Here is a brief but positive review of The Truth About Muhammad by David Thompson in, of all places, Britain's Observer. (Thanks to all who sent this in, most of whom seemed as surprised to see it as I was.)
In Islam and the West, Bernard Lewis argued: 'We live in a time when... governments and religious movements are busy rewriting history as they would wish it to have been, as they would like their followers to believe that it was.' This urge to sanitise unflattering facts is nowhere more obvious than in biographies of Muhammad, of which Karen Armstrong's ubiquitous contributions are perhaps the least reliable.In The Truth About Muhammad, Robert Spencer provides a detailed and timely riposte to common misconceptions, outlining the mismatch between belief and historical reality and documenting the ways in which Muhammad's own deeds and purported revelations are used verbatim to mandate intolerance, xenophobia and homicidal 'martyrdom'. As the subtitle of this 'sceptical biography' makes clear, Spencer has written a provocative book likely to arouse passions. But the arguments he presents are rigorous, and the evidence compelling, if disquieting. Spencer argues that at present it is the jihadists, not moderates, who have the stronger theological argument.
Read it all. And then you can read still more, as it turns out that The Observer edited this piece quite heavily. There is an unedited version at David Thompson's website, including this that The Observer left out:
Spencer explains why Muhammad, as described in the Qur’an and Sunnah and other Islamic texts, is of enormous political importance and central to the phenomenon of 21st century jihad: “If Muhammad was indeed a man of peace, one may reasonably hope that his example would become the linchpin of reform efforts in the Islamic world that would eventually roll back the influence of jihad terrorists… But if the terrorists are correct in invoking his example to justify their deeds, then Islamic reformers will need to initiate a respectful but searching re-evaluation of the place Muhammad occupies within Islam – a vastly more difficult undertaking.”Indeed, Spencer argues that, at present, it is the terrorists, not moderates and reformers, who have the stronger theological argument: “If peaceful Muslims can mount no comeback when jihadists point to Muhammad’s example to justify violence, their ranks will always remain vulnerable to recruitment from jihadists who present themselves as the exponents of ‘pure Islam’, faithfully following Muhammad’s example.”
I tried to get the book in Australia but ended up ordering it from Amazon in USA. All Robert's books seem to be catalogued in the weirdest sections, and not consistent with each other. I am not aware of any review of the book in Australia as yet maybe someone can advise.
That big copper penny is slowley moving, it is dropping !
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,2005258,00.html
Please note in this article the words "moslem terrorists" is used.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2005577,00.html
A work aquaintance of mine purchased "The Truth About Muhammed" on my rec. He's from Thailand and is curious as to the source of the troubles there (probably not caused by Zionism, as James Baker would say).
payingattention...
Robert's book hasn't been reviewed in any Australian MSM. It's not stocked in any mainstream bookstores, eg A&R, Dymocks, B&N. I bought via Amazon, ended up with 2 copies, second of which is doing the rounds of friends & acquaintances at a fast rate of knots. Response is almost 100% "holy shit, the RoP isn't what we thought." Education's a wonderful thing.
This does not suprise me because it is a sign that the truth of Islam is starting to come out.
Islam cannot stand the truth...and it is the truth that should be spread far and wide...The truth is a powerful weapon against the Muslim Red Tide of Blood...
Hey people check this out. A little Saudi Boy reading the Quran.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=PGN6fYyO6Gs&mode=
related&search=
Posted by: Searcher at February 5, 2007 07:09 AM
Can you stop spamming this frog-eyed, going to be promoted, mahdi?
It's a brainwashed kid, nothing else.
The jihadist do have the stronger theological argument... as disturbing to some as that may be. I love the book... my wife loved the book... and I have loned it to many of my expat friends here in Cairo who also love the book... and I must add that all of Roberts books are a great hit here among the expats and my Coptic friends.
"This urge to sanitise unflattering facts is nowhere more obvious than in biographies of Muhammad, of which Karen Armstrong's ubiquitous contributions are perhaps the least reliable."
The spin job on the life of the "Prophet" goes beyond mere "sanitising". The way these apologists "reframe" history compares to stories I heard of the Communist Party here in Canada back in the 1950s continuing to deny the existence of the gulags and Stalin's particular persectution of Jews after Kruschov's famous admissions.
the media in cohots with the government are truly terrified to let Joe public know the real islam. ony those who are curious enough to find out for themselves understand the real threat. thank God for the internet and people like Robert and his Staff of course!!
Lets "Kiss"(keep it simply simple) it.
The quran is their constitution.
Their terrorists are the executives of the quran, under their global government (caliphate).
The "moderates" are in a strategically position and serve for the head-counts to outnumber any non muslim communities.
They dont sell a single robert spencer book in the biggest book shop in britain called 'Waterstones' and I made them check there computer.
I found the PIG to Islam(and the crusades) in, of all places, manchester public library. They'v had it since 12.08.06 and judging by the stamps its been in demand.
A pleasantly big surprise indeed. It’s as if the Guadian finally woke up and said ”Hey! Islam is an antidemocratic, totalitarian fascist ideology! We’re a liberal publication and so we just have to say something.” But the really interesting quote is
“…it is the jihadists, not moderates, who have the stronger theological argument.”
But what does this imply to the peaceful, “moderate”, non-jihadist Muslim? It implies that the idea of “moderate Islam” is the phony, and that rather that try to moderate this warlike 7th century cult, the only rational alternative is to junk it, totally – for something else or nothing else but leave it.
To encourage this welcome apostasy, special legislation everywhere in the West should be made to help protect the apostate (safe-centers for women leaving, etc) and which call for harsh penalties for anyone who even threatens an aapostate from Islam (including contemptible imams in mosques who spew the standard Sharia crap about apostates).
I do hope that the word is getting out to those who do not already know the truth.
All of our friends and family know the truth. What worries me is that ignorance of people that I work with who, in supervisory positions, do not even know who Nancy Pelosi is!
It's next to impossible to get these folks to READ a book.....let alone stop them from driving their pickup trucks in and out of Wal-Mart's parking lot.
These folks are not interested in the world, politics, or the reality of Islam. They are just over-worked, tired, zombies tnat over-eat and do their shoping at Wal-Mart. -sigh-
Blowhammed
They don't sell it in WH Smith's either. And again, it's not on their system.
I tried to force them to get me a copy, but they weren't having any of it.
Congratulations, Robert!
I see the chink in the armor... partly because IMO it's a lot safer for journalists to comment on someone else's writings (in support, of course!) than to actually DO the writing themselves, and incur the umma's full wrath.
No American MSM outlet has reviewed the book, and they probably never will. Nevertheless, I hope this reaches the NYT best sellers list and stays there as long as Jon Stewart's book did.
This is fascinating, especially for those of us who know the Guardian and the Observer. The latter is (sort of) the Sunday edition of the former, although there are subtle differences between the two. I gave up on the Guardian in frustration last year, but have continued with the Observer, which I think has always been a bit less shrill. Nevertheless, I wouldn't have expected either paper to be the first UK broadsheet to review Robert's book, and particularly in so favourable a light. This is quite something, I think! No doubt there will be cross letters next Sunday...
Do please read the interview with Ayaan Hirsi Ali which 'apostate Islam' links to in the second post above.
An eminently justifiable dislike of Mohammedanism does not mean that one goes along with: the belief that the American Civil War should always be referred to as The War between the States; that creationism ( or its new incarnation, intelligent design) is of equal scientific validity to Darwinism; that it is 1000 times easier to catch the HIV virus through homosexual, rather than heterosexual, coitus; that English literature under-grads should all study Anglo-Saxon; that the New Deal lengthened and deepened the depression*.
All these views are held by the authors whose books Regnery publish in their 'Politically Incorrect Guide'. Ideally it should not be inferred that Robert shares these views or even that it would not be particularly relevant to the fight against jihadism and opposition to the expanding power of Islam in general, if he did. Unfortunately people tend to be judged by the company they keep. How Muslims managed to make support and respect for their religion a left wing cause I'll never know but when they claim that anti-Islamic views are a hallmark of a right-wing fringe, the existence of the PIG series would seem to supply them with ammunition.People like booksellers, librarians and reviewers will be aware of the existence of all the other books Regnery publish and would naturally tar Spencer's book with the same brush. When deciding whether to stok or review his books, this will enter into their considerations.Personally, I think this is unfortunate and does nothing to strengthen those who think that just making public discourse about Islam much better informed and open would drastically weaken the threat it poses to our societies.
*A 1995 survey of economic historians and economists asked "Taken as a whole, government policies of the New Deal served to lengthen and deepen the Great Depression." Of the economists 27% agreed and 51% disagreed. Of the economic historians, only 6% agreed and 74% disagreed. (the rest were in the partly agree/disagree group) - Wikipedia
Can't find it in Thailand but on a recent trip to Singapore they did have one of Robert's books and the book The Truth About Muhammad was listed as out of stock but they were willing to order it in for me at least. I got my two copies from Amazon as well.