I need to clarify.... I don't think Karen Armstrong loving Islam is a bad thing. I just don't think she treats it as critically as Judaism and Christianity. You might think, "Oh, easy for you to think, Jewboy." Yeah well I'm sorry for being biased I guess. From this point on, I just find Armstrong's style to favor Islamic positions on things, glorify certain elements of the religion or the Prophet's life... and there is much to glorify! Don't get me wrong, the Islamic empires contributed hugely to the world as we know it today. I just keep thinking of things that Armstrong DOESN'T include in her book and I wonder.... Are my objections valid or are they merely a product of my own prejudices? Just don't call me an Islamophobe. She's just so quick to highlight the early Muslims' struggles with Jews but fails to give any evidence for coexistence between Arabs and Jews before Islam.... evidence that abounds.
I've learned in other classes here that the Prophet chose Jerusalem as the first quiblah to win converts, out of pure pragmatism. Armstrong cites the early Muslims desire to reject the pagan Ka'bah and pray towards the center of the Jews and Christians. Then Armstrong claims that "the change of quiblah has been described as one of Muhammad's most creative gestures. It marked a return of the Muslims to the primordial faith of Abraham before it was split into warring sects by the Jews and Christians" (p. 223). Excuse me? WHO EXACTLY regards the change in quiblah as the Prophets most creative gestures? And had not both Jews and Christians already asserted their exclusive relationship to Abraham? I wonder how many Arabs traced their lineage to Abraham, through Ishmael, before the rise of Islam.
I see one of the greatest ironies of Israel's history to be the coexistence achieved under Muslim rulers. I truly want to believe that Islam emerged in Arabia with great respect for Judaism and Christianity. I know Islam did not spread as viciously as many detractors claim. But, how did we come from this tradition of respect to visceral hatred in some circles? Islam is a religion of peace. Yes. Extremism exists in all three religions. Absolutely. So why didn't any Palestinian Christians blow themselves up in pizzerias in the last intifadeh?
Sorry if I come off anti-Muslim or whatever. I honestly think that most people are only exposed to the extreme elements of Islam, for whatever reasons. Is it because the media pays more attention to the most extreme strand of thought? Absolutely... ever new Osama bin Laden tape is much more intriguing than a bunch of moderates getting together to work towards peaceful resolutions of conflict. But could it be also that Islamo-fascism dominates the far too much of the message coming from this peaceful faith? Moderates in the Muslim world have been silenced out fear of reprisals from the crazies. What a shame.
I can't focus on this stupid book. I'll try to ramble less, I dunno how many of you guys are even gonna read every post every other person makes.
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