DOC A Call for Heresy: Why Dissent Is Vital to Islam and America by Anouar Majid in History

Review

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. we know that we have made great mistakes; But there doe's not seem to be ...By panagoulisWay too angry and scary; we know that we have made great mistakes; But there doe's not seem to be other countries that step up to the plate . My family ask me to put the book down; mainly because I became so angry . I 'm equally worried about the author and his role as a professor; who's mind he is screwing up. BAH HUNBUG0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A must-readBy Roger GreenI have had this book for several years. At times I found it a bit hard going but I have always come back to read more of it; and then to re-read it. The early part has good bits but it doesn't carry the reader along - the reader should persist. I am a voracious reader and have the habit (a bad one in some people's eyes) of folding down corners of pages to mark important points - I am now amazed by how many pages have folded corners - more than any other book I own. In the end I find myself wishing that "A Call for Heresy" was more widely read and influential than it apparently is - perhaps that is because it is from a university press. I am something of a long-time student of religion; especially early Christianity and Islam; and also of American history and politics. I find this book to do an excellent job of pulling the two together. I am Canadian but grew up in the US and was subject to its schooling; and I have lived among Muslims in SE Asia. I would highly recommend this book. The one bad review here is simply nonsense - obviously someone with an axe to grind who approached it negatively. I also like Majid's "We Are All Moors"; written two years later; and for quite a while I thought it was the better book. It is better written re. style and organization but I now think that "A Call for Heresy" is the more rewarding of the two.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Highly recommendedBy Joseph C. Codsi1 - The title - A Call for HeresyToday the Muslim world is in deep turmoil. Islam is in crisis. Terrorism is only one aspect of the crisis. Another aspect is the search for intellectual and theological renewal. Thus a Muslim Heretics Conference took place in Atlanta; March 28-30; 2008; which called for an Islamic Reformation similar to the Protestant Reformation. The slogan of the Christian Reformation was "Scripture alone". The slogan of this mini Muslim reformation is very similar. It calls for a return to the Quran alone. Islamic orthodoxy (sunna) has deviated from the original path. The new movement calls for a return to the one and only source of Islamic Revelation; the Quran. This group of reformists referred to themselves as "heretics" in order to emphasize their criticism of the established orthodoxy. What is remarkable about them is that they use a Christian terminology in their theological discourse; the word heresy being typically Christian. It is used to refer to Churches that deviate in one way or another from the orthodox doctrine. In this context; heresy applies to believers who disagree with the orthodox majority on some theological issues.In his book; Anouar Majid uses the word heresy in a rather improper way. He includes in it the unbelievers who reject the notion of Revelation and the central tenets of Islam. This is never openly stated; but is implied throughout the book.2 - The subtitle - Why dissent is Vital to Islam and AmericaWhat is characteristic of the book is that it is highly critical of Islam and America; by someone who has personal ties to Islam and America. Anouar Majid is of Moroccan origin. He is Director of the Center for Global Humanities at the University of New England; Maine. I assume that he was raised in the Islamic faith in his native Morocco; and that he became; after long years in America; secular minded. He is equally distressed by the decadence of the Muslim world and by the deviation of America from the original path; as it was defined by the founding fathers who created a republic based on secular grounds and egalitarian values. His criticism of Islam and America is therefore grounded in deep love for both of them. This makes his book highly valuable not only for Muslims but also for Americans. It is a thought-provoking reading. I highly recommend it; especially for Muslims who live in America.The book reveals a hidden dimension of Islam that is usually ignored in the Muslim world. I am referring here to the first two centuries of Islam; when orthodoxy was still vaguely defined. This allowed for religious and political dissent to be expressed openly and without violent censorship. With the advent of orthodoxy (defined by theologians and enforced by the Abbasside caliphate) an Islamic Inquisition saw the light; and Islam was taken hostage by the requirements of power. The theological intransigence that is observed today is the legacy of that past; which spells obscurantism; spiritual infantilism and religious decadence.Anouar Majid is a very good student of American history. It's the story of how America became a world power and lost her soul in the process. A Christian saint wrote an autobiography which she entitled "Histoire d'une Âme" (the story of a soul). In its pages devoted to America; Majid's book traces the story of the American soul. There is here a lot to ponder and reevaluate. This is a very advanced reading of American history.Joseph Codsi