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Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State
In Chasing a Mirage , Tarek Fatah Islamists argue that the period following the passing away of Muhammad was Islam's golden era and that we Muslims need to re-create that caliphate to emulate that political system in today's world. I wish to demonstrate that when Muslims buried the Prophet, they also buried with him many of the universal values of Islam that he had preached. The history of Islam can be described essentially as the history of an unending power struggle, where men have killed each other to claim the mantle of Muhammad. This strife is a painful story that started within hours of the Prophet closing his eyes forever, and needs to be told. I firmly believe the message of the Quran is strong enough to withstand the facts of history. It is my conviction that Muslims are mature and secure in their identities to face the truth. This is that story. Advance Praise for Chasing a Mirage "Tarek Fatah has written a provocative and challenging book which is a must read for anyone who cares about these issues."
—Janice Gross Stein " Chasing a Mirage is an extremely valuable contributing to the fight by progressive Muslims against Islamist fascism. This book should be required reading for the Left in the West who have mistakenly started believing that Islamists represent some sort of anti-imperialism."
—Farooq Tariq "Fatah argues passionatley for universalism instead of exclusivism, integration instead of ghettoism, and makes a powerful appeal for the silent majority of Muslims to speak out before it is too late. This work of courage and daring needs to be read widely."
— Pervez Hoodbhoy "This fascinating work by brave and bri8lliant tarek Fatah is simultaneously thought-provoking, instructive and enlightening for laymen and scholars, Muslims and non-Muslim...an invaluable and rare addition to the corpus of Islamic literature in the post-9/11 world, a bold step towards Islamic Reformation and Enlightenment."
—Taj Hashmi "Tarek Fatah's is a voice that needs to be heard. Canada needs a healthy, reasoned debate about the issues he is raising, and indeed so does the world."
—Bob Rae "This fascinating work by brae and brilliant Tarek Fatah is simultaneously thought-provoking, instructive and enlightening for laymen and scholars, Muslim and non-Muslim... an invaluable and rare addition to the corpus of Islamic literature in the post-9/11 world, a bold step towards Islamic Reformation and Enlightenment."
—Taj Hashmi "Tarek Fatah's is a voice that needs to be heard. Canada needs a healthy, reasoned debate about the issues he is raising, and indeed so does the world."
—Bob Rae, Member of Parliament, Canada
—Janice Gross Stein " Chasing a Mirage is an extremely valuable contributing to the fight by progressive Muslims against Islamist fascism. This book should be required reading for the Left in the West who have mistakenly started believing that Islamists represent some sort of anti-imperialism."
—Farooq Tariq "Fatah argues passionatley for universalism instead of exclusivism, integration instead of ghettoism, and makes a powerful appeal for the silent majority of Muslims to speak out before it is too late. This work of courage and daring needs to be read widely."
— Pervez Hoodbhoy "This fascinating work by brave and bri8lliant tarek Fatah is simultaneously thought-provoking, instructive and enlightening for laymen and scholars, Muslims and non-Muslim...an invaluable and rare addition to the corpus of Islamic literature in the post-9/11 world, a bold step towards Islamic Reformation and Enlightenment."
—Taj Hashmi "Tarek Fatah's is a voice that needs to be heard. Canada needs a healthy, reasoned debate about the issues he is raising, and indeed so does the world."
—Bob Rae "This fascinating work by brae and brilliant Tarek Fatah is simultaneously thought-provoking, instructive and enlightening for laymen and scholars, Muslim and non-Muslim... an invaluable and rare addition to the corpus of Islamic literature in the post-9/11 world, a bold step towards Islamic Reformation and Enlightenment."
—Taj Hashmi "Tarek Fatah's is a voice that needs to be heard. Canada needs a healthy, reasoned debate about the issues he is raising, and indeed so does the world."
—Bob Rae, Member of Parliament, Canada
410 pages, Hardcover
First published May 9, 2008
101 people are currently reading
1041 people want to read
About the author
Tarek Fatah
5 books79 followersTarek Fatah was a Pakistani-Canadian journalist and author. Fatah advocated LGBT rights, a separation of religion and state, opposition to sharia law, and advocacy for a liberal, progressive form of Islam.
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August 7, 2010
Fundamentalism scares me. Like, causes me to despair and lament the future of human civilization scares me. Fundamentalists seem so diametrically opposed to progress, freedom, and education that I fear what will happen if ever they attain a critical mass of power. Fundamentalism is universal in its appeal to the irrationality of our species: it is not just limited to any one religion. We cannot fight it by identifying a religion with its fundamentalist base and rejecting it; we cannot say, "Terrorists who were Muslim destroyed the Twin Towers, therefore Islam is bad." We're more mature and nuanced than that, right?
I sure hope so. And so does Tarek Fatah, because his book, Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State, is an appeal to logic and rationality. "Islam is in danger" extremists chant, and yes, it is—in danger from them.
Chasing a Mirage is divided into three parts. Fatah first uses present claimants to the title "Islamic state" to investigate what this term means. Then he delves into the history of Islam and examines past countries that Islamists want to use a templates for a the Islamic state. Finally, he singles out some particular examples of how the Islamist agenda is furthered in Western countries. Each of these sections alone would be worth reading. Together, they form a compelling argument both fascinating and bleak.
In "Part One: The Illusion" Fatah elaborates on what he means by the term Islamic state. He uses three contemporary countries—Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran—as case studies. These countries both claim to be "Islamic states" in one form or another, and many readers (including myself) associate these countries with Islam. Fatah also looks at Palestine, which he feels is in danger of being hijacked by extremists in an ill-advised attempt to turn it into an Islamic state. In all of these cases, Fatah highlights how attempts to transform Islam into a political system in addition to a religious one have become mired in corruption and human rights abuses. His argument is simple: if these are examples of Islamic states, then he does not want one.
Central to the concept of Islamic state is the supremacy of Islam. Simple enough: there is no god but God (or Allah, if you prefer), and we worship him based on the revelations in the Quran given to us by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. In an Islamic state, Islam is more than just a state religion. Rather, the entire political and judicial systems are codified according to Islamic practices and principles. Or at least, that is the theory. As Fatah demonstrates in Part 2, there aren't really Islamic principles for politics. However, I am getting ahead of myself.
In their zeal to spread Islam, proponents of the Islamic state lose sight of the little things in life, like, say, human rights. Societies like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have institutionalized a form of hierarchical racism in which Arab Muslims are at the top and non-Arab Muslims are treated like second-class citizens, often as poorly as non-Muslims. At times, this has resulted in genocidal or near-genocidal atrocities, both against non-Muslims and even other Muslims. Fatah spares us no detail as he recounts Pakistan's bloody history. That such actions are committed in the name of Islam is a travesty, for what does it say of one's religion if it condones such violence and abuses? Where in the Quran does it say, "Arabs number 1! Arabs number 1!"?
The fact of the matter, as Fatah explains it, is that the Quran contains no outline for the "Islamic state" that Islamists want. Indeed, apparently even the Islamists don't have a consistent idea of what "Islamic state" means across the board: "Among Pakistan's imams and Islamic scholars, no two agreed on the fundamental definition of either an 'Islamic State' or a 'Muslim.'" This last tactic is all too common:
If someone opposes you, obviously he or she is an apostate. Conveniently, Islamists believe the punishment for apostasy is death. As a result of such an extremist view, Islam has been hijacked.
As horrible as the human rights abuses perpetrated in the name of Islam are, I am even more troubled by this subversion and rejection of democracy. Democracy is a delicate flower that is beautiful when it flourishes but wilts all too easily. Once in decline, it is very difficult to restore. Islamists have often come to power through democratic means, but once in power they turn democracy into a sham, if they bother keeping it around at all. Iran is an example of this subversion of democracy: although their president is nominally elected by the people, elections in Iran are anything but free of intimidation. Worse, the policy implemented by the ayatollahs of Iran "virtually guarantees that no matter what the people of Iran want, they will not be able to dislodge the Islamic theocracy by democratic means." Instead, Fatah notes, "Not all ayatollahs in Iran agree with the current leadership.… It is quite likely that the changes the Iranian people desire in their country may come from within the religious establishment." Despite having just spent an entire chapter discussing the problems with Iran, Fatah remains optimistic about its potential for recovery:
Eloquently put, and right too. I am no fan of Iran. However, in opposing the ayatollahs it behoves one not to demonize them like they have done with the West. This only engenders more hatred and mistrust, and that is something we can ill afford.
Having looked at present-day Islamic states and found them wanting, Fatah decides to look to history for examples of an Islamic state worth emulating. He does this not on a whim but because Islamists often speak of a "golden age" of Islam. So Fatah looks at the period following the death of the Prophet, where Muslims were ruled by the four "Rightly Guided Caliphs." Then he looks at three other examples of empires nominally based on Islamic principles. The result is pretty much what one would expect, especially after reading Part 1. In all cases, these politicians use and abuse Islam to gain power and stay in power. Some of these empires achieved both zeniths and nadirs of civilization. There is no evidence, however, that any of these states witnessed a "golden age." And sometimes it seemed like living as a Muslim, especially a non-Arab Muslim, in an Islamic state sucks pretty bad. And if an Islamic state is a place where not even Muslims want to live … well, who exactly wants it?
"Part Two: The Genesis" is my least favourite section of Chasing a Mirage. It is long, almost too long, and at times it becomes mired in details as Fatah enthusiastically accounts for every name and place and factor involved in the current episode. That being said, there is nothing in this section that feels superfluous. I could not suggest removing anything just to make it shorter, and I cannot fault it for being comprehensive. All I can say is that you will probably want to take this section slowly. Read it a chapter at a time while relaxing with another book.
The final section of the book, "Part Three: The Consequences," is a nice little reward to those who persevered through Part 2. Fatah devotes a chapter each to sharia law, jihad, and the wearing of the hijab, ultimately concluding that each of these phenomena are part of the Islamist agenda in the West. This is where Fatah gets the most opinionated and the most personal, since as a founding member of the Muslim Canadian Congress he was often involved in these issues. On a somewhat nationalistic note, I also want to add that I appreciate how when Fatah says, "this country" he means Canada, not the United States. Obviously I need to read more books about Canadian politics.
Part 3 reminds me of Multiculturalism without Culture , by Anne Phillips. Like Philips, Fatah is concerned that simplistic ideas of unified cultures are being used against us: "In Ottawa, the lobbying by Islamist groups is relentless, putting politicians of all stripes on the defensive as they fear they might be labelled racist or Islamophobic if they criticize Islamists." Islam, like every other religion, is not monolithic. Muslim culture, like every other culture, is not monolithic. It behoves us to understand this and reject the attitudes of Islamists, who eagerly label as apostates any Muslim who disagrees with them.
I was pleased to see that, in addition to rejecting the Islamist requirement that women wear the hijab, Fatah supports a woman's right to wear the hijab if she chooses. From his vitriolic rejection of the former I feared a rejection of the latter as well. Fortunately, Fatah remains consistently pro-choice, which is how I see the matter: in both cases, the government removes freedom of choice. It is not enough to protest against bans of the hijab or the burka; one must also protest against the requirement to wear such coverings. It boggles my mind that some people would indoctrinate their daughters to believe that, if they don't cover their hair, some man will rape them and get them pregnant (for one thing, what does that say about men?!). It boggles my mind that otherwise progressive Muslims will, with a straight-face, parrot the hypocrisy of Islamists who denounce terrorism while calling for jihad. If Muslims and non-Muslims alike want to rehabilitate the image of Islam in the West, we must restore it to the tenets of gender equality preached in the Quran and ignore those voices who call for the submission of women and the demonization of the Other. We must strive to better educate ourselves about these issues, lest in our ignorance we fall prey fundamentalists and extremists, from whatever religion or creed they hail.
Multiculturalism does not mean "separate rules for separate cultures." It is am embrace of every culture, a commitment to preserve freedom of choice. I don't care if you worship Yaweh, Allah, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or even if you don't worship a god at all: treat me like a human being, and I will treat you like a human being. Because that's what matters. And as an added bonus, I promise that even if you don't wear a hijab, I will somehow manage to refrain from stoning you on suspicion of adultery.
Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State is an eye-opening look at the political history of Islam. Tarek Fatah reaffirms Islam as a peaceful, progressive religion and condemns those extremists who would reshape it into something otherwise. Fatah's rejection of the Islamic state is threefold: firstly, Islamists' claim that "Islam is in danger" without an Islamic state is false; secondly, the so-called Islamic states of the past to which Islamists point as "golden age" templates are anything but golden; finally, this struggle to achieve an Islamic state damages what Fatah labels the "state of Islam" that he believes is core to Muslim identity. Furthermore, Fatah does not do what frustrates me about so much of political non-fiction today; he does not say, "this book is merely an attempt to make you aware of the problems" in order to avoid proposing solutions. Chasing a Mirage is full of solutions, alternatives, and hope. This is without a doubt one of the best books I've read all year—and I've been having a pretty good year for reading, so I don't say this lightly. Oh, and the "manufacturer's warranty" included at the end is hilarious.
I sure hope so. And so does Tarek Fatah, because his book, Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State, is an appeal to logic and rationality. "Islam is in danger" extremists chant, and yes, it is—in danger from them.
Chasing a Mirage is divided into three parts. Fatah first uses present claimants to the title "Islamic state" to investigate what this term means. Then he delves into the history of Islam and examines past countries that Islamists want to use a templates for a the Islamic state. Finally, he singles out some particular examples of how the Islamist agenda is furthered in Western countries. Each of these sections alone would be worth reading. Together, they form a compelling argument both fascinating and bleak.
In "Part One: The Illusion" Fatah elaborates on what he means by the term Islamic state. He uses three contemporary countries—Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran—as case studies. These countries both claim to be "Islamic states" in one form or another, and many readers (including myself) associate these countries with Islam. Fatah also looks at Palestine, which he feels is in danger of being hijacked by extremists in an ill-advised attempt to turn it into an Islamic state. In all of these cases, Fatah highlights how attempts to transform Islam into a political system in addition to a religious one have become mired in corruption and human rights abuses. His argument is simple: if these are examples of Islamic states, then he does not want one.
Central to the concept of Islamic state is the supremacy of Islam. Simple enough: there is no god but God (or Allah, if you prefer), and we worship him based on the revelations in the Quran given to us by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. In an Islamic state, Islam is more than just a state religion. Rather, the entire political and judicial systems are codified according to Islamic practices and principles. Or at least, that is the theory. As Fatah demonstrates in Part 2, there aren't really Islamic principles for politics. However, I am getting ahead of myself.
In their zeal to spread Islam, proponents of the Islamic state lose sight of the little things in life, like, say, human rights. Societies like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have institutionalized a form of hierarchical racism in which Arab Muslims are at the top and non-Arab Muslims are treated like second-class citizens, often as poorly as non-Muslims. At times, this has resulted in genocidal or near-genocidal atrocities, both against non-Muslims and even other Muslims. Fatah spares us no detail as he recounts Pakistan's bloody history. That such actions are committed in the name of Islam is a travesty, for what does it say of one's religion if it condones such violence and abuses? Where in the Quran does it say, "Arabs number 1! Arabs number 1!"?
The fact of the matter, as Fatah explains it, is that the Quran contains no outline for the "Islamic state" that Islamists want. Indeed, apparently even the Islamists don't have a consistent idea of what "Islamic state" means across the board: "Among Pakistan's imams and Islamic scholars, no two agreed on the fundamental definition of either an 'Islamic State' or a 'Muslim.'" This last tactic is all too common:
… the only beneficiaries of the Islamic State were the tyrants who ruled Muslim populations and who were able to silence opposition by getting the Ulema [religious scholars:] to declare that opposition to their government was opposition to Islam.
If someone opposes you, obviously he or she is an apostate. Conveniently, Islamists believe the punishment for apostasy is death. As a result of such an extremist view, Islam has been hijacked.
As horrible as the human rights abuses perpetrated in the name of Islam are, I am even more troubled by this subversion and rejection of democracy. Democracy is a delicate flower that is beautiful when it flourishes but wilts all too easily. Once in decline, it is very difficult to restore. Islamists have often come to power through democratic means, but once in power they turn democracy into a sham, if they bother keeping it around at all. Iran is an example of this subversion of democracy: although their president is nominally elected by the people, elections in Iran are anything but free of intimidation. Worse, the policy implemented by the ayatollahs of Iran "virtually guarantees that no matter what the people of Iran want, they will not be able to dislodge the Islamic theocracy by democratic means." Instead, Fatah notes, "Not all ayatollahs in Iran agree with the current leadership.… It is quite likely that the changes the Iranian people desire in their country may come from within the religious establishment." Despite having just spent an entire chapter discussing the problems with Iran, Fatah remains optimistic about its potential for recovery:
… as long as even a handful of such Iranian clerics speak their mind, and as long as Iranian women rebel against the oppressive misogyny of the mullahs, there is hope for the Iranian revolution to reach its intended potential, a secular democracy where Iran can again play the historic role it once did. A free and democratic Iran where ayatollahs become the people's moral compass, not their executioners, would trigger a renaissance in the rest of the Muslim world.
Eloquently put, and right too. I am no fan of Iran. However, in opposing the ayatollahs it behoves one not to demonize them like they have done with the West. This only engenders more hatred and mistrust, and that is something we can ill afford.
Having looked at present-day Islamic states and found them wanting, Fatah decides to look to history for examples of an Islamic state worth emulating. He does this not on a whim but because Islamists often speak of a "golden age" of Islam. So Fatah looks at the period following the death of the Prophet, where Muslims were ruled by the four "Rightly Guided Caliphs." Then he looks at three other examples of empires nominally based on Islamic principles. The result is pretty much what one would expect, especially after reading Part 1. In all cases, these politicians use and abuse Islam to gain power and stay in power. Some of these empires achieved both zeniths and nadirs of civilization. There is no evidence, however, that any of these states witnessed a "golden age." And sometimes it seemed like living as a Muslim, especially a non-Arab Muslim, in an Islamic state sucks pretty bad. And if an Islamic state is a place where not even Muslims want to live … well, who exactly wants it?
"Part Two: The Genesis" is my least favourite section of Chasing a Mirage. It is long, almost too long, and at times it becomes mired in details as Fatah enthusiastically accounts for every name and place and factor involved in the current episode. That being said, there is nothing in this section that feels superfluous. I could not suggest removing anything just to make it shorter, and I cannot fault it for being comprehensive. All I can say is that you will probably want to take this section slowly. Read it a chapter at a time while relaxing with another book.
The final section of the book, "Part Three: The Consequences," is a nice little reward to those who persevered through Part 2. Fatah devotes a chapter each to sharia law, jihad, and the wearing of the hijab, ultimately concluding that each of these phenomena are part of the Islamist agenda in the West. This is where Fatah gets the most opinionated and the most personal, since as a founding member of the Muslim Canadian Congress he was often involved in these issues. On a somewhat nationalistic note, I also want to add that I appreciate how when Fatah says, "this country" he means Canada, not the United States. Obviously I need to read more books about Canadian politics.
Part 3 reminds me of Multiculturalism without Culture , by Anne Phillips. Like Philips, Fatah is concerned that simplistic ideas of unified cultures are being used against us: "In Ottawa, the lobbying by Islamist groups is relentless, putting politicians of all stripes on the defensive as they fear they might be labelled racist or Islamophobic if they criticize Islamists." Islam, like every other religion, is not monolithic. Muslim culture, like every other culture, is not monolithic. It behoves us to understand this and reject the attitudes of Islamists, who eagerly label as apostates any Muslim who disagrees with them.
I was pleased to see that, in addition to rejecting the Islamist requirement that women wear the hijab, Fatah supports a woman's right to wear the hijab if she chooses. From his vitriolic rejection of the former I feared a rejection of the latter as well. Fortunately, Fatah remains consistently pro-choice, which is how I see the matter: in both cases, the government removes freedom of choice. It is not enough to protest against bans of the hijab or the burka; one must also protest against the requirement to wear such coverings. It boggles my mind that some people would indoctrinate their daughters to believe that, if they don't cover their hair, some man will rape them and get them pregnant (for one thing, what does that say about men?!). It boggles my mind that otherwise progressive Muslims will, with a straight-face, parrot the hypocrisy of Islamists who denounce terrorism while calling for jihad. If Muslims and non-Muslims alike want to rehabilitate the image of Islam in the West, we must restore it to the tenets of gender equality preached in the Quran and ignore those voices who call for the submission of women and the demonization of the Other. We must strive to better educate ourselves about these issues, lest in our ignorance we fall prey fundamentalists and extremists, from whatever religion or creed they hail.
Multiculturalism does not mean "separate rules for separate cultures." It is am embrace of every culture, a commitment to preserve freedom of choice. I don't care if you worship Yaweh, Allah, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or even if you don't worship a god at all: treat me like a human being, and I will treat you like a human being. Because that's what matters. And as an added bonus, I promise that even if you don't wear a hijab, I will somehow manage to refrain from stoning you on suspicion of adultery.
Chasing a Mirage: The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State is an eye-opening look at the political history of Islam. Tarek Fatah reaffirms Islam as a peaceful, progressive religion and condemns those extremists who would reshape it into something otherwise. Fatah's rejection of the Islamic state is threefold: firstly, Islamists' claim that "Islam is in danger" without an Islamic state is false; secondly, the so-called Islamic states of the past to which Islamists point as "golden age" templates are anything but golden; finally, this struggle to achieve an Islamic state damages what Fatah labels the "state of Islam" that he believes is core to Muslim identity. Furthermore, Fatah does not do what frustrates me about so much of political non-fiction today; he does not say, "this book is merely an attempt to make you aware of the problems" in order to avoid proposing solutions. Chasing a Mirage is full of solutions, alternatives, and hope. This is without a doubt one of the best books I've read all year—and I've been having a pretty good year for reading, so I don't say this lightly. Oh, and the "manufacturer's warranty" included at the end is hilarious.
June 3, 2018
Tarek Fatah is a practicing Muslim born in Pakistan, but one who is not welcome and is not allowed to enter Pakistan as of now. He is one of the rare sane voices in Islam who advocates a moderate form of Islam which promotes peace and understanding amongst people of different faiths as was espoused by the Prophet Muhammad. The Tragic Illusion of an Islamic State is an impassioned plea from this author to his fellow Muslims not to get trapped in the past and get caught up in the web of lies and deceit that has been conjured up by the Mullahs just to keep the faith and the followers in their vice grip.
The book is so very well written in a language that is lucid. Even though it deals with something so serious, never once did it feel like a heavy read, in fact, I felt that it was unputdownable. It is true that people with a different take on world history and the problem of Islamic extremism might not agree to all that the author has put forth, but, at least this book will form a starting point from which a civilized debate on the issue can be initiated. Make no mistake about it, how much ever the left and liberals would have us to accept an accommodative view of militant Islam, it is crystal clear that this particular issue is going to affect all of us adversely in more ways than one, if not adequately tackled. And, sadly the worst sufferers are going to be Muslims themselves.
Tarek Fatah says that the basic problem in the community as of now, is the fact that they tend to live in the past, reliving memories of the golden age of Islam before the revival of Europe in the thirteenth century. Islamists eagerly want to bring back those days of yore when Islam was at its zenith during the Umayyads and the Abbasid empires. It is at this juncture that the political hue of Islam gets employed firmly ensconced in the Islamic principles that were enunciated by the Prophet, but which were more apt for the times in which he lived. Obviously, trying to build a golden future just by replicating the beliefs and practices of the distant past is not going to work. Fatah says that the Islamists do not believe in the principle of democracy, instead they firmly believe in the kingdom of God which is governed by rules that have been set forth in the Quran, and by the Sharia laws. However, as the author points out, a lot of regressive practices and beliefs that are supposed to be a part of Islam, never existed at the time of the Prophet, nor did he enforce it upon his followers at that point in time. It was the later rulers of Islamic empires who modified and introduced regressive codes, which primarily were used by them to vanquish their opponents and to ensure their vice like grip on the community. Since all this was cloaked in the respectable veneer of religious sanction, the vast multitudes of peace loving Islamic population could never raise their voice against it. If anyone did that, he was immediately branded an apostate and a blasphemer, with the punishment of death to follow.
The author talks in detail about four countries and analyses their course in history, since all of them have made Islam as the sole reason for their existence. He talks of Pakistan as the “failed Islamic State”. He recounts the history of the country from its birth in the year 1947 to the troubled conditions that exist there and the role of the Military in running the country. It becomes amply clear in the narrative that Islamic tenets have been used basically as an excuse to capture political power by anyone who managed to be at the helm of affairs in Pakistan, be it the Army or the politicians of various hues.
He talks of Saudi Arabia which is the main sponsor of Islamic revivalism throughout the globe. They have been particularly responsible for the export of militant Islam in the form of Wahhabism. Fatah rues that fact that vast multitudes of Muslims around the world fail to see through the machinations of this country. The ruling family of Saudi Arabia are supposed to be the guardians of the holiest shrines of the Muslims in Mecca and Medina, but unfortunately, they are the ones who have done the maximum damage to historical sites of Islam in Saudi Arabia, so much so that the abodes of Muhammad and his daughter Fatima have been destroyed to make way for skyscrapers. Added to this fact is the all too obvious racism that exists in the faith of Islam where the Arabs consider themselves superior to Muslims in Africa, South Asia and South East Asia. These are aspects of Islam of today which would definitely make Muhammad turn in his grave.
Fatah then talks about the authoritarian regime in Iran under the Ayatollahs. He traces the history of the Islamic revolution in Iran, and the excesses that the regime has unleashed on its critics, all couched in the platitude that all of it is being done in the defense of the faith of Islam. He also talks of a future Islamic state that is likely to be established in the form of Palestine. Here, he rues the fact that the genuine political fight for the creation of Palestine spearheaded by the PLO under Yasser Arafat (there are lot of commentators who would not agree to the view that Arafat was a paragon of virtue!!), was eventually usurped by the militant Hamas (who are the militant proxies of the clerics in Iran). Fatah does make a preposterous claim here that the Hamas were tacitly egged on by Israel, so that a genuine political movement could be made to look bad in the eyes of the world. As far-fetched as it may sound, anything is possible in the world of Politics!!!
What made particularly interesting reading was the early history of Islam right from the time of Prophet Muhammad extending to the four Caliphs who succeeded him. These four were known as the “Rightly guided Caliphs”. That brings to an interesting observation- is it an implicit submission that the rest of the rulers of Islamic Empires were far from perfect? Even the succession process amongst the first four Caliphs was far from ideal. As per Fatah, there was lot of intrigue and violence involved. Muhammad’s own family was sidelined in the succession process, so much so that the first member from his family could wear the mantle on as only the fourth in the line of succession – his son in law, Ali Ibn Abu Talib. History is witness to the fact that soon after the death of the Prophet there was widespread uncertainty, so that Prophet’s own daughter Fatima was ignored and humiliated. Fatah says that the idea of suppression of women’s rights in Islam was thereby sanctioned right after the death of the Prophet, even though during his time, it is believed that women enjoyed freedom and respect. As far as the wearing of the hijab is concerned, Fatah says that Muhammad was never the one to insist that women had to be in a veil. During that period, what Muhammad enjoined his followers to do was to insist on women to wear a piece of attire called the khimar, which was used to cover their bosoms. Apparently, during the pre-Islamic period, the women in the Arabian Peninsula never covered their bosoms.
Muhammad was succeeded by his father in law, Abu Bakr and later by Umar, Uthman and finally by the Prophet’s son in law, Ali. But, each of these successions that happened were not smooth and was accompanied by intrigue, internecine wars and bloodshed. Again, as Fatah says, that teachings of the Prophet were being forgotten by his followers and religion was being used as a justification to exert control over the respective Caliphates of that time. The succession wars between the Caliphs make interesting reading and one really gets taken aback by the scale of loss of human life that had taken place- and the thing to note here is that Muslims were killing Muslims. The final culmination was the killing of the grandson of the Prophet, Hassan Bin Ali, which led to the historical enmity between the Shias and Sunnis, which rankles the community and the Muslim world to this day.
Fatah then continues with his narrative on the Umayyad dynasty in Syria followed by the Abbasids in Iraq. He also talks of the spread of Islam into Europe across the Strait of Gibraltar, with Spain being the first port of call. The Andalusian Islamic empire was considered to be moderate and it is here that Islam managed to attain the peak of human achievements, be it in Science, Arts, Music, etc. It is ironical that the fields in which the Muslims excelled at that point in time have all come to be considered as anathema for the puritanical brand of Islam that is being propagated today. This was followed by the Crusades which was sanctioned by the Pope himself, and Islam was driven out of power from Europe. This coincided with the marauding rampage of the military of the Mongols on Baghdad, which again caused the eclipse of the Abbasid dynasty. Finally, in 1857, the Mughals in India were vanquished by the British.
The tragedy of the whole of Islamic civilization is that the community (or the so-called custodians of the faith- the Mullahs) haven’t been able to reconcile to the fact that the glory of the past isn’t going to take the community forward. The European Renaissance saw the birth of a technologically advanced world, which the Islamists fail to embrace and acknowledge, considering the values of Western Civilization as totally opposed to the principles of puritanical brand of Islam. Hence, they keep dreaming of the destruction of the World as we know it today, and thereafter go back to the medieval times and establish the superiority of the Islamic faith. Fatah rightly surmises that this plan is bound to fail, as common sense amply implies the fact that one cannot hope to move forward to a bright and meaningful future just by dreaming about a past and basing all our actions on what has happened in the past. As Fatah observes ruefully, it is like trying to drive a car forward by looking at the rear-view mirror!!!
This book is a wonderful treatise on Islamic History and is an eye-opener on the self-destructive path that the Islamists seem to have embarked upon. Fatah also vehemently critiques the so called left and liberal society, including politicians, who for vested interests do not support the moderates within the Muslim community and end up giving tacit support to the Islamists. Fatah makes it amply clear that there are a multitude of peace loving Muslims out there, and his impassioned plea to them is not to get swayed by the misinformation and the extremist rhetoric of the Islamists and to try and save themselves and the world from an impending doom that we seem to be heading to.
The book is so very well written in a language that is lucid. Even though it deals with something so serious, never once did it feel like a heavy read, in fact, I felt that it was unputdownable. It is true that people with a different take on world history and the problem of Islamic extremism might not agree to all that the author has put forth, but, at least this book will form a starting point from which a civilized debate on the issue can be initiated. Make no mistake about it, how much ever the left and liberals would have us to accept an accommodative view of militant Islam, it is crystal clear that this particular issue is going to affect all of us adversely in more ways than one, if not adequately tackled. And, sadly the worst sufferers are going to be Muslims themselves.
Tarek Fatah says that the basic problem in the community as of now, is the fact that they tend to live in the past, reliving memories of the golden age of Islam before the revival of Europe in the thirteenth century. Islamists eagerly want to bring back those days of yore when Islam was at its zenith during the Umayyads and the Abbasid empires. It is at this juncture that the political hue of Islam gets employed firmly ensconced in the Islamic principles that were enunciated by the Prophet, but which were more apt for the times in which he lived. Obviously, trying to build a golden future just by replicating the beliefs and practices of the distant past is not going to work. Fatah says that the Islamists do not believe in the principle of democracy, instead they firmly believe in the kingdom of God which is governed by rules that have been set forth in the Quran, and by the Sharia laws. However, as the author points out, a lot of regressive practices and beliefs that are supposed to be a part of Islam, never existed at the time of the Prophet, nor did he enforce it upon his followers at that point in time. It was the later rulers of Islamic empires who modified and introduced regressive codes, which primarily were used by them to vanquish their opponents and to ensure their vice like grip on the community. Since all this was cloaked in the respectable veneer of religious sanction, the vast multitudes of peace loving Islamic population could never raise their voice against it. If anyone did that, he was immediately branded an apostate and a blasphemer, with the punishment of death to follow.
The author talks in detail about four countries and analyses their course in history, since all of them have made Islam as the sole reason for their existence. He talks of Pakistan as the “failed Islamic State”. He recounts the history of the country from its birth in the year 1947 to the troubled conditions that exist there and the role of the Military in running the country. It becomes amply clear in the narrative that Islamic tenets have been used basically as an excuse to capture political power by anyone who managed to be at the helm of affairs in Pakistan, be it the Army or the politicians of various hues.
He talks of Saudi Arabia which is the main sponsor of Islamic revivalism throughout the globe. They have been particularly responsible for the export of militant Islam in the form of Wahhabism. Fatah rues that fact that vast multitudes of Muslims around the world fail to see through the machinations of this country. The ruling family of Saudi Arabia are supposed to be the guardians of the holiest shrines of the Muslims in Mecca and Medina, but unfortunately, they are the ones who have done the maximum damage to historical sites of Islam in Saudi Arabia, so much so that the abodes of Muhammad and his daughter Fatima have been destroyed to make way for skyscrapers. Added to this fact is the all too obvious racism that exists in the faith of Islam where the Arabs consider themselves superior to Muslims in Africa, South Asia and South East Asia. These are aspects of Islam of today which would definitely make Muhammad turn in his grave.
Fatah then talks about the authoritarian regime in Iran under the Ayatollahs. He traces the history of the Islamic revolution in Iran, and the excesses that the regime has unleashed on its critics, all couched in the platitude that all of it is being done in the defense of the faith of Islam. He also talks of a future Islamic state that is likely to be established in the form of Palestine. Here, he rues the fact that the genuine political fight for the creation of Palestine spearheaded by the PLO under Yasser Arafat (there are lot of commentators who would not agree to the view that Arafat was a paragon of virtue!!), was eventually usurped by the militant Hamas (who are the militant proxies of the clerics in Iran). Fatah does make a preposterous claim here that the Hamas were tacitly egged on by Israel, so that a genuine political movement could be made to look bad in the eyes of the world. As far-fetched as it may sound, anything is possible in the world of Politics!!!
What made particularly interesting reading was the early history of Islam right from the time of Prophet Muhammad extending to the four Caliphs who succeeded him. These four were known as the “Rightly guided Caliphs”. That brings to an interesting observation- is it an implicit submission that the rest of the rulers of Islamic Empires were far from perfect? Even the succession process amongst the first four Caliphs was far from ideal. As per Fatah, there was lot of intrigue and violence involved. Muhammad’s own family was sidelined in the succession process, so much so that the first member from his family could wear the mantle on as only the fourth in the line of succession – his son in law, Ali Ibn Abu Talib. History is witness to the fact that soon after the death of the Prophet there was widespread uncertainty, so that Prophet’s own daughter Fatima was ignored and humiliated. Fatah says that the idea of suppression of women’s rights in Islam was thereby sanctioned right after the death of the Prophet, even though during his time, it is believed that women enjoyed freedom and respect. As far as the wearing of the hijab is concerned, Fatah says that Muhammad was never the one to insist that women had to be in a veil. During that period, what Muhammad enjoined his followers to do was to insist on women to wear a piece of attire called the khimar, which was used to cover their bosoms. Apparently, during the pre-Islamic period, the women in the Arabian Peninsula never covered their bosoms.
Muhammad was succeeded by his father in law, Abu Bakr and later by Umar, Uthman and finally by the Prophet’s son in law, Ali. But, each of these successions that happened were not smooth and was accompanied by intrigue, internecine wars and bloodshed. Again, as Fatah says, that teachings of the Prophet were being forgotten by his followers and religion was being used as a justification to exert control over the respective Caliphates of that time. The succession wars between the Caliphs make interesting reading and one really gets taken aback by the scale of loss of human life that had taken place- and the thing to note here is that Muslims were killing Muslims. The final culmination was the killing of the grandson of the Prophet, Hassan Bin Ali, which led to the historical enmity between the Shias and Sunnis, which rankles the community and the Muslim world to this day.
Fatah then continues with his narrative on the Umayyad dynasty in Syria followed by the Abbasids in Iraq. He also talks of the spread of Islam into Europe across the Strait of Gibraltar, with Spain being the first port of call. The Andalusian Islamic empire was considered to be moderate and it is here that Islam managed to attain the peak of human achievements, be it in Science, Arts, Music, etc. It is ironical that the fields in which the Muslims excelled at that point in time have all come to be considered as anathema for the puritanical brand of Islam that is being propagated today. This was followed by the Crusades which was sanctioned by the Pope himself, and Islam was driven out of power from Europe. This coincided with the marauding rampage of the military of the Mongols on Baghdad, which again caused the eclipse of the Abbasid dynasty. Finally, in 1857, the Mughals in India were vanquished by the British.
The tragedy of the whole of Islamic civilization is that the community (or the so-called custodians of the faith- the Mullahs) haven’t been able to reconcile to the fact that the glory of the past isn’t going to take the community forward. The European Renaissance saw the birth of a technologically advanced world, which the Islamists fail to embrace and acknowledge, considering the values of Western Civilization as totally opposed to the principles of puritanical brand of Islam. Hence, they keep dreaming of the destruction of the World as we know it today, and thereafter go back to the medieval times and establish the superiority of the Islamic faith. Fatah rightly surmises that this plan is bound to fail, as common sense amply implies the fact that one cannot hope to move forward to a bright and meaningful future just by dreaming about a past and basing all our actions on what has happened in the past. As Fatah observes ruefully, it is like trying to drive a car forward by looking at the rear-view mirror!!!
This book is a wonderful treatise on Islamic History and is an eye-opener on the self-destructive path that the Islamists seem to have embarked upon. Fatah also vehemently critiques the so called left and liberal society, including politicians, who for vested interests do not support the moderates within the Muslim community and end up giving tacit support to the Islamists. Fatah makes it amply clear that there are a multitude of peace loving Muslims out there, and his impassioned plea to them is not to get swayed by the misinformation and the extremist rhetoric of the Islamists and to try and save themselves and the world from an impending doom that we seem to be heading to.
July 16, 2021
Fatah puts the myth of an original perfect Islamic state to a very informed reality test. In the process he exposes the flawed methods, logic, and assumptions of all simplistic idealists, who think we can solve everything by simply rolling back the clock to a previous age and deleting all developments since that time.
February 20, 2019
One of the most prevalent beliefs among muslims of today's world is that in order to live a completely Islamic life, they need to live under an Islamic State, ruled by a Caliph and governed by Sharia Law. It is the same belief that divided the Muslims of India and led to creation of Pakistan, an Islamic state.
Drawing evidences from the Quran and also from the writings of eminent Islamic scholars of various periods, Fatah argues that Islam was not sent by God for muslims to create an "Islamic State" but to achieve "a state of Islam", which Fatah says is a spiritual state achieved by human beings through Islam as a moral compass to lead their lives.
This book is Mr. Tarek Fatah's attempt to wake up the Muslim community and help them to look at 1,400 years of their own history in an objective manner, bereft of any preconcieved notions.
What one realizes while reading this book is that Islam as a religious system was developed and completed only after Prophet Muhammad's demise. Fatah emphasises on the fact that the early Arabs, like the Umayyads, used Islam as a tool to conquer territories and spread their rule. Since then, Islam has been used as a political tool to spread Arab imperialism throughout the world.
Fatah urges his community, especially the Non-Arab muslims to not to embrace the Islamism, i.e, Islam ebedded with Arab Imperialism and turn back to original version of Islam as taught by Prophet Muhammad.
Interesting read for those like me who have a fascination for studying Islamic history. More books like these can help Islam to get cleansed from its extremist elements and become more adaptable with 21st century values.
Drawing evidences from the Quran and also from the writings of eminent Islamic scholars of various periods, Fatah argues that Islam was not sent by God for muslims to create an "Islamic State" but to achieve "a state of Islam", which Fatah says is a spiritual state achieved by human beings through Islam as a moral compass to lead their lives.
This book is Mr. Tarek Fatah's attempt to wake up the Muslim community and help them to look at 1,400 years of their own history in an objective manner, bereft of any preconcieved notions.
What one realizes while reading this book is that Islam as a religious system was developed and completed only after Prophet Muhammad's demise. Fatah emphasises on the fact that the early Arabs, like the Umayyads, used Islam as a tool to conquer territories and spread their rule. Since then, Islam has been used as a political tool to spread Arab imperialism throughout the world.
Fatah urges his community, especially the Non-Arab muslims to not to embrace the Islamism, i.e, Islam ebedded with Arab Imperialism and turn back to original version of Islam as taught by Prophet Muhammad.
Interesting read for those like me who have a fascination for studying Islamic history. More books like these can help Islam to get cleansed from its extremist elements and become more adaptable with 21st century values.
November 9, 2015
Tarek Fatah discusses how Islam has been moulded and used after the death of prophet Muhammad over and over again throughout the history as a tool to gain political power and why the concept of Islamic State, religious extremism and its association with politics is such a threat to peace.
October 24, 2017
The world is witnessing incidents of jihadi violence by the hour. Even though Islam is often touted as a religion of peace, non-Muslims and an increasing section of Muslims perceive it to be otherwise. A noted feature in the discourse on terror and its religio-political inspiration is the total absence of the voice of the moderates in the Muslim community. Surprising it may seem to us, but the extremists occupy centre stage in the debate and spread a false sense of victimhood among young Muslims. The radicals want to assert that the whole Muslim community in the world is a monolithic nation, called ‘Ummah’, irrespective and irrelevant of the national, ethnic, racial and linguistic barriers that divide them. They abhor parliaments and other law-making machinery offered by the Western civilization and want to go back to a presumed golden era that flourished in the seventh or eighth centuries CE when the supposedly Rightly Guided Caliphs ruled from Medina. This book presents the pitfalls inherent in such a ludicrously simplistic evaluation of what ails the Muslims of today. Instead of living in a state of Islam, in which every Muslim is entitled to live peacefully and joyfully as per the fundamental tenets of Islam that cares about the spiritual needs of the individual, Muslims are shepherded to outrageous notions of political supremacy of Islam over other religions of the world and authoritarianism of cleric-politicians as enshrined in an Islamic state. By looking back at the history of Islam and the status of implementation of the Islamic state in a few countries, the author affirms the illusion of an Islamic state that occurred anywhere in the world in the present or in the past. Tarek Fatah is a Pakistani author and journalist based in Canada. He has authored many books. He was an activist in Pakistan, and was twice imprisoned by successive military dictatorships. In the aftermath of 9/11, Fatah founded the Muslim Canadian Congress (MCC), a secular and liberal Muslim organization dedicated to the separation of religion and politics, opposition to Islamism and jihadi extremism.
Fatah begins by requesting his Muslim readers to attempt to answer a few questions in the privacy of their solitude, when they need not be on the defensive and have no fear of being judged. Presenting the difference between an Islamic state and a state of Islam, he argues that the 150 million Muslims in Pakistan live in an Islamic state, while an equal number of Muslims in India live in a state of Islam. The author makes a clear distinction between Muslims and Islamists, who work for the imposition of an Islamic state based on Sharia. They have brought out Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in 1990 roughly in line with the UN Declaration of Universal Human Rights in 1948. However, the Cairo one envisages all rights and freedoms subject to Sharia, and provides for second class citizenship to the non-Muslims who have the misfortune to live in an Islamic state. It legitimizes the notion of racial and religious superiority and allows for multiple levels of citizenship and widespread and systemic discrimination against racial and religious minorities living within a state’s borders (p. 17). The Liberal-Left is now hand in glove with the Islamists under the untrue impression that they oppose the US and its hegemonic world policy. However, Islamists are not against the West’s imperial ambitions or capitalist greed. They were the West’s handmaidens throughout the cold war and waged a jihad on America’s behalf against the Soviets in Afghanistan. The Islamists take sustenance from the writings of Sayyid Abul Ala Maudoodi of the Jamaat Islami and Hassan al-Banna and Syed Qutb of the Muslim Brotherhood. Maudoodi had noted that the West’s ‘unfettered freedom’ and individual liberty are to be opposed. This put the leftists in an awkward position.
The book then examines the blatant discrimination present in the Islamic states of Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Palestine. Religious minorities are not given equal status anywhere. Pakistan’s constitution, in its Article 41(2) states that only a Muslim can become its president. When Justice Rana Bhagwandas, a Hindu, was sworn in as acting chief justice of Pakistan, he had to take his oath of office with a Quranic prayer, “May Allah Almighty help and guide me, Ameen”. Imagine such a thing happening to a Muslim anywhere in the secular democracies like India or western countries! Also imagine the tremendous hue and cry such an incident will cause among human rights groups! But in this instance, nothing happened and the seculars turned a blind eye to it. The supreme leader of Iran – velayat e-faqih – can only be a person of Arab ancestry. Imams of the superior pedigree don a black turban while others wear white headgear. He advises the Palestinians to view Islamists with deep suspicion, especially the ones in Marxist attire who espouse support of the Islamist Hamas while living in and unwilling to give up residence or the comforts of the US (p. 74).
Part 2 of the book that deals with the genesis of the faith and its political institutions present the true face of history the Islamists often sweep under the carpet. Three out of the four Rightly Guided Caliphs had fallen victim to an assassin’s knife in an orgy of tribal and racial enmity. After the Prophet’s death, the claim of the Quraysh tribe was proposed by Abu Bakr, who became the first caliph and a member of the tribe. Notions of equality were discarded at that stage itself. The second caliph Omar followed a policy of sabiqa which determined people’s level of piety on a sliding scale of when they accepted Islam. War booty was divided by Omar unequally. Those who followed Muhammad to Medina were given the highest entitlement and the lowest for those who accepted Islam after the fall of Mecca. In the sixth year of Omar’s reign a famine struck Arabia. The relief effort was also based on the principle of graded inequality – Meccan Quraysh the most, then Meccan Arabs, then the Aws tribe of Medina over the Khazraj and the non-Arab Muslims and slaves. The non-Arab Muslims were disparagingly called Mawalis and the Umayyad dynasty of caliphs (661 – 750 CE) taxed Jizya from them as noted by Maudoodi. Sectarian and familial jealousy overruled the early caliphate. Muawiyah instituted the practice of cursing Ali, the Prophet’s son-in-law during Friday sermons, which is still followed during the Hajj pilgrimage (p. 159). The forward thrust of Arab culture into Europe was stopped in 732 CE when Charles Martel defeated the Berber – Arab army in Poitiers, France. Muslims could never cross this line again. When the flow of war booty from expansion subsided, dissensions broke out in the Islamic camp. The Islamic states of the past failed to establish a norm for rightful succession that led to the unhappy situation in which lasting political institutions didn’t develop. Fatah categorically affirms that the idea of the caliphate or Islamic state has no basis whatsoever in either the Quran or the traditions of the Prophet.
The third part of the book is earmarked to expose the deviant agenda of Islamists in the West and their political manifesto. Their agenda is what Maudoodi declared: “Islam wishes to destroy all states and governments anywhere in the face of the earth which are opposed to the ideology and program of Islam. If the Muslim party commands adequate resources, it will eliminate un-Islamic governments and establish the power of Islamic governments in their stead. (p. 252). Fatah brings to light the backhand deals in Canada in which Islamists tried to sneak in Sharia for the country’s Muslim minority and the true face of Islamic banking which is another front of extremism. The religious bigotry of the Islamists is nauseating. They swing into action only when a Muslim country or individual is attacked. In 1999, New York police intercepted a Black man named Amadou Diallo and shot him down in a case of highhandedness. Civil rights groups began protests but the Islamists kept mum. A few days later, the man’s full name was published in the newspapers as Ahmed Ahmedou Diallo, a Muslim. Islamists took up protests only at that point. In the Vietnam War, they sided with the US government and only join the action when a Muslim state is at the receiving end of US foreign policy.
As I noted earlier, the voice of the moderate Muslim is nowhere heard. This book changes all that, and Tarek Fatah’s lone voice rumbles through the debating bodies as a voice of sincerity and reason. It is to be noted that he never says anything against the Prophet or the Quran, but attacks the false interpretation of the Islamists. Readers open a rich treasure trove of new information from this book that blunts the sharpness of Wahhabi-funded Islamists masquerading as free thinkers and human rights activists. The book uses footnotes instead of attaching a glossary at the end. A veritable collection of Notes and a long list of books for further reading make this a must-have for all classes of readers. A comprehensive index elevates the book to the level of a reference work.
When you grow old, it is rare that you come across a book which gives you a flood of details you never knew existed. Most books show a new sidewalk or an unexplored by-lane to the city centre which you are thoroughly familiar with. But this book showcases an entirely new city, which justifies its Five Star rating.
The book is most highly recommended.
Fatah begins by requesting his Muslim readers to attempt to answer a few questions in the privacy of their solitude, when they need not be on the defensive and have no fear of being judged. Presenting the difference between an Islamic state and a state of Islam, he argues that the 150 million Muslims in Pakistan live in an Islamic state, while an equal number of Muslims in India live in a state of Islam. The author makes a clear distinction between Muslims and Islamists, who work for the imposition of an Islamic state based on Sharia. They have brought out Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in 1990 roughly in line with the UN Declaration of Universal Human Rights in 1948. However, the Cairo one envisages all rights and freedoms subject to Sharia, and provides for second class citizenship to the non-Muslims who have the misfortune to live in an Islamic state. It legitimizes the notion of racial and religious superiority and allows for multiple levels of citizenship and widespread and systemic discrimination against racial and religious minorities living within a state’s borders (p. 17). The Liberal-Left is now hand in glove with the Islamists under the untrue impression that they oppose the US and its hegemonic world policy. However, Islamists are not against the West’s imperial ambitions or capitalist greed. They were the West’s handmaidens throughout the cold war and waged a jihad on America’s behalf against the Soviets in Afghanistan. The Islamists take sustenance from the writings of Sayyid Abul Ala Maudoodi of the Jamaat Islami and Hassan al-Banna and Syed Qutb of the Muslim Brotherhood. Maudoodi had noted that the West’s ‘unfettered freedom’ and individual liberty are to be opposed. This put the leftists in an awkward position.
The book then examines the blatant discrimination present in the Islamic states of Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Palestine. Religious minorities are not given equal status anywhere. Pakistan’s constitution, in its Article 41(2) states that only a Muslim can become its president. When Justice Rana Bhagwandas, a Hindu, was sworn in as acting chief justice of Pakistan, he had to take his oath of office with a Quranic prayer, “May Allah Almighty help and guide me, Ameen”. Imagine such a thing happening to a Muslim anywhere in the secular democracies like India or western countries! Also imagine the tremendous hue and cry such an incident will cause among human rights groups! But in this instance, nothing happened and the seculars turned a blind eye to it. The supreme leader of Iran – velayat e-faqih – can only be a person of Arab ancestry. Imams of the superior pedigree don a black turban while others wear white headgear. He advises the Palestinians to view Islamists with deep suspicion, especially the ones in Marxist attire who espouse support of the Islamist Hamas while living in and unwilling to give up residence or the comforts of the US (p. 74).
Part 2 of the book that deals with the genesis of the faith and its political institutions present the true face of history the Islamists often sweep under the carpet. Three out of the four Rightly Guided Caliphs had fallen victim to an assassin’s knife in an orgy of tribal and racial enmity. After the Prophet’s death, the claim of the Quraysh tribe was proposed by Abu Bakr, who became the first caliph and a member of the tribe. Notions of equality were discarded at that stage itself. The second caliph Omar followed a policy of sabiqa which determined people’s level of piety on a sliding scale of when they accepted Islam. War booty was divided by Omar unequally. Those who followed Muhammad to Medina were given the highest entitlement and the lowest for those who accepted Islam after the fall of Mecca. In the sixth year of Omar’s reign a famine struck Arabia. The relief effort was also based on the principle of graded inequality – Meccan Quraysh the most, then Meccan Arabs, then the Aws tribe of Medina over the Khazraj and the non-Arab Muslims and slaves. The non-Arab Muslims were disparagingly called Mawalis and the Umayyad dynasty of caliphs (661 – 750 CE) taxed Jizya from them as noted by Maudoodi. Sectarian and familial jealousy overruled the early caliphate. Muawiyah instituted the practice of cursing Ali, the Prophet’s son-in-law during Friday sermons, which is still followed during the Hajj pilgrimage (p. 159). The forward thrust of Arab culture into Europe was stopped in 732 CE when Charles Martel defeated the Berber – Arab army in Poitiers, France. Muslims could never cross this line again. When the flow of war booty from expansion subsided, dissensions broke out in the Islamic camp. The Islamic states of the past failed to establish a norm for rightful succession that led to the unhappy situation in which lasting political institutions didn’t develop. Fatah categorically affirms that the idea of the caliphate or Islamic state has no basis whatsoever in either the Quran or the traditions of the Prophet.
The third part of the book is earmarked to expose the deviant agenda of Islamists in the West and their political manifesto. Their agenda is what Maudoodi declared: “Islam wishes to destroy all states and governments anywhere in the face of the earth which are opposed to the ideology and program of Islam. If the Muslim party commands adequate resources, it will eliminate un-Islamic governments and establish the power of Islamic governments in their stead. (p. 252). Fatah brings to light the backhand deals in Canada in which Islamists tried to sneak in Sharia for the country’s Muslim minority and the true face of Islamic banking which is another front of extremism. The religious bigotry of the Islamists is nauseating. They swing into action only when a Muslim country or individual is attacked. In 1999, New York police intercepted a Black man named Amadou Diallo and shot him down in a case of highhandedness. Civil rights groups began protests but the Islamists kept mum. A few days later, the man’s full name was published in the newspapers as Ahmed Ahmedou Diallo, a Muslim. Islamists took up protests only at that point. In the Vietnam War, they sided with the US government and only join the action when a Muslim state is at the receiving end of US foreign policy.
As I noted earlier, the voice of the moderate Muslim is nowhere heard. This book changes all that, and Tarek Fatah’s lone voice rumbles through the debating bodies as a voice of sincerity and reason. It is to be noted that he never says anything against the Prophet or the Quran, but attacks the false interpretation of the Islamists. Readers open a rich treasure trove of new information from this book that blunts the sharpness of Wahhabi-funded Islamists masquerading as free thinkers and human rights activists. The book uses footnotes instead of attaching a glossary at the end. A veritable collection of Notes and a long list of books for further reading make this a must-have for all classes of readers. A comprehensive index elevates the book to the level of a reference work.
When you grow old, it is rare that you come across a book which gives you a flood of details you never knew existed. Most books show a new sidewalk or an unexplored by-lane to the city centre which you are thoroughly familiar with. But this book showcases an entirely new city, which justifies its Five Star rating.
The book is most highly recommended.
August 16, 2018
Getting Closer To What Went Wrong
The first third of the book looks at modern Shariah based nations Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. The recurring theme is that Islamic States have all resulted in situations that contradict the teachings of the Prophet:
Pakistan began with democratic aspirations but quickly reverted to unequal laws disadvantaging minority Sikhs, Hindus, even Ahmadiya Muslims and others including Christians.
Of Saudi Arabia the regime is scathingly castigated for their wanton destruction of historic sites such as the house of Khadija or the tomb of Fatima. As such there are less than 20 remaining sites that date back to the time of the Mohammed, making the Wahabists, who are doctrinally opposed to turning individuals into saints and veneration of places associated with them, unsuitable custodians of the cradle of Islam. They have only had this role since their 1920's conquest of the Arabian peninsula. The 1979 siege of the Grand Mosque in Mecca by 300 Muslims from various countries which resulted in over 1000 deaths is blamed on Israel and America; the event itself Fatah discovers does not appear in a single textbook in the Muslim world, as it it never happened.
Under the Iranian constitution the Velayat-e faqih (supreme leader) must be an ethnic Arab from the Hashemite clan of the Quraysh tribe, a descendant of the Prophet's daughter Fatima and her husband Ali. "These men are known as the Syeds. Only an Arab Syed of Iran can rule as it's supreme leader." (pp67) How the Persians ever acquiesce to this, only Allah knows!
He quips that the Imans and Ayatollahs who are driving for Shariah, that is nations governed by Islamic principles, are attempting to navigate hell bent into the future using a rear view mirror focused on a mythical past, blaming every bump and crash on Israel and the West instead of themselves.
The middle section of the book is a brilliant deconstruction of early Islamic history and by itself worth 5* and the price of the book. This is a far cry from the usual hagiographic treatment given to the "Four Rightly Guided Caliphs". One learns a great deal about the rivalry that followed the death of Mohammed, how Ali was first shut out of the leadership and how descendants of the Prophet were hunted down and murdered for fear that they or their descendants would acquire political power.
The heart of Fatah's argument is a plea for separation of Mosque and State. The modern Islamists, he charges, are attempting to recapture something that never existed. In 1450 years of Islamic history there has never been a just Islamic state to revert back to. Even in the "golden age" of Muslim ruled Spain the concept did not work. In spite of a generous outflowing of culture and learning, was overshadowed by political intrigue and assassination.
In most of the book the premises, arguments and conclusions are well done, and one must certainly respect both his love and knowledge of history. However when it comes to Mohammed or Marx, well, love is blind:
What keeps Fatah from being considered a complete apostate is that he still holds fast to the catchecism of Mohammed's infallibility and the perfection of his example. He is unable to separate the Messenger from the Message or concede as is done in other faiths, that even prophets were imperfect vessels
As for Marx, in Chapter 5, "Palestine: Future Islamic State?" he relates how as a student he instantly bonded with the first Palestinian student that he met, simply because the man was a Marxist. He thrills at the audacity of Leilah Khalid, the infamous female hijacker of TWA flight 840. He argues that Hamas' religious approach is counter-productive, because under Islamic tradition Jews have the better claim. Abbas, simply because he professes to be a Marxist (other than by education in the USSR the claim is highly doubtful) is Israel's best opportunity for peace, and Hamas only grew because of Israeli support, corruption in the Arafat's PA having nothing to do with it, a neglect of the old Turkish saying "a fish stinks from the head down."
The last five chapters examine the dynamics of moderates and extremist Muslim factions in the West, focusing mostly on Canada. He's highly critical of Western politicians for endorsing to what he considers the more radical element of his community, with a tendency to identify Islam with beards and turbans. To contrast he offered a number of alternative voices. The treatment here was more anecdotal - interesting but not quite at the same level as the middle third.
The book ends with an afterward by Hussaim Haqqani which I found a bit at out of place with Fatah's ideas, and a very humourous EULA (End User License Agreement, often found in software package installs) for Islam warning the end user not to accept any unauthorized upgrades and is worth passing around in one's email.
Highly interesting, somewhat controversial and the middle section especially worth having around for reference.
The first third of the book looks at modern Shariah based nations Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. The recurring theme is that Islamic States have all resulted in situations that contradict the teachings of the Prophet:
Pakistan began with democratic aspirations but quickly reverted to unequal laws disadvantaging minority Sikhs, Hindus, even Ahmadiya Muslims and others including Christians.
Of Saudi Arabia the regime is scathingly castigated for their wanton destruction of historic sites such as the house of Khadija or the tomb of Fatima. As such there are less than 20 remaining sites that date back to the time of the Mohammed, making the Wahabists, who are doctrinally opposed to turning individuals into saints and veneration of places associated with them, unsuitable custodians of the cradle of Islam. They have only had this role since their 1920's conquest of the Arabian peninsula. The 1979 siege of the Grand Mosque in Mecca by 300 Muslims from various countries which resulted in over 1000 deaths is blamed on Israel and America; the event itself Fatah discovers does not appear in a single textbook in the Muslim world, as it it never happened.
Under the Iranian constitution the Velayat-e faqih (supreme leader) must be an ethnic Arab from the Hashemite clan of the Quraysh tribe, a descendant of the Prophet's daughter Fatima and her husband Ali. "These men are known as the Syeds. Only an Arab Syed of Iran can rule as it's supreme leader." (pp67) How the Persians ever acquiesce to this, only Allah knows!
He quips that the Imans and Ayatollahs who are driving for Shariah, that is nations governed by Islamic principles, are attempting to navigate hell bent into the future using a rear view mirror focused on a mythical past, blaming every bump and crash on Israel and the West instead of themselves.
The middle section of the book is a brilliant deconstruction of early Islamic history and by itself worth 5* and the price of the book. This is a far cry from the usual hagiographic treatment given to the "Four Rightly Guided Caliphs". One learns a great deal about the rivalry that followed the death of Mohammed, how Ali was first shut out of the leadership and how descendants of the Prophet were hunted down and murdered for fear that they or their descendants would acquire political power.
The heart of Fatah's argument is a plea for separation of Mosque and State. The modern Islamists, he charges, are attempting to recapture something that never existed. In 1450 years of Islamic history there has never been a just Islamic state to revert back to. Even in the "golden age" of Muslim ruled Spain the concept did not work. In spite of a generous outflowing of culture and learning, was overshadowed by political intrigue and assassination.
In most of the book the premises, arguments and conclusions are well done, and one must certainly respect both his love and knowledge of history. However when it comes to Mohammed or Marx, well, love is blind:
What keeps Fatah from being considered a complete apostate is that he still holds fast to the catchecism of Mohammed's infallibility and the perfection of his example. He is unable to separate the Messenger from the Message or concede as is done in other faiths, that even prophets were imperfect vessels
As for Marx, in Chapter 5, "Palestine: Future Islamic State?" he relates how as a student he instantly bonded with the first Palestinian student that he met, simply because the man was a Marxist. He thrills at the audacity of Leilah Khalid, the infamous female hijacker of TWA flight 840. He argues that Hamas' religious approach is counter-productive, because under Islamic tradition Jews have the better claim. Abbas, simply because he professes to be a Marxist (other than by education in the USSR the claim is highly doubtful) is Israel's best opportunity for peace, and Hamas only grew because of Israeli support, corruption in the Arafat's PA having nothing to do with it, a neglect of the old Turkish saying "a fish stinks from the head down."
The last five chapters examine the dynamics of moderates and extremist Muslim factions in the West, focusing mostly on Canada. He's highly critical of Western politicians for endorsing to what he considers the more radical element of his community, with a tendency to identify Islam with beards and turbans. To contrast he offered a number of alternative voices. The treatment here was more anecdotal - interesting but not quite at the same level as the middle third.
The book ends with an afterward by Hussaim Haqqani which I found a bit at out of place with Fatah's ideas, and a very humourous EULA (End User License Agreement, often found in software package installs) for Islam warning the end user not to accept any unauthorized upgrades and is worth passing around in one's email.
Highly interesting, somewhat controversial and the middle section especially worth having around for reference.
November 21, 2019
O livro de Tarek Fatah se sobressai, principalmente, por ter sido escrito por um ativista liberal muçulmano assim afastando vieses religiosos tão comuns em temas como este. Fatah nesse livro condena a ideia do estabelecimento de um estado islâmico classificando-a como uma miragem que alguns muçulmanos têm cultivado por milênios.
Através de um texto bastante claro e coerente Fatah mostra a incoerência histórica desta pretensão e demonstra que a tão propalada era de ouro dos quatro primeiros califas foi na verdade um período de intriga palaciana, assassinatos, torturas e guerras pelo poder e jamais poderia ser instituída como modelo para um estado islâmico. Apesar da pujança econômica e cultural de algumas fases da história do domínio muçulmano como o Califado de Córdoba e o Califado de Bagdá, em seus áureos tempos, jamais os califados islâmicos primaram por competência política ou sequer estabelecer uma forma tranquila de passagem do poder.
O livro mostra que estes, que hoje pregam o Estado Islâmico, são atrelados ao mesmo tipo de ideologia daqueles que após a morte do Profeta assumiram o comando do islamismo e expulsaram os familiares dele do centro do poder e, mesmo sendo os últimos a se converterem e terem sido os maiores inimigos de Maomé em seu tempo, se apossaram do islamismo. Nem se tocam nas contradições e na negação dos principais princípios de Maomé que, apesar de seus delírios, pregava a igualdade bem como a inexistência de supremacia racial.
O livro vale muito a pena para quem deseja conhecer o islamismo e não deseja ser influenciado por vieses de outras religiões.
No momento, percebo que este livro não está disponível na Amazon, mas existe uma solução para aqueles que têm o Kindle e que apesar da perda de algumas facilidades, como a funcionalidade do acesso às notas, desejam ler o livro imediatamente. Existe uma versão pdf na Internet e a excelente ferramenta de conversão de documentos do Kindle produz um exemplar com 90% da funcionalidade, a menos do que mencionei antes.
Através de um texto bastante claro e coerente Fatah mostra a incoerência histórica desta pretensão e demonstra que a tão propalada era de ouro dos quatro primeiros califas foi na verdade um período de intriga palaciana, assassinatos, torturas e guerras pelo poder e jamais poderia ser instituída como modelo para um estado islâmico. Apesar da pujança econômica e cultural de algumas fases da história do domínio muçulmano como o Califado de Córdoba e o Califado de Bagdá, em seus áureos tempos, jamais os califados islâmicos primaram por competência política ou sequer estabelecer uma forma tranquila de passagem do poder.
O livro mostra que estes, que hoje pregam o Estado Islâmico, são atrelados ao mesmo tipo de ideologia daqueles que após a morte do Profeta assumiram o comando do islamismo e expulsaram os familiares dele do centro do poder e, mesmo sendo os últimos a se converterem e terem sido os maiores inimigos de Maomé em seu tempo, se apossaram do islamismo. Nem se tocam nas contradições e na negação dos principais princípios de Maomé que, apesar de seus delírios, pregava a igualdade bem como a inexistência de supremacia racial.
O livro vale muito a pena para quem deseja conhecer o islamismo e não deseja ser influenciado por vieses de outras religiões.
No momento, percebo que este livro não está disponível na Amazon, mas existe uma solução para aqueles que têm o Kindle e que apesar da perda de algumas facilidades, como a funcionalidade do acesso às notas, desejam ler o livro imediatamente. Existe uma versão pdf na Internet e a excelente ferramenta de conversão de documentos do Kindle produz um exemplar com 90% da funcionalidade, a menos do que mencionei antes.
June 4, 2017
Tarek Fatah's book is a comprehensively detailed intellectual discourse which presents an unflattering and unbiased treatise on Islam, tackling its complex history that asks and answers the difficult questions facing the religion of Islam and its millions of followers all over the world, as it uncovers the blood soaked violent history of the bastardized metamorphosis of a religion that means "to surrender" oneself to God into a political tool used by the mullahs and Islamic caliphates of past and present (in their modern forms) for the establishment of an Islamic State, a goal that is ultimately of a regressive and dictatorial mindset. Tarek Fatah lays bare the realitites of modern day Islamic States - Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia for what they really are, the deep seated animosity of modern day mullahs towards other non-islamic nations, and their non-liberal attitudes towards woman, music, science, homosexuality and the total and absolute intellectual subversion under the guise of the teachings of the Holy Quran and the completely insecular and unharmonious indifferent attitude towards other religions that has become a key feature of modern day islamic states. Tarek Fatah's book is not just a critique of islamic society and the many ills plaguing it today, but it also holds a beacon of hope for the future and betterment of Islam and how Islam and Islamists need to give up the tragic illusion of an "Islamic State and instead chase the "State of Islam", wherein perhaps lies the only hope for the salvation and peaceful integration of Islam and it's many followers into the greater unfolding story of mankind and the story of global progress, on the rapidly unfolding pages of human history.
March 25, 2019
The narrative, adopt by the author through out the book is of the Post-Islamists. ‘Chasing a Mirage,” in a nutshell is a harsh criticism on Islamist narrative mainly in the context of Political Islam. The book is no less than a shock for a generation, that has been brought up by dogmas and myths sponsored by Islamists and which has no roots in Islam as the author claimed.
The History of Islam as shown in the book, is in contrast with what has been taught to students in schools, colleges and universities. History of Islam as the author argues is nothing but a ‘ history of unending power struggle where men have killed each other to claim the mantle of Prophet Muhammad. To put it more bluntly, it could be depicted as the “Game of Thrones” in which Lannisters, Targarians, Starks etc are replace by Fatimids, Abbasids & Umayyads all vied for the Caliphate and had slaughtered each other in doing so...
Proposing a way forward for the contemporary Muslims, Tariq Fatah is of the view that we Muslims should adopt ourselves to the Modern values of democracy, liberty, freedom and peace. Rather than pondering and struggling for an Islamic State which according to the author is a mirage and have been used by clerics for political point scoring and personnel gains, we should work on the “State of Islam” that primarily concerned with the spiritual development of a Muslim.
The History of Islam as shown in the book, is in contrast with what has been taught to students in schools, colleges and universities. History of Islam as the author argues is nothing but a ‘ history of unending power struggle where men have killed each other to claim the mantle of Prophet Muhammad. To put it more bluntly, it could be depicted as the “Game of Thrones” in which Lannisters, Targarians, Starks etc are replace by Fatimids, Abbasids & Umayyads all vied for the Caliphate and had slaughtered each other in doing so...
Proposing a way forward for the contemporary Muslims, Tariq Fatah is of the view that we Muslims should adopt ourselves to the Modern values of democracy, liberty, freedom and peace. Rather than pondering and struggling for an Islamic State which according to the author is a mirage and have been used by clerics for political point scoring and personnel gains, we should work on the “State of Islam” that primarily concerned with the spiritual development of a Muslim.
October 6, 2012
Read Fatah's book some time ago and found it an informative and interesting read. Needed to reread the historical sections to follow but found it fascinating. Being non Muslim, this was a great Islam 101- as the author notes, an Islamic state has always resulted in disastrous consequences, striving to reach a state of Islam is a totally different and desirable thing. I'd recommend it.
April 7, 2017
This is a an amazing book with deep insights about what is ailing Islam world over. Tarak Fatah has very logically, based on historical facts, bring about several issues which explain how an amazing religion has been exploited, misinterpreted for political and personal gains over the centuries and what has led to its present state of flux.
February 14, 2013
This is an excellent history of Islam and it's relationship to politics since it was founded. I recommend it to anyone who wants to understand the origin of the modern Islamist agenda and the organizations that promote it.
May 25, 2013
Very informative book on Islam. Now I understand why Muslims are violent and they can not live with other communities in peace. Islam is not the religion of peace for non muslims.
July 21, 2016
Super duper book. all chapters enlighten the topic in a logical way. this book clarified so many misconceptions. The last chapter was amazing.
June 24, 2016
a good reading i find so much blood shed in the so called golden age of islam, dont know why modern muslims are still obsessed with it. i wouldnt elaborate any more lest i hurt some sentiments.
June 9, 2018
Never read anything this thorough !
September 14, 2019
It's brilliant. It explains every fundamental problem exceptionally well. Shows the Islamic psyche inside out
November 10, 2018
"Morality is doing What is right, regardless what we are told; Religious dogma is doing what we are told, no matter what is right." ~Elka Ruth Enola
Mr. Fatah ends his critique with this quote before delivering his final conclusion in the book. Tarek Fatah is an audacious man, and I admire his audacity. If anyone else from any other community, even if he/she were the most prominent of scholars, would have written this (if they dared), it wouldn't have been this effective, as coming from Mr.Fatah. He's a practicing Muslim, who instead of leaving or rejecting his faith despite all the denunciations, threats and belittling hurled at him, had crusaded alone to reclaim it (pun not intended). To show not only the world but his brethren the mirror, the misconceptions, the issue, and the way to overcome them. While opposing the ideas of an "Islamic state" Mr.Fatah urges people to embrace "A state of Islam" in themselves, as in their psyche by being more tolerant and inclusive, with equality being the very foundation of the Prophet's teaching.
The book is divided into 3 parts broadly, the 1st part is a look Country by Country at the attempt and creation of an Islamic state (i.e. a theocratic society based on the Islamic religion and practices.) and its workings/results. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Palestine has been taken to make his many points. Part 2 deals with the beginning of it all, not Islam , no, the Idea of a STATE based on it. With the Prophet's death and its aftermath and the many caliphates that came into existence in the late 7th and early 8th centuries. The Golden age as propagated by many of the hard line fundamentalists in Islam, as the model that we should all return to, Mr.Fatah argues is neither compatible nor desirable in the present time replacing the present system. And then Part 3 discusses the many consequences that happen when we use Islam as a political ideology and cherry pick stuff to make impressionable minds feel sympathy with the Islamist, as he sees them.
He is a voracious speaker, and has been involved in many a cause all through his life. His style of "Shock and Awe" is quite apparent in his writing. He's unapologetic and unmerciful in his views. Which I think is all to the better, if you have to make people listen when they just don't want to, then you have to shout. This if nothing else is a starting point, for a debate, for thinking, analyzing and hopefully for change. His many examples all through the present and the past history are all thought provoking, especially the Idea that whenever an Islamic ruler embraced pluralist and reformist Ideas, his kingdom flourished like no other, and whenever the opposite occurred total destruction followed. He might have been a little too harsh on history, one could argue those were harsh times, and harsh times beget harsh men. But that is the point he's trying to make, the social construct of the world in general is not that harsh now. You can't buy and sell other human beings as objects anymore, for example. So, policies followed in those time can't be as is implemented in the current scenario. And then the politics is also significantly different, and so on and so forth. This is a clearly written book. Hate it or like it, agree or disagree the thoughts that it wants you to analyze come regardless. Ijtihad he says, 'independent reasoning' based on your moral compass is the key. As he himself says
"Those who wish to stamp out the Islamic extremists and their Jihadi foot soldiers must realize that to fight malaria one needs to drain the swamps not shoot individual mosquitoes" ~Tarek Fatah
This was a great book to read. Controversial, certainly, but thought provoking nonetheless. The whole Idea is for people to speak up, specially in the Muslim community, the liberal reformists among them to come forward and snatch the basic foundations of their faith back before they are mutated forever. "Fear is the most powerful enemy of Reason" as Al gore said Mr. Fatah tells us, and I think that's what he's trying to do, dispel this fear so that people are finally able to think. A flash bang approach is what he has used, but the man is a rebel, always has been. We need more of such rebels I think, the world just might listen to them. Fully recommended for everybody, brace yourselves.
Mr. Fatah ends his critique with this quote before delivering his final conclusion in the book. Tarek Fatah is an audacious man, and I admire his audacity. If anyone else from any other community, even if he/she were the most prominent of scholars, would have written this (if they dared), it wouldn't have been this effective, as coming from Mr.Fatah. He's a practicing Muslim, who instead of leaving or rejecting his faith despite all the denunciations, threats and belittling hurled at him, had crusaded alone to reclaim it (pun not intended). To show not only the world but his brethren the mirror, the misconceptions, the issue, and the way to overcome them. While opposing the ideas of an "Islamic state" Mr.Fatah urges people to embrace "A state of Islam" in themselves, as in their psyche by being more tolerant and inclusive, with equality being the very foundation of the Prophet's teaching.
The book is divided into 3 parts broadly, the 1st part is a look Country by Country at the attempt and creation of an Islamic state (i.e. a theocratic society based on the Islamic religion and practices.) and its workings/results. Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Palestine has been taken to make his many points. Part 2 deals with the beginning of it all, not Islam , no, the Idea of a STATE based on it. With the Prophet's death and its aftermath and the many caliphates that came into existence in the late 7th and early 8th centuries. The Golden age as propagated by many of the hard line fundamentalists in Islam, as the model that we should all return to, Mr.Fatah argues is neither compatible nor desirable in the present time replacing the present system. And then Part 3 discusses the many consequences that happen when we use Islam as a political ideology and cherry pick stuff to make impressionable minds feel sympathy with the Islamist, as he sees them.
He is a voracious speaker, and has been involved in many a cause all through his life. His style of "Shock and Awe" is quite apparent in his writing. He's unapologetic and unmerciful in his views. Which I think is all to the better, if you have to make people listen when they just don't want to, then you have to shout. This if nothing else is a starting point, for a debate, for thinking, analyzing and hopefully for change. His many examples all through the present and the past history are all thought provoking, especially the Idea that whenever an Islamic ruler embraced pluralist and reformist Ideas, his kingdom flourished like no other, and whenever the opposite occurred total destruction followed. He might have been a little too harsh on history, one could argue those were harsh times, and harsh times beget harsh men. But that is the point he's trying to make, the social construct of the world in general is not that harsh now. You can't buy and sell other human beings as objects anymore, for example. So, policies followed in those time can't be as is implemented in the current scenario. And then the politics is also significantly different, and so on and so forth. This is a clearly written book. Hate it or like it, agree or disagree the thoughts that it wants you to analyze come regardless. Ijtihad he says, 'independent reasoning' based on your moral compass is the key. As he himself says
"Those who wish to stamp out the Islamic extremists and their Jihadi foot soldiers must realize that to fight malaria one needs to drain the swamps not shoot individual mosquitoes" ~Tarek Fatah
This was a great book to read. Controversial, certainly, but thought provoking nonetheless. The whole Idea is for people to speak up, specially in the Muslim community, the liberal reformists among them to come forward and snatch the basic foundations of their faith back before they are mutated forever. "Fear is the most powerful enemy of Reason" as Al gore said Mr. Fatah tells us, and I think that's what he's trying to do, dispel this fear so that people are finally able to think. A flash bang approach is what he has used, but the man is a rebel, always has been. We need more of such rebels I think, the world just might listen to them. Fully recommended for everybody, brace yourselves.
July 26, 2020
i am convinced portrayal of history as it happened is almost impossible. but the point made by author is rather serious and must be taken into account by the community under lens. Though i doubt the controller will rather let them understand such a point.
January 30, 2016
Controversial writer (from a Pakistani's perspective), controversial topic (from a Muslim's perspective). But I put my hands on the book as a challenge read like I tried Lesley Hazleton's 'The First Muslim' last year.
There were many parts in the book which reminded me line from famous poet Parveen Shakir 'Baat to sach hai magar baat hai ruswai ki', but most of the part, I felt that the writer did have some pre-decided conclusion on the matters discussed in the book and at some points he did not support his conclusion with proper evidence. He did pointed out problems of Muslim societies, but he put all the blame on religious people. Though I'm all for not mixing religion with state (this was not always the case BTW), but the writer sounds forcing his opinion on others in most parts of the book.
Overall a good read for those who can introspect and read alternate side of the history.
There were many parts in the book which reminded me line from famous poet Parveen Shakir 'Baat to sach hai magar baat hai ruswai ki', but most of the part, I felt that the writer did have some pre-decided conclusion on the matters discussed in the book and at some points he did not support his conclusion with proper evidence. He did pointed out problems of Muslim societies, but he put all the blame on religious people. Though I'm all for not mixing religion with state (this was not always the case BTW), but the writer sounds forcing his opinion on others in most parts of the book.
Overall a good read for those who can introspect and read alternate side of the history.
November 8, 2020
Dr.Tarek Fatah does an amazing job exposingthe dangers of political Islam, which is driven forth by hardline fundamentalists and the moderate and progressive practitioners' insufficient counter the hardliners. It's ugly head has reared once more in the recent beheadings in France and the attack on a synagogue in Austria. I highly recommend all Europeans read this book to see the challenges facing them in the coming years. I like that author gives a succinct account of the history of Islam to reinforce the old patterns emerging once more.
November 8, 2020
Important effort by Dr.Tarek Fatah to expose the dangers of political Islam, driven the mirage sold by the hardline fundamentalists and the inadequete efforts by moderate and progressive practitioners to counter the hardliners. It's ugly head has reared once more in the recent beheadings in France and the attack on a synagogue in Austria. I highly recommend all Europeans and Indians read this book to see the challenges facing them in the coming years.
January 5, 2022
Amazing book to read. Covers vast amount of facts and hidden reality of Islamic state and state of Islam. It also questions muslim population living in free society about their manufactured hypocritical stand and highlights the bloody atrocities of their past. Also, raise questions about what's 21th century muslim consider as a golden era of Islam? How they truly want their future to be like ?
December 21, 2021
A very interesting read. Highly recommended for someone who wants to know about major chronological events of Islam, how various muslim majority nations play with the idea of Islamic State, and how feasible and right it is to desire a geo political entity of Islamic State.
October 23, 2021
Excellent book, many doubts are cleared
March 3, 2016
A critical overview of the Islamic history, "The Tragic Illusion" uses the history itself to make the point that Religion and Politics should not be mixed. It never worked in past, is not working in the present and it never will in future.
An eye opener for the Muslim brothers and for the whole world.
An eye opener for the Muslim brothers and for the whole world.
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May 8, 2016Comprehensive awesomeness
It is a great read for anyone interested in finding out what the hell is up with Muslims of the world.
It is a great read for anyone interested in finding out what the hell is up with Muslims of the world.
December 19, 2020
Very interesting and informative book. Highly recommended to those who want to know what is ailing Islamic world.👍
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