Why I Am Not a Muslim
by Ibn Warraq
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Back cover
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Full index
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Hardcover - 402 pages (August 1995)
Prometheus Books; ISBN: 0879759844 ; Dimensions (in inches): 1.35 x 9.35 x 6.58
Amazon.com Sales Rank: 8,362
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From Book News, Inc.
Warraq, a former Muslim who now lives in Ohio, examines the major principles of the world's second largest religion, presenting a less than flattering picture of the faith and its followers. He analyzes factors that influenced the writing of the Koran, chronicles the rise of Islam, and criticizes the dark side of the faith with chapters on the Salman Rushdie affair, the oppression of women in Muslim society, the authoritarian nature of Islamic law, and the suppression of basic rights in many Muslim countries. Contains a glossary. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.
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9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
Good start, but not flawless, May 3, 1998
Reviewer: M. N. Islam (mislam@pha.jhu.edu) from Baltimore, MD
I have, like Warraq, undertaken the odyssey past the "sea of faith"- from being a believing and religious Muslim to giving up Islam in my early adulthood. People like us can resonate the most with Warraq's thoughts. It's the first book I have seen, that goes beyond the shallow criticism of Islam that one sees in the media every day. It is also good to see that Islam is not presented as the evil threat to the Christian world in an inevitable clash of civilization. All superstition stands indicted as something that opposes and stunts reason.
The author is quite candid about his distaste for Islam. That's understandable. But on occasion, he tries to present Islam in the worst possible way. For example, he chooses the most damning translations of the Qur'an. Being a little generous wouldn't have hurt. There's still plenty that can be and should be critiqued.
I salute Mr.Warraq's courage and hard work in writing this book and giving vent to thoughts shared by many other silent apostates. He is not alone.
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21 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
Read good non-Muslim scholarship, not this nonsense, December 11, 1999
Reviewer: Kamran Pasha (see more about me) from New York
If you are interested in intelligent and objective scholarship on Islam written by non-Muslims, may I suggest excellent works by famous scholars such as Montgomery Watt, Karen Armstrong, and Annemarie Schimmel, all available on Amazon. John Esposito's book "Islam: The Straight Path" is an execellent example of an objective study of Islam by a non-Muslim. Ibn-Warraq recycles poor scholarship of turn-of-the century orientalists that has long been rejected by Western academics. One does not need to believe in a religion to treat its historical origins and current situation honestly. If you passionately believe that Muhammad was not a true Prophet of God, that's certainly your perogative. But at least be honest about the religion from a historical perspective. Negative generalizations of any community, particularly one that has 1 billion followers and continues to win converts faster than any other religion, is dishonest and silly. If your beliefs are true, whether you are a Christian, Muslim, atheist or whatever, they should be able to withstand objective scholarship about Islam that is not motivated by either a desire to proselytize or debunk. Ibn Warraq is motivated by hatred for Islam. Try reading some Western scholars who study Islam just for the sake of understanding the faith and its historical significance. If your faith (whether Muslim or non-Muslim) is strong, it will survive a fair rendering of history. Unfortunately, this book, is not a scholarly rendering of history, but a propaganda sheet.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Truth is shoking to a Billion, March 15, 2002
Reviewer: (see more about me) from Astoria, NY United States
The Author in his book is telling the truth through documented texts of History as well as the views of great thinkers both Arabs and Western. This truth comes as a shok to millions of muslim who never learn any thing about their religion except that from their fanatic shekhs. Interesting to know that the auther has put a whole chapter in his book about the great Arab Philosopher and Poet El-Mua'ary who lived more than a 1000 years ago and wrote elegant poetry and prose critical and mocking of Islam and Mohamed, yet he was not excuted, for the political lif of the eastern medeterrainian was in turmoil and the rulers didn't have time to try him
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2 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
The Truth about Islam, March 12, 2002
Reviewer: A reader from Overland Park, KS United States
Ibn Warraq has written a masterful work that exposes Islam for what it is. I have found that in discussing Islam with Muslims most of them have a fairy tale belief in Mohammed and his message that has nothing to do with what the religion and its history is all about.
Not content to accept the author's word, I checked his sources and studied the Koran, itself. What I found in the actual Koran is very disturbing. The vengeful nature and violence of this "so called" faith is truly frightening and puts the events of 9/11 into perspective.
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