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molekkasa 's review for:
A World Without Islam
by Graham E. Fuller
This is one of those books that I've always looked at but never pick up, always waiting for "another day", and that day finally came when I found it secondhand online. Going into this book, it has never occurred to me it was on war and terrorism, thinking that this touches more on what has Muslims of the past contributed to maths, science and technology. I was pleasantly wrong.
Let me first put it out here that I'm not one to keep in touch with global or political affairs. I hate them. I'm comfortable basking in my fiction world, but ignorance isn't bliss at times.
What I like about this book is that Mr Graham gives a history how we got to where we are. How things were before Islam came into the picture which gives a clearer view on the history behind it all. How geopolitical factor is the main drive behind these act of terrorisms covered with religion by the people in power. The more I read, the angrier I become with these people who consistently wants to interfere with areas that are not theirs in the first place (which sadly is mostly the European countries and US). Is this because historically, they have the barbarian blood in them? I wonder if they had not interfere at all in the first place, would the world be a totally different place now? Yes, they will always be a group of people in any area who wants to be the leader but could it be a totally different story since they are ethnically and culturally from the same place, so the understanding is on a better level across the board? This chaos that never ends seems to always be from people interfering in other people's business (I guess that's why the melayus have this saying to not jaga tepi kain orang).
I now understand why there's this separation between the East and West and the relationships between Islam and Russia, China, India. And why Russia is neither East nor West.
I like the suggestions that Mr Graham gives on what he thinks we should do to placate the situation. In a fantasy world, it would be great if we can do all that and start on a blank canvas, but the reality is what it is now. I wonder why is it so hard for the US to leave the Middle East though? The list of US military intervention in other countries is astonishing, from 1950 till now, there's always some kind of mission that they're involved in.
Some notable notes I highlighted in the book:
Granted there are more that I have to read in these matters and see different perspectives as this is only one book out of many, but it is a good start for people like me to get a comprehensive overview of what's happening. It was a slow read at first but peaked towards the end. Would totally recommend this.
Let me first put it out here that I'm not one to keep in touch with global or political affairs. I hate them. I'm comfortable basking in my fiction world, but ignorance isn't bliss at times.
What I like about this book is that Mr Graham gives a history how we got to where we are. How things were before Islam came into the picture which gives a clearer view on the history behind it all. How geopolitical factor is the main drive behind these act of terrorisms covered with religion by the people in power. The more I read, the angrier I become with these people who consistently wants to interfere with areas that are not theirs in the first place (which sadly is mostly the European countries and US). Is this because historically, they have the barbarian blood in them? I wonder if they had not interfere at all in the first place, would the world be a totally different place now? Yes, they will always be a group of people in any area who wants to be the leader but could it be a totally different story since they are ethnically and culturally from the same place, so the understanding is on a better level across the board? This chaos that never ends seems to always be from people interfering in other people's business (I guess that's why the melayus have this saying to not jaga tepi kain orang).
I now understand why there's this separation between the East and West and the relationships between Islam and Russia, China, India. And why Russia is neither East nor West.
I like the suggestions that Mr Graham gives on what he thinks we should do to placate the situation. In a fantasy world, it would be great if we can do all that and start on a blank canvas, but the reality is what it is now. I wonder why is it so hard for the US to leave the Middle East though? The list of US military intervention in other countries is astonishing, from 1950 till now, there's always some kind of mission that they're involved in.
Some notable notes I highlighted in the book:
Ironically, it is the most fanatic and rigid of Muslims, on the one hand, and their most zealous enemies in the West, on the other, who both seek to freeze Islam into one single immutable phenomenon, the better to promote it or denigrate it.
...the present crisis of East-West relations, or between the West and "Islam", has really very little to do with religion and everything to do with political and cultural frictions, interests, rivalries and clashes.
Sadly, when religion becomes linked with political forces, it tends to lose its soul - its spiritual dimension.
Yet the real issue is not the danger of religion per se, but of dogmatic thinking.
Power also brings a certain arrogance: the belief that we can control the situation, we are in charge, we can persuade or intimidate with ease - or so we think.
The very existence of the state, by definition, acknowledges the necessity of coercion to maintain society and order and to prevent anarchy; the only unknowns are the degree of coercion required, the methods to be used, and who is to sanction it.
Maybe it is the British imperial control of India over several hundred years - far more than "Islam" - that has the most to answer for in contriving this ill-starred and perhaps unnecessary partition that solved nothing (which, I need to finish up the book on the history of the Ganges river to relate this).
A key goal of Western policy must be to allow these regions to calm down, allow life to return to a more normal state, free of the provocative presence of foreign military forces, which will allow the Muslim aspect of identity to subside to its customary place as one of many competing characteristics of an individual's life. During most times in their lives, Muslims have many other things to think about than simply being Muslim.
War is most easily fought when its human consequences remain distant, invisible, abstract.
As von Clausewitz pointed out, war is fueled by emotion, which always outruns intent. Once the conflict begins, hatred is ratcheted up on both sides, atrocity generates counteratrocity in an endless upward spiral of mindless violence.
Futhermore, texts in most religions contain intemperate phrases that can be drawn out of context to support violent action, regardless of what the overall thrust of the religion is.
On the other hand, the power of the West at the international level has for many years flagrantly abused human rights, individual liberties, and right to life in its foreign policies and in its conduct of imperial or military campaigns - all in the name of ideals such as anticommunism, "democratization", preservation of "American leadership," and protection against terrorism.
Granted there are more that I have to read in these matters and see different perspectives as this is only one book out of many, but it is a good start for people like me to get a comprehensive overview of what's happening. It was a slow read at first but peaked towards the end. Would totally recommend this.