Islams Predicament Perspectives Of A Dissident Muslim [Paperback]

"Islam's Predicament: Perspectives of a Dissident Muslim" by Salim Mansur (2009; reprint paperback Jan. 2010); Mosaic Press 191 pgs. The author, a Muslim, was born in Calcutta, India and moved to Canada, where he taught at several universities. Mr. Mansur writes in English very well, and presents himself as a "moderate" Muslim -- i.e., one who disagrees with the violent tactics of the Pakistan Taliban and al-Quida. Essentially, this book is a reprint of many of his newspaper articles that have been slightly revised for inclusion in this paperback. This book is split into two parts: Part One (Longer pieces) and Part Two (Shorter Pieces). Some contents: The war within Islam (Sunni v. Shia); Muslims, democracy, and the American experience; Three Muslim perspectives; Sadat's conversion and the Quran about Jews in the Holy Land; Reconsidering Jewish-Muslim history; Of Danish cartons, Muslim rage and the Bedouin state of mind; Pakistan as it turns Sixty; Muslim on Muslim violence; A Sufi saint's response to Khomeini; Keeping faith in the age of Islamist terror; A Bedouin state of mind; Where Mao meets Muhammad; The Malady of Islam; Europe placates foes of freedom; We Muslims have work to do, and more. Mansur contends that the Wahhabi/Salafists "cannot remain entombed within the structure primarily shaped by the Arabs of the first generation of Islam" (p. 7) . . . The `wrong Islam' of Wahid became the `official' Islam of the Arab-Islamic Empire institutionalized and defended by the power of the sword" (p. 8). Mr. Mansur discusses some Islamic reformers, but noted that the Islamists `purists' as al-Afghani and Qutb `won'. The author commented: "the entire Muslim world [c. 1990s] has retreated from meeting the challenge of modernity and has turned its back on modernity" (p. 21). Okay, if Mr. Robert Spencer [Jihad Watch] had written this book, it would have been labeled `Islamo- phobic'. Mr. Masur notes that the Islamists cannot identify with modern science - much like some Christian fundamentalists. If you want to read a book written by a Muslim about the foibles of Islam, this is your book. I found it informative. I suggest that Islamo- realists should have a copy of this book. Sadly, Mr. Mansur does not present a viable "10 Step Help Plan" to salvage Islam from its current intellectual tar-pit. [Other suggested readings: "Decline of Muslim States and Societies" by a Shia Muslim; "Islam's Quantum Question" by Nidhal Guessoum & "The Closing of the Muslim Mind" by Robert Reilly.] `Allahu alam.'