Diary of a German Diplomat 1951-2000
This was my first exposure to this author. This book consists of a collections of short diary entries spanning from 1951-2000. It begins with a few entries from before, sheds some light on the inclination he felt as he came closer to accepting Islam, and then his experiences thereafter.
This is not an overly person or necessarily reflective book. It is not particularly spiritual either. But does comprise a good collection of common sense short essays on various topics from Christianity to politics. I especially appreciate his brutal honesty when confronting the shortcomings of Muslims in their present realization of Islam. This protects the book from being apologetic - far from it in fact.
I am taking particular interest in works like this, because it would seem that Europeans who convert to Islam have very little to prove to anyone. They are not overwhelmed easily by the movement mentality common to our time. He comes close a few times, when he sympathizes with the Wahhabi movement for its puritanical approach. But then later he brings balance back into perspective when he clarifies his appreciation for what is truly spiritual vs what is degenerate superstition.
I enjoyed it very much, and look forward to reading more, but not until I first heed his advice in the final chapter to pay tribute to Muhammad Asad. So that is where I intend to turn my reading interest next, God Willing.
MM December 14, 2006