The No-Nonsense Guide to Islam

No-Nonsense Guides

by Ziauddin Sardar, Merryl Wyn Davies

This guide explains Islamic history, the Qur’an, sharia law, and Islam’s relationship with the West. It analyzes the struggle within the faith for a more humane interpretation of the religion, issues surrounding women, democracy, and economic development, and the outlook post-9/11 and the Iraq war. Merryl Wyn Davies is a writer, anthropologist, and TV producer. The author of Knowing One Shaping an Islamic Anthropology, she also co-authored the international bestseller Why Do People Hate America? Ziauddin Sardar is a writer, broadcaster, and cultural critic. His works include Postmodernism and the Other, Orientalism, and Why Do People Hate America?, written with Merryl Wyn Davies.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Islam, Politics

144 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2003

About the author

Ziauddin Sardar has written or edited 45 books over a period of 30 years, many with his long-time co-author Merryl Wyn Davies. Recent titles include Balti Britain: a Journey Through the British Asian Experience (Granta, 2008); and How Do You Know: Reading Ziauddin Sardar on Islam, Science and Cultural Relations (Pluto, 2006). The first volume of his memoirs is Desperately Seeking Paradise: Journeys of a Sceptical Muslim (Granta, 2006). His recent television work includes a 90-minute documentary for the BBC in 2006 called 'Battle for Islam'. Sardar's online work includes a year-long blog on the Qur'an published in 2008 by The Guardian newspaper.
Sardar is a Visiting Professor of Postcolonial Studies in the Department of Arts Policy and Management at City University London and is Editor of the forecasting and planning journal, Futures. He is also a member of the UK Commission on Equality and Human Rights. His journalism appears most often in The Guardian and The Observer, as well as the UK weekly magazine, New Statesman. In the 1980s, he was among the founders of Inquiry, a magazine of ideas and policy focusing on Muslim countries. His early career includes working as a science correspondent for Nature and New Scientist magazines and as a reporter for London Weekend Television.
>>(from wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziauddin... )<<
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*You can know more from his own site:
http://www.ziauddinsardar.com/Biograp...

Reviews

[Elina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Luin tämän osittain uskonnon kirjoituksia varten, joten olisin ehkä kaivannut enemmän asiaa opista ja islamin "ongelmista" pitkän historian kuvauksen sijaan.

[NA · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read about doctrines, faith, problematization and current political analysis, and this was not it - which is not the book’s fault by any means! I enjoyed the bit on colonisation the most, but the heavy history part was a bit too much, even if the text (and Finnish translation, bravo, good work!) flowed beautifully and I felt myself lulled into this state of receptiveness.

[Hek · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who has read many intros to Islam, this one seemed quite good because it tried to understand the diverse history of it all, while also tackling modern problems. Not quite as good as the Islam chapter found in "The Penguin Handbook of the World's living religions"

[KariG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mielenkiintoinen kirja, jonka alku kaikkine historia- ja henkilöesittelyineen on kuitenkin kuivahkosti kerrottu. Loppu on kiinnostavampi, tosin onhan siinä nykyihmiselle enemmän tarttumapintaa kaikin puolin.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A useful beginner's guide if you want to understand someone else's religion

[Pinja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful beginner’s guide to Islam. Lacks depth.

[Winifred · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was asked by my religous group to learn about Islam and report my findings. And while you're at we'd like to know a little about string theory....I took the task on because I knew those in the group only knew Islam through American media and probably thought deep down in their hearts that every Muslim began thei first day of kindergarten with a lesson in Molotov cocktails.

I didn't believe this because I know the American media has it's own agenda as does the Presidency and the big corporations. Terrorists are scarey as hell. And they are an excellent red herring to take our minds and eyes off what those big three are doing to us. Terrorists are "saying" that they are doing this in the name of Allah...but their actions are so far from orthodox Islam and the average Muslim's views are such that to judge all Muslims as potential terrorists is stupid and dangerous. I am concerned that at the next 9/11, a plan I am sure is already in the works, will be put in place. Internment camps.

This book , written by a muslim scholar, helped me see through the darkened glass of my ignorance more clearly - but it would take more time talking with Muslims to get a better handle on the divisions and similarities among them.

I got the history of Islam, the beginning of a servent-leadership that involved consensus decision making - not Ayatollahs laying down the law. The Qur'an says that if you hav a chance to learn or pray - go learn. An extremely high value has and still is in some quarters on applying the Qur'an to todays conundrums in a reasoned way. What we are seeing in some versions of Islam is what we saw in Christianity around the 1920's - a return to 'fundamentals' in some quarters. And a decrease in those sects interest in engagiing with the world and its problems. Saudi Arabia is the pretty face of it in Islam. Its citizen - Osama - is the muscle. He essentially has created a violent cult covered with the veneer of Islam.

How he can attract followers willing to commit suicide is the scariest issue. They are not all from poor backgounds with no options. They aren't all from tje Middle East. They are not asked to commit the act -if it is their only alternative to get the mission done - like the kamikaze's. They know it is their eventual destiny and they will wait weeks, months, years to do it. This is such odd human behaviour that everythiing possible must be done to decode it. This book and other reosurces indicate that it matches the fervor and dedication of earlier communists. The same sources also point to imperialist behaviour of the West still to this day that feeds the hate.

But this book also made a strong point about all Muslims needing to look inward and open their eyes and brains to addressiing contemporary problems themslves and not passively relyiing on Imams to interperet the Qur'an for them.

This book is the most important book I have read in a long time.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

(read in Finnish) A short but dense introduction to Islam through the history of the religion. It does not go into great detail of the doctrines of the faith but rather focuses on ths historical periods and political impacts. Good starting point for anyone interested in Islam beyond the Western media's very limited and orientalist scope.

[Sadia27 · Rating 1 out of 5]

It becomes absolutely difficult to get through a relatively short book when it has grammatical errors springing up after every few pages. Maybe it's just me but, I found myself getting annoyed at this and did not enjoy reading this book at all.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear, brief, engagingly written, apparently authored by two progressive Muslims.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good reference book. Thought provoking.

[Leonardo]

Citado en Sobre la Violencia Pág.177