The recently released book “The House of Islam, A Global History” by Ed Husain is a rich source of information regarding the historical development of religion of Islam and its unfortunate descend from its glorious past. The book covers a wide array of topics including the birth of Islam and Quran, Islamism, the pivotal historical events and their impact on house of Islam, Shia and Sunny strife, women, Hijab, sex, family, and restoring the dignity of Islam. Husain, like many other Islamic scholars is frustrated because the house of Islam is badly burning and fire is spreading form one room to another. And, if fire is not contained, sooner or later, the entire house will be engulfed in flame and eventual crumbling of its foundation. Although his reform suggestions at the end of this book are unique and remotely resemble the ones offered by some of the previous authors. His reform proposal have a silent attribute. Unlike many other writers, Ed is an insider, a practicing Muslim. He was born to a devout Muslim family and has traveled to a few Muslim countries and has lived among believes all his life. In particular, he lived in Saudi Arabia, the birth place of Islam, for a few years. In addition, he studied Arabic, the language of Islam, to have a better grasp of Islamic texts and scriptures.
He explains how America and the West keep misreading and misunderstanding Islam and their policies regarding Muslim nations are based on erroneous assumptions and inaccurate reading of this religion, and often, I believe, the inputs provided mostly by so called Islamic experts who have no first-hand knowledge of Islam, as Mr. Husain has, because they are not either Muslim or have not lived in a Muslim country.
Undoubtedly, the world would be a much better place without radical Islam and the threat of violence under the name of religion.
Meanwhile, Muslim countries are ruled by inapt, mostly dictatorial, governments that, to camouflage their inability to improve dismal economic conditions, blame the US and the West as their scapegoat. The tale of victimicy, played in Middle East over and over by Islamists is another problems. They utilize the modern mass media to promote radicalism and to recruit sympathizers, young and naïve believers in particular, and turn them into operatives who would commit violent acts in the name of Islam. In the meantime, finding verses in Quran and Islamic scriptures and Hadis to justify the violence and to glorify martyrdom and the promise of blissed life in the next world by Islamists is a successful recruiting tool.
To gain the confidence of the global community, Muslims have no choice but to put their house in order, Husain affirms. Based on his masterful analyses in this book and his assessment of the world of Islam, Husain ends his book by offering three reform suggestions:
- Formation of Middle Eastern Union
- Establishment of kind of Muslim Marshall Plan
- Expulsion of violence and extremism from within Islam
Rightfully, Mr. Husain worries about the dire situation in Islamic world like many other researchers, however, unlike some of them who have no in-depth knowledge of Islam, he is a sincere reformist with hands-on experience of Islam. His suggestion to put down the fire in house of Islam is indeed a badly needed reform, but, I believe, hard to implement.
Undoubtedly, the world would be a much better place without radical Islam and the threat of violence under the name of religion. Muslims must give up the idea that someone else is responsible for their economic misery and lost fame. They must stop being obsessed with their past and focus on their present. Without structural reforms, they are not able to succeed restoring their ancient glory and Arab pride or to repair the tarnished image of Islam.
