of civil society, democracy, women's rights, and the rule of law whose struggles she memorializes are largely Muslims or at least citizens of Muslim states. Bennoune is at pains to shatter the perception that the Muslim world is no more than a seething cauldron of radical Islamism, and she issues a cri de coeur on behalf of the people in Muslim societies seeking to build — and rebuild — civil society.

[S · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend this to any one who thinks Muslims in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, America, Tunisia, Iran (you get the gist) are not doing anything to fight fundamentalism. The right time to write such an insightful book when Islamophobia is on the rise, around the world. The author distinguishes between Islam (a religion of peace) and fundamentalism (politically driven). In support, she interviews many people from various professional backgrounds and brings their stories to us - their struggles, their fights & hopes to get rid of this debilitating parasite from their homelands.
I am happy to report that the author does not side with the West who blame Islam (and Muslims) for all the violence in the world. On the other hand, she blames the left liberals for ignoring fundamentalism because they don't want to offend Muslims around the world. She has a point: not every Muslim accepts the stringent rules put in place by the fundamentalists, to live in fear and with inequality. I think all people interviewed in this book were practising Muslims and to them Islam is truly a religion of peace. They do not agree with a twisted version of Islam being forced upon them by militant groups.
From the narratives in the book, it seems that women are bearing the greatest burden of Islamic fundamentalism. The atrocities described in this book are painful, forcing readers to question the implementation of basic human rights let alone women rights. This book is an eye opener - the women and men interviewed show tremendous strength even when faced with death threats to fight for their beliefs, their right to live - what role are we playing to end their suffering?

[Dr. Phoenix · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author has the merit of opposing Islamist fundamentalist ideology...however, her particular brand of feminism is so aggressive and off-putting as to be offensive and in fact tends to contribute to the Islamist anti-feminist narrative providing them with ammunition sponsored by what appears a strong anti-masculine bias. The author is highly Manichean in her description of international geopolitics. She could do far more with much less.

While there were certainly some positive points made in this title the rampant and virulent feminist diatribe by Bennoune makes the book difficult to get through a boring and relentless diatribe that never ceases pushing the feminist agenda down the reader's throat. While women's rights matter and are certainly important they are not the only issue involved in the fight against Islamic fundamentalism as Bennoune's writing would lead one to believe.

Her endless tirade makes what would otherwise be an interesting piece of research a drudge. Additionally, Bennoune takes sides against both those who combat terrorism (whom she depicts as human rights abusers) and the fundamentalists themselves with equal vigour. The author tends to place the cart before the horse by decrying renditions and other measures that have been used in the past (which were of decidedly questionable value) yet fails to recognize that were there no terrorism such questionable practices would never have existed in the first place.

Her often presumptive attacks often lack empirical evidence, which discredits her narrative and undermines the validity of many of her emotionally laden assertions. I am sure she is convinced of the validity of her position, however,

-While she gets a few points right (luckily) she gets many others wrong. For instance, Bennoune boasts of hearing the terrible sound of a rocket in Kabul in 1996, and then goes on to state (without evidence) that "Someone far away in the United States or Germany had made the thing (the rocket), had made money off it." A sort of villainous "Daddy Warbucks."She then goes on, correctly to point out that "Afghanistan does not manufacture rockets." What she failed to indicate was that such rockets were left over Soviet munitions or more likely Chinese 107mm rockets, which were frequently used during my time in Afghanistan. The rockets were definitely not of U.S. or German origin! However, Bennoune appears to believe she can just make unfounded accusations without evidence to spice-up her tale.

I would recommend skipping her introduction unless the reader is of a masochistic bent and wishes to subject themselves to the repeated beat of the feminist drum.

Chapter 1 is a decided improvement after having suffered through the introduction.

Bennoune consistently asserts her belief in the power of peaceful resistance, however, fails to see the violent reality of the spreading scourge of Islamist fundamentalism. While the author justifiably laments over the loss of life, particularly for those of what she terms "Muslim heritage," and more pointedly that of female Muslims, she fails to understand and appears blind to the fact that there is an absolute necessity for an armed military response to the never-ending cycle of bloodletting. Of course negotiations and the needs of civil society are also necessary but they cannot be addressed until the tide of fundamentalist violence has first been stemmed. On page 360 Bennonune notes, "...I am more and more convinced that vigilant optimism is the best stance in this difficult moment." in other words, cross your fingers and hope it all goes away.

Another annoying aspect of the book is that everything comes back to her, her father and Algeria as though this were the ultimate baseline for the measurement of what is important.

Generally speaking, I made the following observations:

p. 87 a depiction of the intolerance of liberal feminists: "If he doesn't shake my hand I will give him a smack," remarks a certain Dr. Sow...so although feminists decry violence projected against them, they are apparently free to administer it as they see fit.

P. 89 Ranting and raving one into a boredom-induced hypnotic sleep.

Chapter III becomes nearly as oppressive as the introduction and I found it of limited value to the discussion.

The inordinate use of accolades in her descriptions of those she admires: Everyone Bennoune approves of is either brilliant, amazing, or entitled to some other meaningless and unnecessary acclamation.

p. 1 "learned," P. 88 "classic," p. 89 an international powerhouse," p. 89 "amazingly," p. 238 "legendary," p.314 "prominent," p.132 "prestigious," p.132 exhilarating," p.136 "most famous,"p.353 "universally loved," p.366 "unforgettable," p.360 "brilliant," p.365 "precious," p.357 "eloquent," p. 354 "gifted,"

On the other hand, anyone that Ms Bennoune dislikes is condemned and treated with the utmost contempt and disdain. Whether or not you like George Bush, the former U.S. President and his policies there was absolutely no call to label him "lamentable. (p.239)" as Bennoune saw fit. By the same token, The author describes Abdelaziz Bouteflika as "...a seventy-seven-year-old...stroke patient who changed the constitution to stay in office for a fourth term." Again, one does not have to approve or agree with the politics of an individual, but to describe them by the adoption of such biased and slanted reduces any legitimacy and integrity on the part of a writer.

While the title has some elements worth considering the way they are presented diminished their importance. The fight against fundamentalism is not a "female" problem it is a "people" problem, an "education" problem, and a "social-justice" problem. The brand of feminism being fomented by Bennoune and like-minded individuals is non-inclusive and entirely divisive. Their exclusive focus upon female issues overrides the larger picture making it impossible to see the forest for the trees. While female rights are undeniably important and core to the debate on political Islam, they are not, and should not be the driving force and are not mutually exclusive of all the other ancillary issues either.

While Bennoune has an important message to convey she does it in such a way as to diminish its overall value. The title, in my personal opinion, has merit and contributes to the debate, it is unfortunate in the way it was crafted.

[Martina Zuliani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that we need more books like this one. The stories of Muslims fighting against fundamentalism should be more known in Western societies.
The book could give also ideas to human right activists in those countries where fundamentalism is growning.
The only change that I would make to the book is grouping the stories by Country, as the repentine changes of scenarios and territories in a chapter made me be a little confused.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great collection of experiences from MENA. Intelligent points of view and commentary unerlining that bing muslim does not equal extremism. This message doesn't get enough air space. Author's own commentary is less interesting. Still worth a read.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative. A view of the topic from real people (as opposed to journalists, polititians, etc.).

[Teresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Adding to the rejected reads shelf. The title and concept caught my attention, yet I could not bear the over the top writing style.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is not much to say about this except that it made me aware (once again) of how ignorant I really am of world affairs and the plight of so many people suffering under fundamentalist Islam.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really, really important but not all that easy or engaging to read.

[Martin Los · Rating 5 out of 5]

A courageous woman is Karima Bennoune professor of international law, who wrote a book about the horrors of fundamentalist terror in Islamic countries over the past fifty years. Equally brave, even more courageous are the women and men whose untold stories she has recorded under the title “Your Fatwa does not apply here”. (Norton paperback 2015) Born in Algeria, Karima fled the country to America because of terror in her country in her youth. After her studies she undertook to travel to places from her youth and to comparable places in the Muslim world, from North and Central Africa, the Middle East, to Afghanistan, in order to listen to relatives of the victims of the terror. Often these relatives who themselves has sufferd severely, have found each other and have started movements to openly draw attention to the murdered women and men. Not only is this attention necessary because honest research has never been carried out and perpetrators have not been prosecuted. In many cases, however, the victims are journalists, judges and local politicians who stood up for freedom and did not keep their mouths shut despite the threat. Their voice should not be throttled by their brutal death. Not even of the countless disappeared people who were randomly killed, because they were schoolteacher or students, or because their clothes and love for music and dance did not please the fundamentalists.Karima herself is of Islamic descent. She grew up in a liberal environment, in which Muslims lived together in peace with Jews and Christians, and believers left each other alone. As a woman, she pays special attention to the position of women who has deteriorated in many of the Islamic countries in the past half century. No freedom of clothing, many obstacles to study and to lead an independent life, hardly any government action against sexual and domestic violence.Karima gives the floor to a crowd of women and men who, despite the injustice done to them, their family and friends, do not give up courage and keep and pass on hope. Fundamentalists, with their reign of terror,have only one purpose to paralyze everyone through fear. She points out that, despite attacks in the West and without diminishing the atrocity of 9/11 in New York, the vast majority of victims have fallen and fall to the Muslim population in the countries where fundamentalism is prevalent. The question throughout the book: how can bearded men call themselves Muslim if they kill countless brothers and sisters in the name of Allah? How can they kill their fellow humans who are also their brothers and sisters? Real Muslims don’t do that.Karima and her fellow human rights defenders, and women’s rights as a testcase, deserve our admiration and support. Here we touch on something that clearly hurts the writer. How is it that organizations for freedom and equality and human rights like Amnesty International in the West show so little solidarity with the women’s movements in Islamic countries. They even abandon them when they point out that the culture in these countries is simply different from that in the West.Although “Your Fatwa does not apply here” gives the floor to people who have experienced horrific things, the book is serene. A smile is certainly not lacking. What particularly impresses is the conviction that if we don’t give fear the last word, hope gives unsuspected courage in the form of “Vigilant optimism”. When will the Dutch translation appear?PSA couple of months ago I read two books that I stumbled on in my bookstore, also both by female authors. Black Wave, a journalistic and breathtaking book about the atrocities in the Middle-East as a result of the conflict between Iran en Saud Arabia; and a novel by Nazanine Hozar about a woman growing up in Iran before en during the so called Revolution 1979.Together with “Your Fatwa doesnot apply here” by Karima Bennoune these three books written by modern, intelligent and courageous women, inspire us not to turn our backs on the people of conflict areas but to empathize with them and support them and keep the torch of hope burning with themhttp://martinlos.nl/mijnblog/shoulder... […]

[Nura Yusof · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muslim fundamentalists. A group of conservatives too busy forcing other Muslims live their lives according to their dictates, telling those who don't follow their rules (which they conveniently claim to have come from God) that they will end up in Hell, as if they have God on speed-dial for easy consultations.

Women are always the main target for this group of crazies. And this book lists so many of the horrors that they face running into this group in whichever country they can be found. Too many. And unfortunately, not at all lessening in numbers.

Education is another area that these fundos seek to extinguish, depriving young people of making future good in this world because they're too busy forcing people to be perfect for the next world. What these fundos stupidly forget is that it is the actions in this world that will determine how they stand in the next.

The MENA region is the acknowledged hotbed for these occurrences and where this group can largely be found. What concerns me though are places that are not so obvious like where I come from. Here, we have conservative Islamic groups who are precisely spouting the same level of intolerance but without the violence. Yet. But what little would it take before they do?

This was a heartbreaking read because even though this book is a little dated by the time I read it, what it chronicles is still going on the world. It's also a hopeful read because even though as horrors and sufferings continue, there still those who will fight and rise above them.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t think that I can condense this down to a small narrative review. So, instead I pulled quotes that made me either think a little more or that I enjoyed from the book.

“She thinks the return of religion has a lot to do with losing hope. When bad things are happening. Uncertainty pushes people to seek absolutes as a kind of anchor, but that anchor can drift, pulling them in a different direction. As the world is changing and people are feeling less accepted, they are returning to their religion and then that itself shifts.” I think this is the most powerful quote in the book. I think this is not only a reflection of those in Islam but those in other religions.. i.e. Christianity in America.

“Well, any religion that would… condemn me for trying to find love with someone of my own biological gender, is a faith I’m better off without”

You can’t ride a camel and duck”
You are tall. You are riding a camel. You are visible. You can’t have it both ways. If you want to do something and have an impact, you have to accept the consequences.”

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

An emotional and painful but also inspiring look at how people fight back against violent fundamentalism. The book emphasizes the diversity of the Islamic diaspora but also the ways that fundamentalist violence remains the same (while outside the scope of the book, a truth that applies to every religion and nation).

The book also calls out Western liberals and aid organizations for their willingness to not simply overlook the violence of fundamentalist leaders but to actively engage in white washing it.

[Sandy Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect book to throw in the face of anyone who says Muslims aren't doing anything to fight fundamentalist

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are more people opposing fundamentalism -- it is just hard to stop destroyers. I think the people of the United States might be understanding this a little bit better since 2016.

[Jennifer C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The horrible violence made this book very hard to read but so critical to my understanding and f how fundamentalist violence is destroying Muslim culture and society.

[Linda S. Sabatka-Crappe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned an incredible amount in this book about Muslims around the world & how they suffer from extremism. Everyone should read it.

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book contains stories the author garnered by interviewing people who fought against Muslim fundamentalism. The author prefers to use the word "fundamentalism" to include it with other religions. I understand her point. She calls herself a "secular Muslim." Seems like an oxymoron to me. Here's one of my main points of disagreement with her. If you support any religion, you should not be surprised when it lapses into extreme views. That's the long term result of believing in supernatural nonsense.

Ms. Bennoune is part of the Algerian diaspora. Her dad tried to defend education in Algeria and was threatened by extremists during the turbulent 1990s. In other words, they were successfully driven out of the country. A victory for fundamentalists.

The first chapter deals with the arts. The bizarre behavior of the fundamentalists, blowing people up for listening to puppet shows, dancing, singing.

In one incident in Algeria, a bus was stopped. People were asked their names before being killed. One woman gave her name and it was the same as the killer's mom. So she lived. The next guy said his name was the same to try and live.

Some Western feminists defend the veil. Joan Scott of Yale Law School called the veil "a celebration of female sexuality" and called feminists who decried it "hysterical." When a British blogger dared to write and call the hijab discriminatory, he was vilified by 77 North American feminists. Once again, a great failure of liberalism in the West to defend the right to basic freedoms for women.

Another chapter is about journalists trying to write about Islamic fundamentalism. In Algeria, Bennoune describes daughters of writers being dragged away for temporary "marriages" to radicals. They are raped, tortured, and killed in horrible ways.

Teachers are another group that are killed. Fighting education is one of the main goals of fundamentalists. They kill lawyers, educators, students, anyone with any knowledge.

The author does particularly well covering her own country of origin, Algeria. Southern Algeria is known as the Triangle of Death. It is currently wreaking havoc on several countries in that area. There are brave people who fight against it. In 1992, the Islamic party was about to win an election. Thousands protested for the government to prevent that from happening, almost like Egypt today. Democracy is not just about elections. But that didn't solve the problem. A decade of fighting ensued and still goes on. Still continuing about women wearing the hijab. Some leftists claimed to have doubts about who was really responsible for the savagery. Was it really the military dragging people away and beheading them? Even Amnesty International failed to speak out enough. All of this undermined the ability of those who wanted to stop the atrocities done by the fundamentalists certainly.

Another example of Western liberal nonsense: Cambridge professor George Joffe defined the opponents of the fundamentalists as "eradicators." He says they "rejected all compromise with political Islam" and "through violence if need be." The point is really that the Islamists don't compromise and they are the ones instituting the violence.

Another chapter deals with Iran. Shapour Bakhtiar was Iran's transitional prime minister. He ended the SAVAK. Later he would have his throat cut in Paris while leading the opposition against the Islamic extremists running his country. Hundreds of others around the world would have the same fate. After 30 years, Iran's theocratic rule shows no sign of regression. In 1981, a young Iranian girl was arrested for swimming in her pool in her bathing suit and arousing a neighbor. Sentenced to 60 lashes, she died on the 30th lash.

She interviewed a man making a documentary about gay Iranians. President Ahmadinejad calls homosexuality "very ugly behavior." It is a crime subject to execution. He speaks out against Iran ever getting an atomic bomb.

In Iranian prison, the man claims "70 or 80% of the prisoners have gone crazy because of the torture." Some would "wonder around the rest of us naked and urinate." He breaks his leg and is denied medical treatment. People disappear in the Revolutionary prisons.

After the Iranian revolution, the minister of women's affairs was listed as one of the top 20 people to be executed, simply because of her job. That meant in or out of Iran. Many women faced stoning. The speaker says Iranians would never choose an Islamic system if they ever got the choice again.

Right wing Republican set up a committee to look at mosques in America. But liberal critics refused to look at Islamic radicalization, as if it didn't exist.

The idea of negotiating with the Taliban offends those who are fighting for women's rights. One person describes a boy with boxes of severed hands from thievery walking in Kabul.

Before the 70s, women describe walking in Herat in mini-skirts. All agree that education is the best answer. Yet some leftists look at the Taliban as freedom fighters.

[Maria Rita]

This book deal with tough staff trying to depict how fundamentalism has been affecting the people's lives in countries of Islamic tradition during the last twenty years. I'm struk by the number of women who struggle to make their rights respected and by the meaningless number of men who seem to fight against extreme islam! According to the author's stories, the antifundamentalists in countries of Islam culture, seems to be just women. I feel angry with men because they don't belive women shound be respected. I've always been struk by this. It is an hawful story to tell and I really don't know why everywhere men don't feel ashamed and women carry on let them beliving they don't need to. This is a nightmare for everybody and above all for women!
[1 dicembre 2013] Lo ripeto in italiano che non si capisce perchè gli uomini per primi non si vergognino! Il fondamentalismo islamico si manifesta ovunque (Algeria, Tunisia, Mali, Libia, Egitto, Turchia, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Siria) con l'arrogante pretesa che le donne si coprano completamente il corpo, stiano chiuse in casa e non possano svolgere alcun tipo di lavoro remunerato; non vadano assolutamente a scuola; siano sottoposte a mutilazione genitale; passino in consegna dal padre ad un altro uomo giovanissime senza alcuna possibilità di scelta; siano costrette alla poligamia; non possano ereditare; non possano divorziare, e mi fermo qui solo perché mi sento morire mentre scrivo. A parte le donne (e i pochissimi uomini) eccezionali, sostanzialmente delle eroine, che secondo me non fanno nessuna concreta differenza nella cultura, l'umanità non sembra avere la capacità di cambiare rotta. Viene da chiedersi se una vita così valga la pena di essere vissuta, sia che si sia uomini, che donne. Già, ma dubbi come questi nessuno mai ammetterà di averceli! Mai. Se l'intento dell'autrice era di mostrare che ci sono persone e gruppi che resistono all'integralismo islamico nei paesi in cui si sta manifestando, credo che esso sia fallito perché emergono soprattutto le violenze di ogni ordine e grado contro donne e uomini e l'impotenza di chi si trova costretto a viverle. Bisognerebbe che l'umanità avesse il coraggio di guardare, vedere e agire. Per farlo però bisogna credere che ogni essere umano (ogni essere vivente) debba essere libero. Nessuno lo crede e come sempre, finché non siamo colpiti in casa nostra, nella nostra piccola e meschina intimità - quando ormai però è troppo tardi per tutto - non facciamo nulla, anzi ce ne freghiamo, facciamo finta di non vedere. Vi dice nulla l' ultima shoah!? Le circostanze della vita della specie umana si manifestano sempre più chiaramente come un accidente dipendente al 90% dalla fortuna, dal caso (nascere in Svezia piuttosto che in un paese meschino come l'Italia per esempio) e poi per un'altra buona percentuale dall'essere disonesti ed egoisti e molto abili nell'arte di approfittare di ogni situazione e conoscenza per fregare il prossimo. La cultura vincente sembra essere caratterizzata da: egoismo, disonestà, superficialità, menefreghismo, malvagità. In questo perverso rapporto di forze, non e' facile dire dove stia la scienza e le sue fondamentali scoperte per il miglioramento delle condizioni di vita sulla terra. Quello che è certo è che per affermare tè stesso devi fregare/usare qualcuno e se non lo fai tu, lo hanno fatto i tuoi avi e tu ti trovi buona parte del lavoro già fatto e puoi focalizzare tutte le tue energie sui dettagli. Infatti l'umanità sembra avere capitalizzato nei millenni della sua vicenda sul pianeta terra che la cultura - e cioè la conoscenza che gli uomini accumulano perché hanno le risorse intellettuali per tramandarla di padre in figlio e quindi ogni individuo non deve imparare tutto da capo ma sfrutta l'esperienza dei suoi avi - serve per approfittare della buona sorte e affermare se' stessi a qualsiasi costo e quindi a spese degli altri e del pianeta terra. L'incapacità della specie umana di andare oltre l'interesse del singolo, potrebbe essere la causa fondamentale della sua estinzione. Il mondo non perderebbe nulla, anzi ci guadagnerebbe infinitamente!
Non ci è dato sapere come, quando e se finirà la vicenda umana sul Pianeta Terra. Resta il disperato, fondamentale, ineludibile, improcrastinabile bisogno di dare voce, supporto, aiuto a tutti coloro che parlano e agiscono contro ogni fondamentalismo in ogni dove. Sono queste le questioni fondamentali su cui bisogna fare rete, una rete dalle maglie così fitte da proteggere le peripezie più spericolate di chi osa sfidare lo status quo per dare voce a chi non c'è l'ha e stabilire una maggiore equità sociale.

[Jeff Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karima Bennoune documents the struggle against Islamic Extremism in her book Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here. Bennoune reveals horror after horror in Pakistan, Afghanistan, North Africa (Algeria specifically) and the Middle East, but also shows those brave enough to resist. In this exploration, she is further able to reveal these offshoots of The Islamic religion. That this extremist turn is actually fairly new forming out of 1980s extremism. Everyone interprets the Koran differently with these extremists seemingly using it as a tool to turn people against one another and oppress their minds. It is only those showing a peaceful way will there be growth and not darkness.

Bennoune’s story tells of attempts to further art and intellectual thought in the heart of the most extreme Muslim fundamentalists. It is the bravery to go on with the plays, musical performances, journalism, and intellectual activity that fill this book. In their acts, they reveal a culture that has existed long before this extremism took hold. They expose the flimsy arguments behind those that would claim these acts as forbidden as a result of Koran.

Bennoune has a personal connection of those who have shown a light in the darkness as she watched her homeland of Algeria become the next Afghanistan when Muslim fundamentalists took over the country from the inside. It is those who are willing to fight, not with guns, but with art, plays, journalism, and intellectual freedom and courage that demonstrate the most extreme type of bravery. It is a story of those who are willing to be jailed or killed to help light the darkness.
It is a clear eyed view of the complicated nature of the Muslim world. I am Malala demonstrates the same type of courage in the face of Islamic Fundamentalism. In that case, young girls were forbidden to attend school, but she was able to find a way to push back against the extremism, leading to her being almost fatally shot. The book reads very much like Half the Sky in searching for real solutions to the destruction of fundamentalism. It is the multiplication of the voices of peace.

Best Passages
"Were we not Muslims before? Is this the new Islam that I don't belong to?" P 107
“Muslims did not get hit on the head one day, then wake up and don niqabs, grow beards, and become fundamentalists. A conscious political process fostered these developments. In some places, the failure to solve basic problems of economic justice, democracy, and human dignity, and legitimate grievances like past colonialism and current military occupation, contributed to creating fertile ground for the fundamentalist project to gain adherents. “

“’They invented the religion for themselves. And they mixed it with the hatred they felt from seeing their fathers who fought France and went to prison during the war of independence mistreated by this rotten state, having no rights.’ Allalou felt there was a lack of awareness about the content of religious texts in Algeria. ‘So they made their own interpretation, made their Qur’an.’” P. 54
“A nation stays alive when its culture stays alive.” P. 72
“Sharif reminds me of a drama that the veteran women’s rights activist Akila Ouared once staged with children in Algeria. The main character decides not to become a suicide bomber because he gets the lead role in a play. He has something beautiful to live for. Because art means he does not face what the cartoonist Slim called Walou a l’horizon: Nothing on the horizon.” P. 80