Rating: 
Summary: The case for tolerance and other essays
Review: An essay by a Distinguished Fellow in Islamic Law at UCLA followed by multiple commentaries from Islamic scholars from various backgrounds, then a final commentary from Mr. Abou El Fadel. He explains that the reader's interaction with the text results in an outcome that is guided by the reader's background. The puritan, fundamental literal reading of the text (the Quran or any religious scripture for that matter) is not a reflection of the overall message of that book.
The bottom-line message comes in the following quotations:
Selected Quotations:
P98 "The ultimate issue for Muslims ought to be integrity of the Islamic tradition. In my view, if the cost of any potential or territorial victory is the loss of Muslim ethical identity then the price is too high. This is simply an affirmation of the Quranic command to Muslims not to let the enmity or injustice of others become an excuse for the commission of other injustice (Q 5:8)"
The other argument by contributing authors:
p67 "Never in history has violence been imitated by the oppressed. How could they be the initiators, if they themselves are the result of violence?.. Violence is initiated by those who oppress, who exploit, who fail to recognize others as persons-not by those who are oppressed, exploited and unrecognized" Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 1972
p45-46 "why doesn't anybody talk about a crisis of tolerance in Judaism when dozens of the Palestinians have been killed on a weekly basis for the last thirty-five years? Why is the media silent about intolerant Hinduism that has relentlessly oppressed Kashmiri Muslims for the last fifty-five years? Whey didn't the analysis speculate about intolerance in Christianity when 300,000 Muslims were butchered in Bosnia? And why not now, as Muslims face the wrath of Russians in Chechnya? Why are the lectures on tolerance directed at Islam alone? Simply because the victim of September 11 was the United States" Abid Allah Jan
Rating: 
Summary: position and counterpoint
Review: An excellent essay and responses by numerous informed commentators to understand the very real place of tolerance in Islam - especially in theory and scripture. Worth reading thoughtfully to correct the common partial or out of context quotations and polemics by Islamphobes. Most informed on the History would recognize Islam has also been significantly more tolerant that Christianity (if not Secularism) whatever the numerous exceptions at various places and times. It would have be nice to have fuller development of some themes and some historical examples but that was not the task that authors set for themselves.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Excellent book on the place of tolerance in Islam! And yes Islam just like any religion can be either tolerant or very oppressive depending on the believers interpretations. The reader/reviewer who gave one star wishes to imply that there is no tolerance in Islam and that it is just a violent religion. What childish notions, believers of all relgions have oppressed minorities and forcibly converted them. This is not an accusation that can only be leveled at just Muslims, but to all followers of any religion. Ther is ample evidence that shows contrary to popular belief Islam was NOT spread by the sword.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Excellent book on the place of tolerance in Islam! And yes Islam just like any religion can be either tolerant or very oppressive depending on the believers interpretations. The reader/reviewer who gave one star wishes to imply that there is no tolerance in Islam and that it is just a violent religion. What childish notions, believers of all relgions have oppressed minorities and forcibly converted them. This is not an accusation that can only be leveled at just Muslims, but to all followers of any religion. Ther is ample evidence that shows contrary to popular belief Islam was NOT spread by the sword.
Rating: 
Summary: Apologetics disguised as brave truth-telling
Review: Fadl is one of the premeir scholars of Islam in the West. This short volume presents an argument by Fadl about the tolerant nature of Islam, and contains the reactions of other scholars, both positive and negative. Fadl's own view is one that has to be understood by Muslims and Non-Muslims alike as he contends that the current face of Islam is an anethma to what traditional Islamic values held, and this can all be rooted to the puritannical movements which grew out of imperialism in Islamic lands.Again, I reccomend this to any one interested in learning Islam. I would especially reccomend this to Muslims, who need to listen to what Dr. Fadl is saying.
Rating: 
Summary: A gem of a book
Review: Finally a breath of fresh air , away from either cliche stereotypes of Islam or puritanical versions of it . A good book for both academics and lay persons wanting to learn more about some aspects of islamic theology and history and how they pertain to present day debate about Islam and democracy . All put forward in a simple and eloquent manner . The various essays in this book just prove that there is wide room in Islam for diversity of opinions sometimes mutually excluding one another . More importantly it goes to show that it is imperative to keep the doors of dialogue wide open . And this book has successfully achieved both .
Rating:
Summary: Could they all be correct?
Review: Since 9/11, I have immersed myself in many books, including this one, trying to learn as much as I can about Islam. It helps that my stepfather is a Muslim from Syria. He has friends that come to the house to visit that seem straight out of the Taliban, and others that are not so religious. The only thing my stepdad and his friends share 100%, is their hatred for the Jews. I am still learning and reading and watching current events. I say watching, because I believe one's behavior speaks volumes to what a person really believes, as to what they say they believe. A person can say they have total respect and admiration for someone, but all the while, they are holding that persons severed head behind their back while speaking to you. In reading this book, it showed me again, the vast differences in beliefs that Muslims share. Since it's beginning, Islam's greatest Caliphs have been murdered by other Muslims. Early on in Islamic history, two major sects were born, Sunni and Shia. They can't agree on Islam, and kill each other to this day because of it. Even the Prophet himself, killed other Muslims he said were no longer Muslims but apostates. Jihad against apostates is more violent and brutal than any other form of Jihad. The "tolerant" rules of Jihad, definitely do not apply to them! So what is the real Islam? Has it been determined as of yet? There are clear and theologically sound arguments for all sides of the Islamic coin. The trick is, which side of that coin represents the real Islam. Could they all be correct? All the sides think so!! Question is, which side will win...
Rating:
Summary: El Fadl's essay and the responses are most helpful
Review: This book includes a well thoughtout statement, by El Fadl, about Islamic responses to impacts of colonial and neocolonial exploits in the Middle East and South Asia. Responses to El Fadl's statement provide a dialogue that helps clarify the range of perspectives from puritanical responses on the one hand and to reinterpreting Islamic sacred writings in the context of today's world, on the other hand. The major economic, political and religious forces involved in this struggle are discussed. I would like to have seen a discussion of how the systems of honor and shame relate to the scale of systems of justice that range from tribal and patriarchal scales to global scales. The cultural system of honor contributes to energizing the conflict, as personal identities and group identities are affected in these struggles. I discuss this latter point in my E-Book - Depolarizing a Hostile World.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Short Volume
Review: This is an excellent short volume. The best thing about the book is that various viewpoints are presented. Fadl writes his opinion on how classical Islam is tolerant, and that it has only recently been perverted. In response we get to read other opinions ranging from those who feel that Islam is naturally anti-tolerant, to those who feel that Fadl is a "sell-out" for lack of a better word, for trying to fit Islam into a Western ideaology. Excellent reading.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Short Volume
Review: This is an excellent short volume. The best thing about the book is that various viewpoints are presented. Fadl writes his opinion on how classical Islam is tolerant, and that it has only recently been perverted. In response we get to read other opinions ranging from those who feel that Islam is naturally anti-tolerant, to those who feel that Fadl is a "sell-out" for lack of a better word, for trying to fit Islam into a Western ideaology. Excellent reading.
|
