- It's in the Koran, but no Muslim believes it in practice.
- Some Muslims may believe it, but it's not in the Koran, so it's not true Islam
- You're a Nazi
As a result, critical studies of Islam tend towards the large side as the authors attempt to deal with opponents who will throw every pot & pan, irrespective of logic. All of which means it is a particular pleasure to welcome Robert Spencer's new book, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades).
It's tempting to call this the Dhummies Guide To Islam. As with the best of the Dummies Guides, an awful lot of information is packed into a very readable format. In fact, just like the Dummies series, text boxes are scattered throughout the main body with additional snippets of information. Spencer, however, has no time for the touchy-feely PC drivel that infects the Dummies series. Equipped with both a tremendous knowledge of Islam and the courage to descibe it accuratley, Spencer lets nary a PC myth nor a piece of Islamic propaganda escape unscathed.
In the first part of the book Spencer dissects Islam itself. Topics such as dhimmitude, the treatment of women and the role (or rather the abscence of role) of science in Islam are discussed. Spencer pulls no punches here - in fact, several chapters have sections subheaded 'PC Myths', where the author takes multiculti drivel head on. While the general principles may be familiar to students of the death cult, Spencer manages to explain both the hows and whys and to place each topic in the context of modern life.
The middle of the book deals with the Crusades. Initially, I wondered about this: why bother when only the already dhimmi buy into the idea that the Crusades somehow gave rise to Islamic excess anyway ? Spencer shows that the alleged evils of the Crusades play much the same role for Islamic apologists that the Crucifixtion played for anti-Semites in medieval Europe - the 'original sin' which hangs over all attempts by Europe to defend itself against Islam. Spencer debunks virtually everything pop culture would have us believe about the Crusades, while showing how they fit exactly in the narrative of Islamic Jihad.
Finally, Spencer deals with the Jihad today, discussing supposed 'Islamophobia', the murder of Theo Van Gough and other issues the multiculti would you rather you didn't think about. Indeed, even for the reader familiar with events post-September 11, much that Spencer describes is new and shocking. Certainly, if his report of events following a series of explosions at a Texas oil refinery is true, the FBI needs reforming with a chainsaw.
The book concludes with a short chapter detailing Spencer's prescriptions for taking militant Islam on today. These are all good, but I can't help feel he's done one of the most important things simply by producing this book. At last, there is a readable guide to Islam that eschews the insane dictates of multi-culturalism. Read this book and find out all you need to know to debunk the various dhimmi drivellings out there today, then give it to your kids, your significant other, siblings and anyone else who's suffering Kool Aid poisoning. Truly, Islam is the very definition of the phrase 'to say it clearly is to refute it'.
Spencer includes, on the front of the book, a line from an Islamic well-wisher: 'May Allah rip out his spine from his back and split his brains in two, and then put them both back, and then do it over and over again'. After this, they're going to be really hacked off.
UPDATE:
Down in the comments the Rotty Pup reminds us that the book is 17 on the NYT bestseller list. It's also 17 at Amazon.com, and even - without any publicity at all - 213 at Amazon.co.uk. You can hear Lefty heads popping from here.
No comments:
Post a Comment