Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #48142 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780300139310
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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From Publishers Weekly
Allawi (The Occupation of Iraq), former minister of defense and minister of finance in Iraq's postwar governments, offers his version of the causes and consequences of the decline of Islamic civilization and proposals for its rejuvenation. The author argues that the West's violent encroachment on the Muslim world in the 19th and 20th centuries shattered local institutions and economies and disrupted any natural evolution of Islamic society; furthermore, current efforts to modernize the faith amount to draping an entire civilization in ill-fitting, inorganic ideas. Allawi calls for a return to the creative and artistic heritage of Islam and a restoration of balance—between the physical and the spiritual... between men and women; between rights and duties—while suggesting that the time to find balance may soon run out. The writing is erudite and the conclusions fascinating, but Allawi's dismissive attitude toward Western societies and their mass rejection... of the cardinal virtues, not least wisdom and moderation, as well as a reluctance to accommodate anything other than a faith-based understanding of human reality might limit his audience. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From School Library Journal
Allawi (The Occupation of Iraq) investigates the pathways that led to the deterioration of the Islamic civilization, known for its splendid culture between the eighth and 12th centuries. The inadaptability of Islam to modern life, the author argues, stems from its deep roots in the sacred. To be modern, according to Allawi, is to be liberated from the divine as the sole source of ethics and virtues. Allawi demonstrates that the individual in Islam is not an autonomous entity—a common principle in all religions—rather, its essence is driven from a complete submission to the godly creeds. He notes that the secularization of Muslim societies, which seemed to be on track until the mid-1970s, has shattered, giving way to political Islam. He suggests that the failure of Muslim societies to address the challenges and the threat of fast-growing Western cultural imperialism deepened their crisis. In an analytic, journalistic style, Allawi presents views about modern Islam that are both stimulating and informative. This provocative book is recommended for informed readers.—Sadiq Alkoriji, South Regional Lib., Broward Cty., FL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review
�. . . [with] intimate knowledge of both Islam and the West, and his unflinching honesty . . . Mr Allawi calmly and methodically deconstructs an Islamic revival which has failed to live up to its promises.� � The Economist (The Economist 20090327)

�. . . a challenging and ambitious effort . . . thoughtful, pertinent and informative . . . I have no hesitation in recommending [The Crisis of Islamic Civilisation] to others, Muslims and non-Muslims alike.�� Muhammad Khan, Muslim News (Muhammad Khan Muslim News 20090505)

". . . Allawi�s work is a searing indictment of Islamic societies but not of Islam itself . . . his expositions of the ideas of Muslim thinkers are exemplary in their lucidity . . . I learnt a lot from this book.� � Literary Review (Literary Review 20090701)

"Like many other disappointed politicians, Ali Allawi turned to the consolations of philosophy and religion. The result is a remarkably thoughtful and engaging assessment of the current state and future prospects of the world of Islam."�Martin Walker, Wilson Quarterly (Martin Walker Wilson Quarterly )

Customer Reviews

A thorough "insiders" account of Islam struggling...
I've read a number of books on Islam's crisis, but this is the first I've read one actually written by a Muslim. Allawi was not just an Iraqi minister, he is at least partly educated in the West and clearly a first rate intellectual in any event. Allawi delivers a balanced view of Islam's difficulties coping with the modern world; he heaps significant blame on the West for repeatedly taking advantage of weaker Muslim countries, but he also doesn't hold back on his criticisms of Islam's many problems. His bottom line is that Muslims have lost their way and the true essence of Islam, and that is individual responsibility for dedicating one's life to the foundation of the religion. Living in harmony within the community, mutual respect and modesty (men and women, inside and out), staying in touch with one's environment and actively seeking knowledge that will lead to a closer relationship with God. He argues that the West has long since lost it's soul and the corrupt/despotic regimes of most Arab countries simply ape the most vulgar and despicable elements of Western "civilization." In my mind, he lays out a compelling argument for all of us losing our way.

It's truly an excellent book for anyone really interested in Islam's struggle, it's not necessarily for someone looking for a book focused on terrorists/fundamentalism/extremism. However, he does explain the the split in Islam between the Sufi and the Wahabi/Salafist extremists whom he explains have lost their way...and ability to think. The Wahabi/Salafists take every element of the Koran and Sharia as literal and are intellectually incapable of understanding nuance. Allawi argues that these extremists have no true knowledge of Islam and what it really means. It presents convincing arguments which detail Islams inability to find solutions to modern problems because there is no central authority to manage development of either Islam's interpretation/development. Shia clerics fare better than the hodge podge of Sunni clerics and self-appointed "experts" in the Taliban, al-Qaida and other gangs. He argues that the rise of the Wahabi/Salafists has actually degraded Islam because of all the pretenders issuing fatwas and continually misinterpreting Sharia and the Koran. Their focus on the ridiculous, like requiring facial hair on men, covered women, no school for girls etc...reveals their stupidity and ignorance of Islam...a religion steeped in science/math/medicine over the centuries.

Excellent read for those who want to better understand what's ailing one of the world's great religions. Its also revealing for a Westerner wondering about what's ailing us as well.

A balanced book
The book is well written, in a balanced tone analyzing the differences between Islam as a comprehensive way of life and the "Islamic States". The book offers a valid point of view as a counter argument to the "Clash of Civilizations". It provides the reader with an eloquent description of the role of Islam in the Islamic civilization, and how the absence of the application of Islam, and not its presence, is the reason for the crisis. When I started reading the book I was skeptical, because of its name, that it is another half baked book written contributing to the Islam and Muslim bashing that became "en vogue" after the attacks on 9/11. To my delight, I found it a well researched book, portraying the bright face of Islam, and its positive impact on the human civilization. The book provides areas of compactibility and congruence between Islam and current world affairs including, but not limited to, human rights, the environment, minority rights, and the concept of citizenship and state system in Islam, as well as the relationship and interaction between the Islamic civilization and other states/civilzations.

An Outstanding contribution to Islamic Thought
Dr Ali Allawi's latest book is a tour de force on Islamic responses to modernity and how most of them have failed the test of times. The reason being according to the learned scholar is that they have missed the most important ingredient of all and that is, the spiritual or the inner dimension of Islam (tasawwuf). This has generated a haphazard response and at times a 'secular' response even on the part of the islamists for Islam stresses on the relation with the transcendent and with the unseen(ghayb)[Qur'an "those who believe in the unseen"] for when there is a tendency to merely concentrate on this world even in the name of islam, it has inadvertently become secular.

Dr Allawi gives an analysis of the responses of the muslim thinkers in the field of education, politics, human rights. What i like about this book is that he does not merely analyse their works but he also provides a critical appraisal on their project and provides interesting insights on why some of them had failed to bring back islamic civilisation to its golden period. Amongst the ideas treated here are the Islamization of knowledge project which had originated from Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas "a philosopher and educationalist of genius and profound insight".
Other contemporary thinkers treated here in an analytical fashion include Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Muhammad Abid al-Jabiri, Malek bennabi and others.

Other issues treated here are issues connected to islamic state, human rights and islamic law, islamic banking and islamic economy. This book should honestly be read by everyone interested to have a good critical overview of islamic thought and muslim responses to issues in the contemporary world. It is a book written by a philosopher and thinker who has thought deeply in regards to these issues and provides his insights to the present predicament of muslims. Although he does not provide straight forward answers to many of the issues raised here, those advocates of the many ideas discussed within this book should honestly rethink and respond accordingly.