Sienna Wilder's Review of 'No God But God' by Reza Aslan
-
SWilder
- Posts: 37
- Joined: 09 May 2014, 17:35
- Bookshelf Size: 0
Sienna Wilder's Review of 'No God But God' by Reza Aslan
I wanted to like this book, and I can't help but like Reza Aslan. He is a moderate, reasonable voice of Islam - a voice we so desperately want to hear. However, I've had this book from the library for nearly 4 months and haven't been able to finish it. I give it 2.5 to 3.0 stars.
It's not that it isn't good, well-written, informative, and educational. It is. It's just that right from the title, 'No God But God', you know Aslan's stance. He's a believer. And I'm just .... not. I tried and tried but in the end, we have an ideological divide, which was further elaborated when I saw Aslan responding to Bill Maher on the clip that circulated on the internet.
Reza claims that our understanding of Islam is unnuanced and unsophisticated, that FGM is an African problem and not a Muslim problem, and that there are a number of moderate muslim countries with women in charge where women's rights are not an issue. The fact is that Islam's leaderboard with respect to women is beyond reprehensible, and the women in power have all been from important families, and whereupon the mantle of power fell upon the next available male as soon as one appeared. The countries he holds up as moderate are not especially female or lgbt friendly.
Islam, next to Mormonism, might as well be a channeled religion or a religion given to us by aliens with greater technology than we did in the times that messengers were sent. Whatever it is, I don't think that Islam, as it stands, in today's world with it's complexity and crisis, is a beneficial religion. Perhaps in Mecca of 800AD, where baby girls were buried at birth for not being male, but not today. Submission to an unclear power, rather than taking responsibility for one's own actions, thoughts, feelings and shadows, is not acceptable on our dying planet. Being a 'good girl' or a 'good boy' in the eyes of a supernatural being is not going to help - it's not mature enough. Belief in scriptural mythology over visible facts that we see, hear, smell, taste and touch is extremely immature. Lack of compassion, violent disregard of life and ecology - these are all symptoms of terminal illness, not religious awakening. We desperately need an Integral (as in Ken Wilber) Islam. And Christianity. And Judaism.
In the end, men make God (and religion) in their own image. If they are peaceful and kind, so is their religion and God. If they are violent, so is their path. I take issue with all scriptural invocation to violence or countermanding empathy. Yet I know, to Aslan's point, a small group of Buddhists are even committing atrocities in Asia, and there's the most pacifist religion we have right now. Nevertheless, it's intellectually irresponsible, and psychologically circumspect, that a man this brilliant and reasonable can still believe what he does. I think he's dishonest with himself somewhere, perhaps to preserve egoic identity at the expense of really getting down to the bottom of things, but I still admire his work. You can't blame a person for having a hard line where their identity becomes confused. If Islam is a sham, and I fell for it completely and assigned all my tremendous faculties in its defense, then who am I?
It is indeed the darkest night of the soul, to cross that divide.
-- 14 Oct 2014, 10:17 --
I would like this review removed - upon reflection, it's not fair of me to review a book I didn't finish and speculate about the author instead of evaluating his work.
It's not that it isn't good, well-written, informative, and educational. It is. It's just that right from the title, 'No God But God', you know Aslan's stance. He's a believer. And I'm just .... not. I tried and tried but in the end, we have an ideological divide, which was further elaborated when I saw Aslan responding to Bill Maher on the clip that circulated on the internet.
Reza claims that our understanding of Islam is unnuanced and unsophisticated, that FGM is an African problem and not a Muslim problem, and that there are a number of moderate muslim countries with women in charge where women's rights are not an issue. The fact is that Islam's leaderboard with respect to women is beyond reprehensible, and the women in power have all been from important families, and whereupon the mantle of power fell upon the next available male as soon as one appeared. The countries he holds up as moderate are not especially female or lgbt friendly.
Islam, next to Mormonism, might as well be a channeled religion or a religion given to us by aliens with greater technology than we did in the times that messengers were sent. Whatever it is, I don't think that Islam, as it stands, in today's world with it's complexity and crisis, is a beneficial religion. Perhaps in Mecca of 800AD, where baby girls were buried at birth for not being male, but not today. Submission to an unclear power, rather than taking responsibility for one's own actions, thoughts, feelings and shadows, is not acceptable on our dying planet. Being a 'good girl' or a 'good boy' in the eyes of a supernatural being is not going to help - it's not mature enough. Belief in scriptural mythology over visible facts that we see, hear, smell, taste and touch is extremely immature. Lack of compassion, violent disregard of life and ecology - these are all symptoms of terminal illness, not religious awakening. We desperately need an Integral (as in Ken Wilber) Islam. And Christianity. And Judaism.
In the end, men make God (and religion) in their own image. If they are peaceful and kind, so is their religion and God. If they are violent, so is their path. I take issue with all scriptural invocation to violence or countermanding empathy. Yet I know, to Aslan's point, a small group of Buddhists are even committing atrocities in Asia, and there's the most pacifist religion we have right now. Nevertheless, it's intellectually irresponsible, and psychologically circumspect, that a man this brilliant and reasonable can still believe what he does. I think he's dishonest with himself somewhere, perhaps to preserve egoic identity at the expense of really getting down to the bottom of things, but I still admire his work. You can't blame a person for having a hard line where their identity becomes confused. If Islam is a sham, and I fell for it completely and assigned all my tremendous faculties in its defense, then who am I?
It is indeed the darkest night of the soul, to cross that divide.
-- 14 Oct 2014, 10:17 --
I would like this review removed - upon reflection, it's not fair of me to review a book I didn't finish and speculate about the author instead of evaluating his work.
-
bookworm_2013
- Posts: 5
- Joined: 01 May 2013, 06:14
- Currently Reading: Boston Girl
- Bookshelf Size: 0
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bookworm-2013.html
I just finished reading this book and I must say that I liked the book.
I agree to the point that Aslan is definately a beleiver, a moderate voice of Islam.
But despite this fact he has not gone about to defend his beleif blindly at any point in the book.
At the very beginning of the book he makes a critical point about Religion or a Religious Prophet being the reflection of the people of his times, their desires and their fears. After that he goes on in length to describe the historical panorama in which Muhammed was born and the social stratas in which he grew up.
This approach puts back the much needed perspective into the religious customs and beleifs and reiterates the fact that what was true 500 years ago might not be true today,what was humane at that point in time may be a heinious act today. Like all human beleifs, religion is also only a beleif which must evolve and adapt with changing times.
I agree to the point that Aslan is definately a beleiver, a moderate voice of Islam.
But despite this fact he has not gone about to defend his beleif blindly at any point in the book.
At the very beginning of the book he makes a critical point about Religion or a Religious Prophet being the reflection of the people of his times, their desires and their fears. After that he goes on in length to describe the historical panorama in which Muhammed was born and the social stratas in which he grew up.
This approach puts back the much needed perspective into the religious customs and beleifs and reiterates the fact that what was true 500 years ago might not be true today,what was humane at that point in time may be a heinious act today. Like all human beleifs, religion is also only a beleif which must evolve and adapt with changing times.
