Alexandra's review
No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam
by Reza Aslan
Alexandra's review
No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam by Reza Aslan
Alexandra's review
rating:
recommended for: all Americans
If you were ever curious as to why we are at odds with the Middle East, I suggest reading this book. With the exception of the last chapter, this accurately tells the story of Islam from it's pre-Islamic (pagan) roots up through colonialism (where in the last chapter, it reflects the author's experience escaping Iran). It explains many of the customs present in Islamic culture and the origins of Islamic Fundamentalism, Pan Arabism, and Pan Islamism. It concludes that as Westerners, we are not the target of the Islamic Jihad, but mearly bystanders, as there is a war within Islam itself that must be dealt with before the West and East can come together.
One of the more interesting points that the book makes is that Christianity took nearly 1500 years from it's inception for the end of the Christian reformation, where a Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) ensued between the Protestant Union and Christian League which wiped out nearly 1/3 of the German population. Muslims are just now e...more
One of the more interesting points that the book makes is that Christianity took nearly 1500 years from it's inception for the end of the Christian reformation, where a Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) ensued between the Protestant Union and Christian League which wiped out nearly 1/3 of the German population. Muslims are just now e...more
